Next month ShoWest, the annual film convention organized by the National Association of Theatre Owners, will present its International Lifetime Achievement Award to Isao Matsuoka, chairman of Toho Co., Ltd. Mr Matsuoka is also chairman of the Motion Picture Producers Association of Japan.
The ShoWest award comes on the heels of a banner year for the Japanese film industry. In 2006, Japanese-produced movies earned a record-breaking 107.75 billion yen (approximately $905,462,100 US) at the Japan box office and outperformed import films for the first time in 21 years. While the American pictures HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE (Japanese ticket sales: $92,436,900 US) and PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MAN’S CHEST ($84,117,600) were the year’s top earners, six Japanese films passed the 5 billion yen mark. Four of those titles were Toho releases; TALES FROM EARTHSEA (Gedo Senki) was the top Japanese film with $64,285,700 US, the action sequel LIMIT OF LOVE: UMIZARU earned $59,663,800, SUITE DREAMS (Uchoten Hoteru) brought in $51,092,400, and the disaster movie SINKING OF JAPAN (Nihon Chinbotsu) made $44,873,900. Toho also scored with POKEMON RANGER AND THE TEMPLE OF THE SEA (Gekijoban Poketto Monsuta Adobansu Jenereshon Pokemon Renja to Umi no Oji Manafi), DOREAMON: NOBITA’S DINOSAUR (Doraemon: Nobita no Kyoryu), FALLING TEARS (Nada Soso), and DETECTIVE CONAN: REQUIEM OF THE PRIVATE EYES (Meitantei Konan Tantei tachi no Requiem), which each earned between $25-30 million at the box office.
NTV/Warner’s DEATH NOTE: THE LAST NAME (Desu Noto 2) was the number four Japanese film of the year with $46,298,400, and Toiei/TV Asahi’s YAMATO earned $42,773,100 for sixth place. Other big hits for 2006 include DEATH NOTE (Desu Noto), KISARAZU CATS EYE: SAYONARA GAME, and LOVE AND HONOR (Bushi no ichibun).
At a press conference last month, Isao Matsuoka explained that Japanese filmmakers “have come to produce many films that are beloved by the audience. Also, gigantic US movies made with computer graphics have lost their initial impact.”
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