I was recently scratching my head over the existence of the Gundam Reconguista in G compilation films. Considering the negative reception surrounding Gundam Reconguista in G, it seemed like a strange move to release five compilation films. “Is anyone actually watching these films?” I distinctly remember wondering. I decided to go to Anime News Network and see if they had any information on the box office of the Gundam Reconguista films that had been released so far. I found an article detailing box office grosses in Japan around March 2020 and, while perusing, I noticed the statement that the first Gundam Reconguista compilation film had “ranked at #1 in the mini-theater rankings for its two weekends.” I was quite perplexed. “What’s a mini theater?” I wondered. Upon doing some impromptu research, I realised that mini theaters are an important and fascinating aspect of the film industry in Japan and decided to share what I had learned.
First off, what’s a mini theater? A mini theater is a type of movie theater that is smaller than a typical movie theater, is not associated with any major film companies and is free to distribute the films they desire. With regards to mini theaters in Japan, these films are typically Japanese indie/arthouse films or indie/arthouse films from other countries. Of course, it would also seem as though they distribute other types of films as well. After all, I wouldn’t refer to Gundam Reconguista in G compilation films as either indie or arthouse.
One of the first mini theaters in Japan was at Iwanami Hall where the general manager, Etsuko Tanakno, and a film curator, Kashiko Kawakita, formed a project called “Equipe de Cinema” which sought to, in their own words “uncover hidden masterpieces and show them to the public, and to put a spotlight on film countries, and specifically new and powerful directors from the third world.”
This project proved to be quite successful and the 1980s and 1990s saw a dramatic increase in the number of mini theaters in Japan as demand increased for experimental films whether they be from Japan or from the rest of the world. Not only did these theaters allow for greater box office revenue for indie Japanese films but some even began to invest in domestic productions in order to create more content!
However, the vulnerabilities of mini theaters have been exposed recently with the rise of the coronavirus pandemic. With Japan seeing several lockdowns, box office grosses have become erratic and, despite a successful year overall with the release of the Demon Slayer movie, many theaters have found themselves struggling. While larger theaters are able to rely on financing to continue to survive, mini theaters are much more vulnerable and have struggled financially.
In an effort to preserve mini theaters, several Japanese directors petitioned the government to provide emergency funding for mini theaters. Later on, directors Koji Fukada and Ryusuke Hamaguchi launched a crowdfunding campaign in order to collect what they call “Mini-Theater AID”. This crowdfunding campaign proved to be quite successful, raising over $3 million to help mini theaters overcome the crisis.
I am amazed that I have been a fan of the Japanese entertainment industry for so long and have only just learned of the existence of mini theaters. Let me know your thoughts on mini theaters in Japan, whether you were aware of mini theaters before this article, your thoughts on their importance and any additional information you might have on the topic.
Hopefully you have found this article interesting and informative and, if you wish to seek any of the works I mentioned, don’t hesitate to use amazon.co.uk or amazon.com for all of your needs!