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is a Japanese film
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...

, television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...

 production
Production company
A production company provides the physical basis for works in the realms of the performing arts, new media art, film, television, radio, and video.- Tasks and functions :...

, and distribution
Film distributor
A film distributor is a company or individual responsible for releasing films to the public either theatrically or for home viewing...

 corporation
Corporation
A corporation is created under the laws of a state as a separate legal entity that has privileges and liabilities that are distinct from those of its members. There are many different forms of corporations, most of which are used to conduct business. Early corporations were established by charter...

. Based in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...

, Toei owns and operates thirty-four (34) movie theater
Movie theater
A movie theater, cinema, movie house, picture theater, film theater is a venue, usually a building, for viewing motion pictures ....

s across Japan, a modest vertically-integrated studio system
Studio system
The studio system was a means of film production and distribution dominant in Hollywood from the early 1920s through the early 1960s. The term studio system refers to the practice of large motion picture studios producing movies primarily on their own filmmaking lots with creative personnel under...

 by the standards of the 1930s United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

; operates studios
Movie studio
A movie studio is a term used to describe a major entertainment company or production company that has its own privately owned studio facility or facilities that are used to film movies...

 at Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...

 and Kyoto
Kyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...

; and is a stockholder
Shareholder
A shareholder or stockholder is an individual or institution that legally owns one or more shares of stock in a public or private corporation. Shareholders own the stock, but not the corporation itself ....

 in several television companies. It is notable for anime
Toei Animation
Toei Animation Co., Ltd. is a Japanese animation studio owned by Toei Co., Ltd. The studio was founded in 1948 as Japan Animated Films . In 1956, Toei purchased the studio and it was reincorporated under its current name...

, live action
Live action
In filmmaking, video production, and other media, the term live action refers to cinematography, videography not produced using animation...

 dramas
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...

 known as tokusatsu
Tokusatsu
is a Japanese term that applies to any live-action film or television drama that usually features superheroes and makes considerable use of special effects ....

 which use special visual effects
Special effect
The illusions used in the film, television, theatre, or entertainment industries to simulate the imagined events in a story are traditionally called special effects ....

, and historical dramas
Period piece
-Setting:In the performing arts, a period piece is a work set in a particular era. This informal term covers all countries, all periods and all genres...

 (jidaigeki
Jidaigeki
is a genre of film, television, and theatre in Japan. The name means "period drama" and is usually the Edo period of Japanese history, from 1603 to 1868. Some, however, are set much earlier—Portrait of Hell, for example, is set during the late Heian period—and the early Meiji era is also a popular...

).

Toei was a pioneer in the use of character transformation
Henshin
is the Japanese word for "transformation," literally meaning, "to change or transform the body." This word is primarily used in manga, anime, and tokusatsu dramas for when a character transforms into a superhero. usually have a "henshin call", a catchphrase which they recite when they transform...

 in live-action martial-arts dramas, a technique developed for the Kamen Rider
Kamen Rider
, is a weekly science fiction story created by Japanese manga artist Shotaro Ishinomori. It debuted as a tokusatsu television series on April 3, 1971 and ran until February 10, 1973, airing on the Mainichi Broadcasting System and NET TV . A manga adaptation was also featured in Shōnen Magazine...

, Devilman
Devilman
is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Go Nagai which originally started as an anime adaptation of the concept of Nagai's previous manga series, Demon Lord Dante. A 39 episode anime series was developed by Toei in 1972 and Nagai began Devilman as a manga in Kodansha's Weekly Shōnen...

and Super Sentai
Super Sentai
The is the name given to the long-running Japanese superhero team genre of shows produced by Toei Co., Ltd., Toei Agency and Bandai, and aired by TV Asahi...

series; the genre currently continues with Kamen Rider and Super Sentai.

The name "Toei" is derived from the company's former name "kyō Eiga Haikyū" (Tokyo Film Distribution Company).

