This paper shall present a simple history of Japanese motion pictures made in narrow gauge film and comment on their state of preservation. For the purpose of this paper, “narrow gauged film” shall be defined as film with less than 35mm in deminsion
Genuine growth in narrow gauge films in Japan began in 1923 with the importation of the 9.5mm Pathe Baby from France. In 1925, 16mm film from Kodak was imported into the country. Kodak then exported its 8mm film to Japan in 1932. Kodak strengthened its position in Japan by establishing a film development laboratory in the country. Because Pathe Baby had no film lab in Japan, an interesting phenomenon developed where most Pathe Baby films were developed at home laboratories of Pathe Baby film enthusiasts.
Regardless of the film used, film equipment such as cameras and projectors were very expensive to the Japanese at the time. In short, this type of equipment was not something that the ordinary person could simply purchase. As a result its use mostly became an aspect of interest or hobby for the wealthy in cities, such as doctors, lawyers and company presidents who loved purchasing new items on the market. “I Was Born But…” (1932), a silent film directed by Yasujiro Ozu, has a scene where a company executive invites his employees to his house for an exhibition of a 16mm motion picture he made. It can be said that this type of film exhibition for narrow gauge films was generally common at the time.
35mm commercial film as a medium of entertainment for the masses had already been firmly established and with this, there came to be a rapid increase in the number of people who wanted to enjoy motion pictures as a personal interest of art and culture.
There are records of narrow gauge film contests being held as early as the 1930s. At the time, narrow gauge films did not only depict families, documentary records and scenery. Educational films, commercials and animation were also made using narrow gauge film. Private filmmaking had the characteristic of establishing groups because of restrictions in film equipment technology. Filming technology was then shared within these groups which at times produced excellent works standing up to the quality of theatrically released films. Perhaps this was a display of the Japanese character of immersing oneself in matters which involved a high sense of technology and aesthetics.
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