Tennenshoku Katsudō Shashin
Encyclopedia
was a Japan
ese film studio active in the 1910s. The name translates as the "Natural Color Moving Picture Company," but it was known as Tenkatsu for short. The company was formed in 1914 by remnants of the Fukuhōdō
studio that did not take part in the merger that formed Nikkatsu
, particularly the entrepreneur Kisaburō Kobayashi, and was first aimed at exploiting the Kinemacolor
color motion picture system in Japan
. That system became too expensive, so the company soon settled on making regular films, becoming Nikkatsu's main rival in the 1910s. Although it was a decentralized company, one that was run by various bosses and allowed benshi
to order the production of films, Tenkatsu played a part in the Pure Film Movement
by allowing its employee Norimasa Kaeriyama
to direct some of the first reformist works incorporating actresses and foreign film technique. It was also known for hiring Ōten Shimokawa
to produce some of the first Japanese anime
or animated films in Japan. It was eventually bought up by Kokkatsu in 1919.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese film studio active in the 1910s. The name translates as the "Natural Color Moving Picture Company," but it was known as Tenkatsu for short. The company was formed in 1914 by remnants of the Fukuhōdō
Fukuhōdō
was a Japanese film studio active in the early years of cinema in Japan.-Background:Fukuhōdō was founded in 1910 when Kenzō Tabata built a chain of modern, concrete movie theaters in Tokyo. To supply these eight theaters, Tabata started a production arm, with a studio located in Nippori...
studio that did not take part in the merger that formed Nikkatsu
Nikkatsu
is a Japanese entertainment company well known for its film and television productions. It is Japan's oldest major movie studio. The name Nikkatsu is an abbreviation of Nippon Katsudō Shashin, literally "Japan Cinematograph Company".-History:...
, particularly the entrepreneur Kisaburō Kobayashi, and was first aimed at exploiting the Kinemacolor
Kinemacolor
Kinemacolor was the first successful color motion picture process, used commercially from 1908 to 1914. It was invented by George Albert Smith of Brighton, England in 1906. He was influenced by the work of William Norman Lascelles Davidson. It was launched by Charles Urban's Urban Trading Co. of...
color motion picture system in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. That system became too expensive, so the company soon settled on making regular films, becoming Nikkatsu's main rival in the 1910s. Although it was a decentralized company, one that was run by various bosses and allowed benshi
Benshi
were Japanese performers who provided live narration for silent films . Benshi are sometimes also called or .-Role of the benshi:...
to order the production of films, Tenkatsu played a part in the Pure Film Movement
Pure Film Movement
The was a trend in film criticism and filmmaking in 1910s and early 1920s Japan that advocated what were considered more modern and cinematic modes of filmmaking. Critics in such magazines as Kinema Record and Kinema Junpo complained that existing Japanese cinema was overly theatrical...
by allowing its employee Norimasa Kaeriyama
Norimasa Kaeriyama
was a pioneering Japanese film director and film theorist.-Biography:Beginning with articles he submitted to Yoshizawa Shōten's magazine Katsudō shashinkai while still a student, Kaeriyama developed a long series of critiques of contemporary Japanese cinema that would make him the leading spokesman...
to direct some of the first reformist works incorporating actresses and foreign film technique. It was also known for hiring Ōten Shimokawa
Oten Shimokawa
a Japanese artist, is considered to be one of the founding artists and pioneers of anime. Little is known of his early personal life, other than that his family moved to the Tokyo area when he was nine years old...
to produce some of the first Japanese anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
or animated films in Japan. It was eventually bought up by Kokkatsu in 1919.