History

, incorporated 1938, had previously erected its facilities immediately east of the Tokyu Tōkyō-Yokohama Line; they managed the Tōkyū Shibuya Yokohama studio system
Studio system
The studio system was a means of film production and distribution dominant in Hollywood from the early 1920s through the early 1960s. The term studio system refers to the practice of large motion picture studios producing movies primarily on their own filmmaking lots with creative personnel under...

 prior to V-J Day. From 1945 through the Toei merger, Tokyo-Yokohama Films leased from the Daiei Motion Picture Company
Kadokawa Pictures
is a Japanese movie studio.-History:One of the most famous studios in Japan and founded in 1942 as , it is best known for having produced the giant monster Gamera film series and the Daimajin Trilogy. It also produced the Zatoichi and Nemuri Kyoshiro film series and the television series Shōnen Jet...

 a second studio in Kyoto. Through the merger, they gained the combined talents and experience of actors Chiezō Kataoka
Chiezo Kataoka
was a Japanese actor. Born in 1903 in Gunma Prefecture, he was raised in Tokyo. His first starring role in a film was in 1923. Specializing in jidaigeki, he played the lead in various films before and during World War II. After the war, he eventually joined Toei...

, Utaemon Ichikawa
Utaemon Ichikawa
was a Japanese film actor famous for starring roles in jidaigeki from the 1920s to the 1960s. Trained in kabuki from childhood, he made his film debut in 1925 at Makino Film Productions under Shōzō Makino. Quickly gaining popularity, he followed the example of Makino stars such as Tsumasaburō Bandō...

, Ryunosuke Tsukigata
Ryūnosuke Tsukigata
was a Japanese actor known especially for his work in jidaigeki in film and television. His real name was Kiyoto Monden.-Career:Born in Miyagi Prefecture, Tsukigata entered the actor's school at Nikkatsu in 1920, but earned his first starring role working at Shōzō Makino's studio in 1924...

, Ryūtarō Ōtomo
Ryutaro Otomo
was a Japanese film actor. He committed suicide in 1985.- Filmography :He played in 272 films:* * Akō Rōshi * The Magic Serpent - External links :...

, Kinnosuke Nakamura, Chiyonosuke Azuma, Shirunosuke Toshin, Hashizo Okawa and Satomi Oka.

On October 1, 1950, the Tokyo Film Distribution Company was incorporated; in 1951 the company purchased Ōizumi Films .

In 1956, Toei established an animation
Animation
Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. The effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in several ways...

 division, Toei Animation Company, Ltd.
Toei Animation
Toei Animation Co., Ltd. is a Japanese animation studio owned by Toei Co., Ltd. The studio was founded in 1948 as Japan Animated Films . In 1956, Toei purchased the studio and it was reincorporated under its current name...

 at the former Tokyo-Ōizumi animation studio, purchasing the assets of Japan Animated Films (originally founded in 1948).

List of films

  • Samayou Yaiba
    Samayou Yaiba
    is a Japanese novel written by Keigo Higashino in 2003. In 2009 a Japanese film by Shouichi Mashiko was produced by Toei based on the original novel.- Plot :...

  • Dragon Ball: Sleeping Princess in Devil's Castle - 1987
  • Saint Seiya: The Movie - 1987
  • Sailor Moon R: The Movie
  • Sailor Moon S: The Movie
  • Sailor Moon Supers: The Movie
  • Battle Royale

Tokusatsu

  • Choushinsei Flashman: The Movie
  • Flashman: Big Rally! Titan Boy!
  • Hikari Sentai Maskman: The Movie -1987
  • Choujinki Metalder: The Movie - 1987
  • Shin: Kamen Rider Prologue - 1992
  • Gosei Sentai Dairanger: The Movie - 1993
  • Kamen Rider ZO
    Kamen Rider ZO
    , translated as Masked Rider ZO, is a 1993 Japanese tokusatsu movie produced by Toei Company, part of their Kamen Rider Series. Directed by Keita Amemiya, the film was the first joint production between Toei Company Limited and Bandai....

     - 1993
  • Tokusou Robo Janperson: The Movie - 1993
  • Ninja Sentai Kakuranger: The Movie - 1994
  • Kamen Rider J
    Kamen Rider J
    , translated as Masked Rider J, is a 1994 Japanese tokusatsu movie produced by Toei Company, loosely based on their Kamen Rider Series.As part of the 40th anniversary of the Kamen Rider Series, J was shown on Toei's pay-per-view channel during September 2011...

