Nikkatsu

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Nikkatsu Corporation (日活株式会社, Nikkatsu Kabushiki-gaisha) is a Japanese film studio located in Bunkyō. The name Nikkatsu amalgamates the words Nippon Katsudō Shashin, literally "Japan Motion Pictures".

Shareholders are

Nikkatsu is Japan's oldest major movie studio,[2] having been founded on September 10, 1912, when several production companies and theater chains, Yoshizawa Shōten, Yokota Shōkai, Fukuhōdō and M. Pathe, consolidated under the name Nippon Katsudō Shashin.^[3] The company enjoyed its share of success.^{[clarification needed]} It employed such notable film directors as Shozo Makino and his son Masahiro Makino.

During World War II, the government ordered the ten film companies that had formed by 1941 to consolidate into two. Masaichi Nagata, founder of Daiei Film and a former Nikkatsu employee, counter-proposed that three companies be formed and the suggestion was approved. Nikkatsu, set to merge with the two weakest companies, Shinkō Kinema and Daito, were verbally displeased. The committee formed to establish the value of each company retaliated by purposefully undervaluing Nikkatsu, which led to Shinkō becoming the dominant head of production. The reformed Nikkatsu continued to prosper as an exhibition company but ceased all film production.

The postwar film industry expanded rapidly and, in

Under Hori, Nikkatsu is considered to have had its "Golden Age".^{[citation needed]} The company began making movies again in 1954.^[5] Many assistant directors from other studios, including Shōhei Imamura and Seijun Suzuki from Shochiku, moved to Nikkatsu with the promise of advancement to full director status within one or two years.^{[citation needed]} Suzuki made dozens of films for Nikkatsu from 1956 onwards, developing an increasingly inventive visual style, but was controversially fired following the release of his 40th, Branded to Kill (1967),^[6] which Hori deemed "incomprehensible".^{[citation needed]}

The company made a few

Between 1974 and 1986, Nikkatsu promoted a number of their leading Roman Porno actresses of the popular BDSM niche under the epithet "SM Queen" (SMの女王, SM no joō). They include Naomi Tani (1974–1979), Junko Mabuki (1980–1981), Izumi Shima (1982–1983), Nami Matsukawa (1983), Miki Takakura (1983–1985), and Ran Masaki (1985-1986).

The advent of home video brought an end to active production at Nikkatsu. Bed Partner (1988) was the last release in the venerable 17-year Roman Porno series. Nikkatsu declared bankruptcy in 1993.^[11]

In 2005, the company was sold to

On March 3, 2025, Nikkatsu announced the establishment of NK Animation which would continue to handle the company's animation planning and production division.[14]

• 1912 Nippon Katsudō Shashin K.K. was established by the merger of four film companies: Yoshizawa Shōten, Yokota Shōkai, Fukuhōdō and M. Pathe.
• 1993 applied for Corporate Reorganization Act.
• 1996 acquired by a Japanese leisure company Namco.
• 2005 sold to
  Index Holdings,^[15]
  a Japanese holding company which has interests in media contents industries.

Female

• Tomu Uchida (1927-1932; 1936–1940; 1955)
• Yuzo Kawashima
• Seijun Suzuki
• Shouhei Imamura
• Keiichi Ozawa
• Toru Murakawa
• Yasuharu Hasebe
• Toshio Masuda
• Koreyoshi Kurahara
• Buichi Saitō

In 2011, the French director Yves Montmayeur produced a documentary about the Pink Film period at Nikkatsu called Pinku Eiga: Inside the Pleasure Dome Of Japanese Erotic Cinema.^[16]

• List of Nikkatsu Roman Porno films
• Shochiku
• Toho
• Shintoho
• Tsuburaya Productions
• Kadokawa Daiei Studio
• Toei Company
• Daiei Film