| Corporate History: |
Founded in 1928 by a Japanese film pioneer Nagamasa Kawakita, TOHO-TOWA Company Limited is proud of its history in presenting the best international movies to audiences here over the past 80 years. As Japan's oldest and leading motion picture importer and distributor, TOHO-TOWA has handled such classics as METROPOLIS and THE THIRD MAN to blockbuster hits of TERMINATOR 3: RISE OF THE MACHINES, MR. & MRS. SMITH and RED CLIFF: PART I & II. And our releases during the intervening years reflect the highlights of global moviemaking including NORTH BY NORTHWEST, LITTLE BIG MAN, KING KONG, THREE DAYS OF THE CONDOR, THE ELEPHANT MAN, RAMBO: FIRST BLOOD Part II, and FIELD OF DREAMS. Among hundreds of famous titles from around the world are Ingmar Bergman's swan song: FANNY AND ALEXANDER, Francois Truffaut's VIVEMENT DIMANCHE! (a.k.a. CONFIDENTIALLY YOURS), Wolfgang Petersen's THE NEVERENDING STORY, Zhang Yimou's RAISE THE RED LANTERN, and Robert Redford's A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT. As well as FISTS OF FURY starring the legend Bruce Lee, Jet Li's original trilogy of ONCE UPON A TIME IN CHINA directed by Tsui Hark, and almost all Jackie Chan's superb actioners from PROJECT A, POLICE STORY to SUPERCOP, FIRST STRIKE and SHANGHAI NOON. Other box office hits of the 90's include TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY, CLIFFHANGER, and THE SIXTH SENSE.
With offices located in the heart of central Tokyo, the company presently operates with a staff of 60. TOHO-TOWA is a subsidiary of TOHO Company, Limited, Japan's principal entertainment corporation, the activities of which span motion pictures (production, distribution, and exhibition,) television, video, music, stage and related fields. With a market capitalization of over US$1.6 billlion, TOHO generates nearly half of its operating profit from the movie business. It owns and operates Japan's foremost and largest cinema exhibition circuit.
TOHO-TOWA continues to solidify and expand its leadership position, while aiming to make an impressive impact on the Japan market with powerful boxoffice success. With its mission being the wide distribution of big, event-type motion pictures and films packed with top entertainment value, TOHO-TOWA's line-up consists of movies from internationally pre-eminent producers, directors, stars, and other creative talent. In 2007, made a deal with Universal for theatrical distribution of their movies in Japan. Its recent releases include MAMMA MIA!, CHANGELING, FAST & FURIOUS, INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS, and PUBLIC ENEMIES from Universal and VALKYRIE, DEFIANCE and KNOWING, its acquired title. Its upcoming releases include IT'S COMPLICATED, CIRQUE DE FREAK: THE VAMPIRE'S ASSISTANT, THE WOLFMAN and ROBIN HOOD from Universal and RED CLIFF, KNOWING, DEFIANCE and VALKYRIE, its acquired titles.
(as of January 1, 2010)
*"TOWA" in the company name, symbolizes our founder's ideals of harmony between East and West. |