     - 1994
  • Blue SWAT: The Movie - 1994
  • Chōriki Sentai Ohranger: The Movie - 1995
  • Juukou B-Fighter: The Movie - 1995
  • Mechanical Violator Hakaider
    Mechanical Violator Hakaider
    , is a Japanese tokusatsu film starring Hakaider, Kikaider's deadly rival and anti hero.-Production:Mechanical Violator Hakaider was released in Japan on April 15, 1995. It was produced by Bandai/Toei and directed by Keita Amemiya...

     - 1995
  • Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie
    Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie
    Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie is a 1995 American superhero action fantasy based on the television series Mighty Morphin Power Rangers on Fox Kids. It featured the characters and actors from the series itself, and used the zords from Ninja Sentai Kakuranger...

     - 1995
  • Chōriki Sentai Ohranger: Ohra vs. Kakuranger - 1996
  • Gekisou Sentai Carranger vs. Ohranger - 1997
  • Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie
    Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie
    Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie is a 1997 American superhero action science fantasy film directed by David Winning and Shuki Levy. It is set in the Power Rangers universe, serving as a bridge between Power Rangers Zeo and Power Rangers Turbo...

     - 1997
  • Denji Sentai Megaranger vs. Carranger - 1998
  • Kyuukyuu GoGoFive the Movie: Sudden Shock! A New Warrior - 1999
  • Kyuukyuu Sentai GoGoFive vs. Gingaman - 2000
  • Mirai Sentai Timeranger vs. GoGoFive - 2001
  • Hyakujuu Sentai Gaoranger: The Fire Mountain Roars - 2001
  • Kamen Rider Agito: Project G4 - 2001
  • Ninpuu Sentai Hurricaneger vs. Gaoranger
  • Kamen Rider Ryuki: Episode Final
    Kamen Rider Ryuki: Episode Final
    is the theatrical film adaptation of the Japanese 2002 Kamen Rider series, Kamen Rider Ryuki, directed by Ryuta Tasaki and written by Toshiki Inoue....

     - 2002
  • Ninpuu Sentai Hurricaneger Shushuuto the Movie
  • Bakuryū Sentai Abaranger DELUXE: Abare Summer is Freezing Cold! - 2003
  • Kamen Rider 555: Paradise Lost
    Kamen Rider 555: Paradise Lost
    , was released during the run of the series, as a double feature alongside Bakuryu Sentai Abaranger: Abare Summer is Freezing! on August 16, 2003.-Plot:...

     - 2003
  • Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon
    Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon
    is a Japanese tokusatsu television series in the Bishōjo Senshi Sailor Moon metaseries originally created by Naoko Takeuchi. It is produced by Toei, the same company that produces the Super Sentai Series and the Kamen Rider Series and of which their animation firm Toei Animation, produced the...

     - 2003
  • Bakuryū Sentai Abaranger vs. Hurricaneger - 2004
  • Tokusou Sentai Dekaranger the Movie: Full Blast Action - 2004
  • Kamen Rider Blade: Missing Ace
    Kamen Rider Blade: Missing Ace
    is the theatrical film adaptation of the Japanese 2004 Kamen Rider series, Kamen Rider Blade, directed by Hidenori Ishida and Katsuya Watanabe and written by Toshiki Inoue....

     - 2004
  • Tokusou Sentai Dekaranger vs. Abaranger - 2005
  • Mahou Sentai Magiranger the Movie: Bride of Infershia ~Maagi Magi Giruma Jinga~ - 2005
  • Kamen Rider Hibiki & The Seven Senki - 2005
  • Kamen Rider The First
    Kamen Rider the First
    is a 2005 Japanese tokusatsu film. The film is an adaptation of the television series Kamen Rider, though there are many differences between the film and the original programme; some of these, however, are due to a closer reliance on the original Kamen Rider manga by Shotaro Ishinomori...

     - 2005
  • Mahou Sentai Magiranger vs. Dekaranger ~Maagi Giruma Deka Magika~ - 2006
  • GoGo Sentai Boukenger The Movie: The Greatest Precious - 2006
  • Kamen Rider Kabuto: God Speed Love
    Kamen Rider Kabuto: God Speed Love
    is the theatrical film adaptation of the Kamen Rider Kabuto TV series directed by Hidenori Ishida and written by Shōji Yonemura. Unlike many others Kamen Rider movies, it does not follow the TV series's storyline. Instead, it is more like a prologue...

