Art Encouragement Prize for Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
1 appearances
-
Edition 1 (1951) award
Nihon Eigasha
にっぽんえいがしゃ
Nihon Eigasha
Aliases:
日映
Profile
- Gender
- Unknown
- Born
- 1940-04-01 （Tokyo, Japan (founded)）
- Died
- 1951-12-31 （Tokyo, Japan (dissolved)）
- Nationality
- Japan
- Languages
- Japanese
- Residence History
- Tokyo (headquarters)
Career
- Occupations
- Film production company, Newsreel production, Educational and documentary film production
- Active Years
- 1940-1951
- Affiliations
- Asahi Shimbun, Mainichi Shimbun, Yomiuri Shimbun, Domei News Agency, Toho (business partnership / later investor)
- Influenced By
- Imperial Japanese government (influence of censorship and state propaganda), Major newspapers (Asahi, Mainichi, Yomiuri, etc.), Film Law (1939) institutional framework
- Influenced
- Formation of the postwar short-film and educational film sector, Nihon Eigashinsha (successor company after reorganization), Conventions of newsreel editing and presentation
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1949 | Asahi Culture Award | Educational film division activities | — | Asahi Shimbun | Winner |
Asahi Culture Award
1949
Work:
Educational film division activities
Organization:
Asahi Shimbun
Result:
Winner
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Nihon News (newsreel series)
1940 NewsreelA regular newsreel series launched in 1940. It prioritized imperial and wartime coverage and included many short documentary and propagandistic pieces.
wartime reportingimperial and state coveragecensorship
The General Effects of the Atomic Bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
1946 Documentary (record film) 22 pagesA record film shot in the aftermath of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. After completion it was confiscated by the Allied Occupation (GHQ) and much of the footage was taken by US authorities.
recording of atomic bomb damagehorrors of warcensorship under occupation
The Tragedy of Japan
1946 Feature/Documentary (banned from screening)Produced in 1946 but prohibited from screening under occupation-era regulations. Known as an example of a work affected by censorship and political pressure.
censorshippostwar politicsrestrictions on expression
Living Bread
1948 Educational filmA short educational film addressing cultural and instructional topics. Production included collaboration with scientists and academics.
educationfood and daily lifescientific collaboration
Frost Flowers
1948 Science filmA scientific film co-created with Professor Ukichiro Nakaya of Hokkaido University. It visualizes and explains natural phenomena for educational purposes.
natural scienceeducationsnow and ice studies
The Day the Air Runs Out
1949 Educational / experimental filmA short film using composite animation and experimental techniques. Notable contributors included Yoshio Watanabe and Sōji Ushio.
technical experimentationeducationvisual expression
Life of a Rice Plant
1950 Educational filmAn educational film about agriculture and biological life cycles. Released as a short film in 1950.
agricultural educationlife cycles
Bibliography
- Nihon News (newsreel series, 1940-1945)
- The General Effects of the Atomic Bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki (record film, 1945-1946)
- The Tragedy of Japan (1946)
- Living Bread (1948)
- Frost Flowers (1948)
- Snow of Daisetsuzan (1948)
- The Day the Air Runs Out (1949)
- Life of a Rice Plant (1950)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- short-form newsreel documentary styleexpository approach emphasizing educational and scientific explanationpropagandistic framing during wartime
- Recurring Motifs
- deferential treatment of the imperial family and stateuse of euphemisms and self-censorship under official scrutinypromotion of science and education
Legacy
Nihon Eigasha was a major newsreel and educational film organization in the 1940s, influential in both state-directed wartime filmmaking and the spread of postwar educational films. The confiscation of its atomic-bomb footage by GHQ remains a significant episode in postwar and film history. The company was reorganized and dissolved in 1951, leaving an archival legacy.
Museums
- Nichiei Archive (Film Archive) Tokyo, Japan (location details unknown)
Academic Societies
- Association of Visual Culture Producers
Archives
- Nichiei Archive (film archive)
- NHK War Testimony Archives (partial collection of Nihon News)
In Popular Culture
- The symmetric logo based on the abbreviation '日映' (read as 'Nihon' or 'Nichiei') became a recognizable emblem.
- The confiscation of the atomic-bomb record film is repeatedly cited as a notable episode in film and postwar history.
Quotes
-
Nihon News has been reborn. Casting off the old shell, in October last year we dissolved the Incorporated Nihon Eigasha and, with the new year, established the Corporation Nihon Eigasha with new personnel and new ideas. Herewith we present the first issue of the reborn Nihon News, to be the eyes and voice of the working people and to contribute to the construction of a democratic Japan.
Source: Nihon News (New Series) No.1 (1946) (1946)
Trivia
- Commonly abbreviated as 'Nichiei' (日映).
- Founded in April 1940 as Nihon News Film Company (incorporated); later renamed Nihon Eigasha.
- Reorganized as a corporation in 1946 and split/dissolved in 1951.
- Footage recording the atomic-bomb aftermath in Hiroshima and Nagasaki was confiscated by GHQ.
- The educational film division won the Asahi Culture Award in 1949.
- Entered a business partnership with Toho and later received investment from Toho; affiliations shifted over time.