Haruki Kadokawa
Encyclopedia
is a Japan
ese publisher, film producer
, director
and screenwriter
. He was the son of Genyoshi Kadokawa and inherited the position of president of the publishing house Kadokawa Shoten
in 1975. Under his guidance, the company soon branched into film production, and by 1994 Kadokawa had produced close to 60 films, many of them box-office hits. After being forced to resign from Kadokawa Shoten in 1994 due to a smuggling conviction, he established another company, Kadokawa Haruki Corporation, that has also been involved in the publishing and film production industries.
. After graduating from high school, Haruki was accepted into the literature department of Waseda University
. However, with his father's influence, he was enrolled in Kokugakuin University
instead. Haruki graduated in 1964 with a degree in literature and joined his father's company the next year.
Kadokawa soon also branched out into the film business
. His goal was to try to reap synergy benefits by creating film adaptations of the publishing house's most popular books and marketing them simultaneously. The company's first film was the 1976 release The Inugamis
, directed by Kon Ichikawa
and adopted from a Kadokawa Shoten published novel written by Seishi Yokomizo
. Due to an aggressive marketing campaign, the film ended as the second-largest earner of the year in Japan.
Between 1976 and 1993, Kadokawa produced close to 60 films. His company's pictures were usually large-scale epics with sizable budgets and matching advertising campaigns, aimed for mass audiences and box-office success. While critics weren't always kind on Kadokawa's works, the films were consistently popular among the viewing public. By 1992, 7 out of top 20 all-time highest box-office grossing Japanese films were Kadokawa's productions. During his time at Kadokawa Shoten, Haruki was often hailed as the savior of Japan's struggling film industry. Kadokawa's efforts to branch into foreign markets were consistently less successful. His biggest failure came in 1992 when the 25 million US$
film Ruby Cairo
starring Andie MacDowell
failed to find a distributor in the United States.
Kadokawa also worked as a screenwriter and a director. He made his directorial debut in 1982 with the film The Lost Hero. His most notable work was the 1990 film Heaven and Earth
, whose budget of over 5 billion yen
was the largest ever for a Japanese film at the time.
from the United States on several occasions. He was charged with smuggling and embezzling money from his company in order to fund the drug purchases. While Kadokawa continued to argue his innocence throughout the ordeal, in September 1994 he was convicted and handed a four-year prison sentence, of which he ended up serving two and a half years.
Due to the "moral embarrassment" regarding the incident the film Rex: A Dinosaur's Story, a 1994 summer blockbuster directed by Kadokawa, was pulled from theaters by Kadokawa's production company and its distribution partner, Shochiku Company
. Kadokawa himself was forced to resign from Kadokawa Shoten. The new president was Haruki's younger brother Tsuguhiko, who had previously been forced out of the company in favor of Haruki's son Taro.
from his old company Kadokawa Shoten. In 2005, after more than a decade away from the business, Kadokawa returned to producing films with the World War II epic Yamato. He has since worked as an executive producer on Genghis Khan: To the Ends of the Earth and Sea
and a remake of Akira Kurosawa
's Sanjuro
in 2007.
shrine and conducted monthly rituals there. He wrote critically praised haiku
and tanka poetry that was published in poetry magazines, a hobby he continued while incarcerated. In 1991, Kadokawa finished building a full-size replica of Christopher Columbus
' flagship Santa Maria
, which sailed from Barcelona
to Japan, with Kadokawa initially at the helm.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese publisher, film producer
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
, director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
and screenwriter
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
. He was the son of Genyoshi Kadokawa and inherited the position of president of the publishing house Kadokawa Shoten
Kadokawa Shoten
is a well-known Japanese publishing company based in Tokyo, Japan. Kadokawa has published both manga novels and magazines, such as Newtype magazine...
in 1975. Under his guidance, the company soon branched into film production, and by 1994 Kadokawa had produced close to 60 films, many of them box-office hits. After being forced to resign from Kadokawa Shoten in 1994 due to a smuggling conviction, he established another company, Kadokawa Haruki Corporation, that has also been involved in the publishing and film production industries.