     - 2006
  • GoGo Sentai Boukenger vs. Super Sentai
    GoGo Sentai Boukenger vs. Super Sentai
    is a direct-to-video tokusatsu movie. The DVD was released in February 2007. The movie celebrates the 30 year anniversary of the Super Sentai Series.-Plot:...

     - 2007
  • Juken Sentai Gekiranger: Nei-Nei! Hou-Hou! Hong Kong Decisive Battle
    Juken Sentai Gekiranger: Nei-Nei! Hou-Hou! Hong Kong Decisive Battle
    is the theatrical film adaptation of the Super Sentai series' Juken Sentai Gekiranger television tokusatsu drama directed by Shōjirō Nakazawa and written by Naruhisa Arakawa. It premiered in Japanese theaters on August 4, 2007 with the Kamen Rider Series' film Kamen Rider Den-O: I'm Born!...

     - 2007
  • Kamen Rider Den-O: I'm Born!
    Kamen Rider Den-O: I'm Born!
    is the theatrical film adaptation of the Kamen Rider Den-O TV series directed by Takao Nagaishi and written by Yasuko Kobayashi. The movie takes place between episodes 27 and 28 of the series, featuring the DenLiner and its passengers travel as far back as the Edo period of Japan.The film is...

     - 2007
  • Kamen Rider The Next
    Kamen Rider The Next
    is a 2007 Japanese tokusatsu film directed by Ryuta Tasaki and written by Toshiki Inoue. The film was released on October 27, 2007. The film borrows elements from the Kamen Rider V3 television series and is a sequel to the Kamen Rider The First movie...

     - 2007
  • Engine Sentai Go-onger vs. Gekiranger
    Engine Sentai Go-onger vs. Gekiranger
    is the second film adaptation of the 2008 Japanese Super Sentai series Engine Sentai Go-onger. Initially planned to be a V-Cinema release on DVD March 21, 2009, it was announced on December 7, 2008, that it would be released to Japanese theaters on January 24, 2009, to commemorate the fifteenth...

     - 2008
  • Kamen Rider Den-O & Kiva: Climax Deka
    Kamen Rider Den-O & Kiva: Climax Deka
    is a Japanese tokusatsu film in the Kamen Rider franchise. Climax Deka is the second film to feature the characters of the television drama Kamen Rider Den-O and the first to feature the characters of Kamen Rider Kiva. It opened in theaters on April 12, 2008 as part of the...

     - 2008
  • Engine Sentai Go-onger: Boom Boom! Bang Bang! GekijōBang!!
    Engine Sentai Go-onger: Boom Boom! Bang Bang! GekijoBang!!
    is the theatrical film adaptation of the Japanese 2008 Super Sentai series Engine Sentai Go-onger. As with all of the Super Sentai films, Boom Boom! Bang Bang! GekijōBang!! is a double bill with the film for the 2008 Kamen Rider series Kamen Rider Kiva, Kamen Rider Kiva: King of the Castle in the...

     - 2008
  • Kamen Rider Kiva: King of the Castle in the Demon World - 2008
  • Saraba Kamen Rider Den-O: Final Countdown - 2008
  • Engine Sentai Go-onger vs. Gekiranger
    Engine Sentai Go-onger vs. Gekiranger
    is the second film adaptation of the 2008 Japanese Super Sentai series Engine Sentai Go-onger. Initially planned to be a V-Cinema release on DVD March 21, 2009, it was announced on December 7, 2008, that it would be released to Japanese theaters on January 24, 2009, to commemorate the fifteenth...

     - 2009
  • Cho Kamen Rider Den-O & Decade Neo Generations: The Onigashima Warship - 2009
  • Samurai Sentai Shinkenger The Movie: The Fateful War
    Samurai Sentai Shinkenger The Movie: The Fateful War
    is the film adaptation of the 2009 Super Sentai Series Samurai Sentai Shinkenger. The film was released in Japanese theaters on August 8, 2009, as a double-bill with the Kamen Rider Decade film Kamen Rider Decade: All Riders vs. Dai-Shocker. This is the first Japanese movie to be filmed in 3-D...

