The Nikkatsu Corporation (日活株式会社, Nikkatsu kabushiki kaisha^?) 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[link]

Nikkatsu was founded on September 10, 1912 when several production companies and theater chains, Yoshizawa Shōten, Yokota Shōkai, Fukuhōdō and M. Pathe, consolidated under the name Nippon Katsudō Shashin.^[1] The company enjoyed its share of success. It employed such notable film directors as Shozo Makino and his son Masahiro Makino.

In the course of World War II the government ordered the ten film companies that had formed by 1941 consolidate into two. Daiei founder Masaichi Nagata, a former Nikkatsu employee, counter-proposed that three companies be formed and the suggestion was approved. Nikkatsu, set to merge with the two weakest companies, Shinkō Kinema and Daito, were verbally displeased. The committee formed to establish the value of each company retaliated by purposefully undervaluing Nikkatsu which lead to Shinkō becoming the dominant head of production. The reformed Nikkatsu continued to prosper as an exhibition company but ceased all film production.

The postwar film industry expanded rapidly and, in 1951, Nikkatsu president Kyusaku Hori began construction of a new production studio.^[2] A graduate of Tokyo Keizai University, Hori had joined the company in 1951 after quitting his initial employment as the manager of Sanno Hotel (now rebuilt as Sanno Park Tower). Under Hori, Nikkatsu is considered to have had its "Golden Age" of Japanese cinema.

The company began making movies again in 1954. Many assistant directors from other studios, including Shohei Imamura and Seijun Suzuki from Shochiku, moved to Nikkatsu with the promise of advancement to full director status within one or two years.

The company made a few samurai films and historical dramas but by 1960 had decided to devote its resources to the production of urban youth dramas, comedy, action and gangster films. From the late 1950s to 1971 they were renowned for their big budget action movies designed for the youth market. They employed such stars as Yujiro Ishihara, Akira Kobayashi, Joe Shishido, Tetsuya Watari, Ruriko Asaoka, Chieko Matsubara and, later, Meiko Kaji and Tatsuya Fuji. Director Shohei Imamura began his career there and between 1958 and 1966 made for them such films as Pigs and Battleships (1961), The Insect Woman (1963) and The Pornographers (1966).

By 1971 the increased popularity of television had taken a heavy toll on the film industry and in order to remain profitable Nikkatsu turned to the production of Roman Porno (shortened Japanese-English form of "romantic pornography") and pink films, which focus on sex, violence, S&M and romance. Hori resigned over the change in focus, and many stars and directors left the company. A few, including the film directors Yasuharu Hasebe, Keiichi Ozawa, Shogoro Nishimura, and Koreyoshi Kurahara, stayed. It also witnessed the emergence of such new directors as Tatsumi Kumashiro, Masaru Konuma and Chusei Sone.

The advent of home video brought an end to active production at Nikkatsu. Bed Partner (1988) was the last release in the venerable 17-year Roman Porno series. Nikkatsu declared bankruptcy in 1993.^[3]

In 2010, a revived Nikkatsu studio announced new production of The Sushi Typhoon movie series in partnership with a U.S. distributor.^[4]

Ownership[link]

• 1912 Nippon Katsudō Shashin K.K. was established by the merger of four film companies: Yoshizawa Shōten, Yokota Shōkai, Fukuhōdō and M. Pathe.
• 1993 applied for Corporate Reorganization Act.
• 1996 acquired by a Japanese leisure company Namco.
• 2005 sold to Index Holdings,^[5] a Japanese holding company which has interests in media contents industries.

Nikkatsu SM Queens[link]

From 1974 to 1985, Nikkatsu promoted a number of their leading Roman Porno actresses of the popular BDSM niche under the epithet "SM Queen" (SMの女王, SM no joō^?).