Early life
Haruki's father was Genyoshi Kadokawa, the founder of Japanese publishing house Kadokawa ShotenKadokawa Shoten
is a well-known Japanese publishing company based in Tokyo, Japan. Kadokawa has published both manga novels and magazines, such as Newtype magazine...
. After graduating from high school, Haruki was accepted into the literature department of Waseda University
Waseda University
, abbreviated as , is one of the most prestigious private universities in Japan and Asia. Its main campuses are located in the northern part of Shinjuku, Tokyo. Founded in 1882 as Tokyo Senmon Gakko, the institution was renamed "Waseda University" in 1902. It is known for its liberal climate...
. However, with his father's influence, he was enrolled in Kokugakuin University
Kokugakuin University
Kokugakuin University is a private university, whose main office is located in Tokyo's Shibuya district...
instead. Haruki graduated in 1964 with a degree in literature and joined his father's company the next year.
Career with Kadokawa Shoten
Upon Genyoshi's death in 1975, Haruki took over as the company's president. He quickly turned the publisher's direction, changing the company that had previously been known for its serious literary and educational works into creators of popular fiction.Kadokawa soon also branched out into the film business
Cinema of Japan
The has a history that spans more than 100 years. Japan has one of the oldest and largest film industries in the world – as of 2009 the fourth largest by number of feature films produced. Movies have been produced in Japan since 1897, when the first foreign cameramen arrived...
. His goal was to try to reap synergy benefits by creating film adaptations of the publishing house's most popular books and marketing them simultaneously. The company's first film was the 1976 release The Inugamis
The Inugamis
is a 1976 Japanese film directed by Kon Ichikawa....
, directed by Kon Ichikawa
Kon Ichikawa
was a Japanese film director.-Early life and career:Ichikawa was born in Ise, Mie Prefecture. In the 1930s Ichikawa attended a technical school in Osaka. Upon graduation, in 1933, he found a job with a local rental film studio, J.O. Studio, in their animation department...
and adopted from a Kadokawa Shoten published novel written by Seishi Yokomizo
Seishi Yokomizo
was a novelist in Shōwa period Japan.-Early life:Yokomizo was born in the city of Kobe, Hyōgo Prefecture. He read detective stories as a boy and in 1921, while employed by the Daiichi Bank, published his first story in the popular magazine Shin Seinen...
. Due to an aggressive marketing campaign, the film ended as the second-largest earner of the year in Japan.
Between 1976 and 1993, Kadokawa produced close to 60 films. His company's pictures were usually large-scale epics with sizable budgets and matching advertising campaigns, aimed for mass audiences and box-office success. While critics weren't always kind on Kadokawa's works, the films were consistently popular among the viewing public. By 1992, 7 out of top 20 all-time highest box-office grossing Japanese films were Kadokawa's productions. During his time at Kadokawa Shoten, Haruki was often hailed as the savior of Japan's struggling film industry. Kadokawa's efforts to branch into foreign markets were consistently less successful. His biggest failure came in 1992 when the 25 million US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
film Ruby Cairo
Ruby Cairo
Ruby Cairo is a 1993 film directed by Graeme Clifford. The soundtrack features music by John Barry and the song You Belong to Me performed by Patsy Cline.-Plot:...
starring Andie MacDowell
Andie MacDowell
Rosalie Anderson "Andie" MacDowell is an American model and actress. She has received the Golden Camera and an Honorary César.-Early life:...
failed to find a distributor in the United States.
Kadokawa also worked as a screenwriter and a director. He made his directorial debut in 1982 with the film The Lost Hero. His most notable work was the 1990 film Heaven and Earth
Heaven and Earth (1990 film)
Heaven and Earth is a 1990 film directed by Haruki Kadokawa starring Enoki Takaaki, Tsugawa Masahiko, Asano Atsuko, Zaizen Naomi and Nomura Hironobu.-Plot summary:...
, whose budget of over 5 billion yen
Japanese yen
The is the official currency of Japan. It is the third most traded currency in the foreign exchange market after the United States dollar and the euro. It is also widely used as a reserve currency after the U.S. dollar, the euro and the pound sterling...
was the largest ever for a Japanese film at the time.
