Ron Lam

Japan-based writer and traveller, specialising in design, lifestyle and travel journalism. Ron previously served as an editor of MING Magazine, ELLE Decoration and CREAM.


Small cinemas in Japanese communities

12 2018 | Issue 30

In 2016, the revenue of Japan’s film industry struck a record high at 235.5 billion Japanese Yen, which is the highest figure in the 21st century. Despite serious disasters such as the major earthquake in Northeast Japan, nuclear disaster, and social issues like an aging society, the cancellation of permanent employment system and the increasing consumption tax, etc., Japanese people do not seem to hesitate in spending money in the cinemas to enjoy the pleasure brought by movies.

 

From our experience, cinemas are usually operated by big companies. When we walk into the cinema, we expect to see a giant screen and a booming sound system. But in Japan, some of the small cinemas are run by individuals who share a passion for movies and hope to reinvent the film industry by introducing small cinemas to residential communities.


林琪香1.jpg

Demachiza, located at the Demachiyanagi Shopping Street, is an integration of a cinema, a café and a bookstore, attracting many young people.


At the commercial street near the Demachiyanagi Station in Kyoto, you can barely find any tourist around other than the Futaba at the entrance that sells Mochi. The small street is a popular destination for local residents living nearby as there are supermarkets, groceries and many others where they can get daily necessities. However, the Demachiyanagi Station has recently become quite a busy area because Demachiza has officially opened for business, attracting quite a number of young people.

 

Demachiza is an integration of cinema, café and bookstore. There are two theatres at Demachiza. Only 40 people can fit into each of these small theatres. They do not show popular blockbusters that you can find basically in every other place. Instead, the owners choose the film productions based on their own standard. You can find both old films and the latest ones there. Most of these films being displayed at Demachiza are no longer on big screens in the market. There are also films that big cinemas are not interested in showing in their cinemas. In mid-October this year, one of the films that are being shown at Demachiza is Ice Cream and the Sound of Raindrops directed by Daigo Matsui. The production had been shown on screens in Japan earlier in March and its DVD version will be released at the end of October. Demachiza’s choice of films spices up what the cultural destination can offer to its visitors. People do not come here to see particular films. Chances are they will ask the staff what movies are on when they are at the spot. If they find any film interesting, they will just buy the ticket and go watch it. If no film intrigues them, they will just sit down at the café and enjoy a cup of coffee and read a book. Some customers actually come to the area for grocery shopping and end up in the cinema watching a film. In this traditional area, an environment for cultural and creative products is gradually forming thanks to the cinema.

 

林琪香2.jpg

Demachiza, located at the Demachiyanagi Shopping Street, is an integration of a cinema, a café and a bookstore, attracting many young people.


Odate City in Akita Prefecture is home to over 70,000 people. In the city, you can find a cinema named Onariza that is set in a household. Onariza is currently showing Summer Blooms directed by Ryutaro Nakagawa. Once you walk into the cinema, you might be surprised by the sound system as you can hear some flute sounds that apparently do not come from the movie. The cinema owner’s daughter practises playing her flute on the second floor in the living room. The sound comes all the way to the cinema. It seems that the audience here has already grown accustomed to it.

 

Onariza was built in 1952 and once went out of business in 2005. When the current owner rented this place, the plan was to renovate it into a residential house. Interestingly, residents living in the nearby neighbourhoods thought that the only cinema in the city was going to reopen and got super excited about it. The owner then subsequently decided to reopen Onariza despite having little knowledge of running a cinema. During the winter, customers of the cinema would wear big coats when watching a film to help the cinema save energy expense from the heating system. Some regular customers would even volunteer to paint promotion boards when there are new movies coming in. Some customers would purchase tickets at full price instead of using discounts to help the Onariza make more profits. The cinema is, therefore, able to sustain operation thanks to the love and support from local residents. Onariza also serves to connect the people there.

 

Mobile cinema “Cinema Bird” in countryside launched by famous Japanese director Takumi Saito and Cinema Skhole in Nagoya from director Wakamatsu Koji are other examples of cinemas established by one person. I even found a small cinema in an architect’s house near the Tojiin Station in Kyoto that only shows films once or twice a month. It occurs to me that running a cinema might not be as difficult as I have imagined to be. Perhaps organising any forms of creative activities is not that complicated.