     - 2009
  • Kamen Rider Decade: All Riders vs. Dai-Shocker
    Kamen Rider Decade: All Riders vs. Dai-Shocker
    is the film adaptation of the 2009 Kamen Rider Series Kamen Rider Decade. The film was released in Japanese theaters on August 8, 2009, alongside the Samurai Sentai Shinkenger film, Samurai Sentai Shinkenger The Movie: The Fateful War. The catchphrases for the movie are and...

     - 2009
  • Samurai Sentai Shinkenger vs. Go-onger: GinmakuBang!!
    Samurai Sentai Shinkenger vs. Go-onger: GinmakuBang!!
    is a Japanese film released in theaters on January 30, 2010, featuring a crossover between the Samurai Sentai Shinkenger and Engine Sentai Go-onger casts and characters. The heroes of Tensou Sentai Goseiger also make a cameo appearance in the film. The catchphrase for the movie is . It opened at #5...

     - 2010
  • Kamen Rider × Kamen Rider W & Decade: Movie War 2010 - 2010
  • Kamen Rider × Kamen Rider × Kamen Rider The Movie: Cho-Den-O Trilogy
    Kamen Rider × Kamen Rider × Kamen Rider The Movie: Cho-Den-O Trilogy
    is a series of films part of the Kamen Rider Den-O franchise, particularly its Cho-Den-O Series. It was released beginning on May 22, 2010, with each subsequent chapter of the trilogy released in two week intervals. Each of the films' subtitles contains the name of the protagonist...

     - 2010
  • Tensou Sentai Goseiger: Epic on the Movie
    Tensou Sentai Goseiger: Epic on the Movie
    is the title of the film edition of the 34th Super Sentai Series Tensou Sentai Goseiger. It was released on August 7, 2010, double-billed with the Kamen Rider W film W Forever: A to Z/The Gaia Memories of Fate. The film follows the Goseigers as they try to save the Earth from Warstar's surviving...

     - 2010
  • Kamen Rider W Forever: A to Z/The Gaia Memories of Fate - 2010
  • Kamen Rider × Kamen Rider OOO & W Featuring Skull: Movie War Core
    Kamen Rider × Kamen Rider OOO & W featuring Skull: Movie War Core
    is a 2010 film in the Kamen Rider Series, featuring the casts and characters of Kamen Rider W and Kamen Rider OOO. Originally announced in a teaser at the end of the film Kamen Rider W Forever: A to Z/The Gaia Memories of Fate, film was released in Japan on December 18, 2010. The catchphrase for...

     - 2011

See also

  • Kadokawa Pictures
    Kadokawa Pictures
    is a Japanese movie studio.-History:One of the most famous studios in Japan and founded in 1942 as , it is best known for having produced the giant monster Gamera film series and the Daimajin Trilogy. It also produced the Zatoichi and Nemuri Kyoshiro film series and the television series Shōnen Jet...

  • Toei Animation
    Toei Animation
    Toei Animation Co., Ltd. is a Japanese animation studio owned by Toei Co., Ltd. The studio was founded in 1948 as Japan Animated Films . In 1956, Toei purchased the studio and it was reincorporated under its current name...

  • Toei Superheroes
    Toei Superheroes
    Toei Superheroes are superhero shows produced by Toei Company Ltd., which has done the biggest number of live-action tokusatsu superhero shows in Japan...

  • Toei Fushigi Comedy Series
    Toei Fushigi Comedy Series
    The is a series of Japanese tokusatsu programs produced by Toei Company that features various superheroes much like their Super Sentai and Kamen Rider Series. However these shows mainly focus on cute robots similar to Robocon, cute and unusual creatures, masked individuals who get tracked down by...

  • Henshin
    Henshin
    is the Japanese word for "transformation," literally meaning, "to change or transform the body." This word is primarily used in manga, anime, and tokusatsu dramas for when a character transforms into a superhero. usually have a "henshin call", a catchphrase which they recite when they transform...


External links

  • Toei webpage
  • Toasting Toei - a Hollywood Reporter article detailing Toei's receiving MIPTV's Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006
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