Arrest
In 1993, Kadokawa was accused of instructing photographer Takeshi Ikeda, a close aide, to smuggle cocaineCocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
from the United States on several occasions. He was charged with smuggling and embezzling money from his company in order to fund the drug purchases. While Kadokawa continued to argue his innocence throughout the ordeal, in September 1994 he was convicted and handed a four-year prison sentence, of which he ended up serving two and a half years.
Due to the "moral embarrassment" regarding the incident the film Rex: A Dinosaur's Story, a 1994 summer blockbuster directed by Kadokawa, was pulled from theaters by Kadokawa's production company and its distribution partner, Shochiku Company
Shochiku
is a Japanese movie studio and production company for kabuki. It also produces and distributes anime films. Its best remembered directors include Yasujirō Ozu, Kenji Mizoguchi, Mikio Naruse, Keisuke Kinoshita and Yōji Yamada...
. Kadokawa himself was forced to resign from Kadokawa Shoten. The new president was Haruki's younger brother Tsuguhiko, who had previously been forced out of the company in favor of Haruki's son Taro.
Later career
In 1995, Kadokawa started the Kadokawa Haruki Corporation and continued in the publishing business by purchasing the teen magazine PopteenPopteen
is a monthly teenage fashion magazine published by the Kadokawa Haruki Corporation in Japan. The first issue was published on October 1, 1980 by Kadokawa Shoten. Later issues were published by Asuka Shinsha who bought the magazine for 200 million yen...
from his old company Kadokawa Shoten. In 2005, after more than a decade away from the business, Kadokawa returned to producing films with the World War II epic Yamato. He has since worked as an executive producer on Genghis Khan: To the Ends of the Earth and Sea
Genghis Khan: To the Ends of the Earth and Sea
is a 2007 Japanese - Mongolian historical drama film depicting the life of Genghis Khan.-Cast:*Takashi Sorimachi as Temüjin/Genghis Khan*Rei Kikukawa as Börte*Mayumi Wakamura as Hoelun*Kenichi Matsuyama as Jochi*Yoshihiko Hakamada as Hasar*Go Ara as Khulan...
and a remake of Akira Kurosawa
Akira Kurosawa
was a Japanese film director, producer, screenwriter and editor. Regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers in the history of cinema, Kurosawa directed 30 filmsIn 1946, Kurosawa co-directed, with Hideo Sekigawa and Kajiro Yamamoto, the feature Those Who Make Tomorrow ;...
's Sanjuro
Sanjuro
is a 1962 black-and-white Japanese samurai film directed by Akira Kurosawa and starring Toshirō Mifune. It is a sequel to Kurosawa's previous film Yojimbo, with Mifune reprising his role as a wandering ronin...
in 2007.
Other ventures
Throughout his career Kadokawa has earned a reputation for flamboyancy, not all of which stems from his large scale films and their advertising campaigns. In 1974, he built his own ShintoShinto
or Shintoism, also kami-no-michi, is the indigenous spirituality of Japan and the Japanese people. It is a set of practices, to be carried out diligently, to establish a connection between present day Japan and its ancient past. Shinto practices were first recorded and codified in the written...
shrine and conducted monthly rituals there. He wrote critically praised haiku
Haiku
' , plural haiku, is a very short form of Japanese poetry typically characterised by three qualities:* The essence of haiku is "cutting"...
and tanka poetry that was published in poetry magazines, a hobby he continued while incarcerated. In 1991, Kadokawa finished building a full-size replica of Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus was an explorer, colonizer, and navigator, born in the Republic of Genoa, in northwestern Italy. Under the auspices of the Catholic Monarchs of Spain, he completed four voyages across the Atlantic Ocean that led to general European awareness of the American continents in the...
' flagship Santa Maria
Santa María (ship)
La Santa María de la Inmaculada Concepción , was the largest of the three ships used by Christopher Columbus in his first voyage. Her master and owner was Juan de la Cosa.-History:...
, which sailed from Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
to Japan, with Kadokawa initially at the helm.