• Naomi Tani (1974–1979)
• Junko Mabuki (1980–1981)
• Izumi Shima (1982–1983)
• Nami Matsukawa (1983)
• Miki Takakura (1983–1985)

See also[link]

• List of Nikkatsu Roman Porno films

Notes[link]

References[link]

• Chris D. (2005). Outlaw Masters of Japanese Film. I.B. Tauris. ISBN 1-84511-086-2. ; p. 228-9

External links[link]

• Official website (Japanese)

• Nikkatsu Queens (Article on the three actresses known as the original Nikkatsu Queens)

Meiko Kaji (梶 芽衣子, Kaji Meiko^?), born March 24, 1947 in Chiyoda, Tokyo is a Japanese actress and singer. She has appeared in about 100 films,^[3] with her most famous roles being outlaw characters in early 1970s films, such as the rebels of the Stray Cat Rock series, the assassin Lady Snowblood, or the murderous Sasori from the Female Convict: Scorpion series.

Life and career[link]

Meiko Kaji was born in the Kanda area of Tokyo and graduated from the Yakumo Academy high school in Meguro, Tokyo. She began work in the film industry under her real name, Masako Ota, at Nikkatsu studio in 1965 after graduating from high school.^[1] In 1969 she appeared in "Nihon Zankyoden", one of a series of films directed by Masahiro Makino. He recognized her acting ability and gave her the stage name of Meiko Kaji.^[2] From 1970 to 1971 she appeared in the Noraneko Rokku (Stray cat/Alleycat Rock) series of films about delinquent young people.

In 1971, Nikkatsu moved into the pink film business, and to avoid this, Kaji moved to Toei.^[1] There she made the Female Convict Scorpion series of films with Shunya Itō. In 1973 she took on the role of Yuki in the revenge-themed film Lady Snowblood, followed by a sequel, Lady Snowblood 2: Love Song of Vengeance. She went on to appear in several of Kinji Fukasaku's films, such as Yakuza Graveyard (1976). In 1978, she starred in Sonezaki Shinjū, for which she earned nominations for Best Actress at five different awards shows, winning four of them.^[4]

Kaji has worked in television since the 1980s. In 1989 she portrayed Omasa, an informant, in the television jidaigeki Onihei Hankachō (the Shochiku–Fuji Television version starring kabuki actor Nakamura Kichiemon II).

She is also a singer. She sang the theme song to Lady Snowblood, "Shura no Hana" (修羅の花), and the theme song of the Female Convict Scorpion series, "Urami Bushi" (怨み節). When these songs were both used in Kill Bill,^[1], and with Quentino Tarantino being a fan of Kaji's, it led to a revival of interest in her. Her songs were released on CD for the first time.^[5] This encouraged her to resume her musical career.^[5] In 2009 she released a single Onna wa yametai. In 2011 Kaji put out her first new album in 31 years, Aitsu no suki-so-na burūsu (あいつの好きそなブルース)^[6] with songs written by Ryudo Uzaki and Yoko Aki.

With the renewed interest in her due to Kill Bill, she also received many offers of acting roles from Hollywood, but refused them all, saying she could not give a good performance in a language other than Japanese.^[7]

Roles[link]

Films[link]

• The Blind Woman's Curse (1970) (Kaidan nobori ryu) (d. Teruo Ishii)
• The Stray Cat Rock series
  • Stray Cat Rock: Delinquent Girl Boss (1970) (Onna banchō: Nora-neko rokku) (d. Yasuharu Hasebe)
  • Stray Cat Rock: Wild Jumbo (1970) (Nora-neko rokku: Wairudo janbo) (d. Toshiya Fujita)
  • Stray Cat Rock: Sex Hunter (1970) (Nora-neko rokku: Sekkusu hanta) (d. Yasuharu Hasebe)
  • Stray Cat Rock: Machine Animal (1970) (Nora-neko rokku: Mashin animaru) (d. Yasuharu Hasebe)
  • Stray Cat Rock: Crazy Rider '71 (1971) (Nora-neko rokku: Bōsō shudan '71) (d. Toshiya Fujita)
• The Sasori series
  • Female Convict 701: Scorpion (1972) (Joshuu 701-gō: Sasori) (d. Shunya Itō)
  • Female Convict Scorpion: Jailhouse 41 (1972) (Joshuu sasori: Dai-41 zakkyo-bō) (d. Shunya Itō)
  • Female Convict Scorpion: Beast Stable (1973) (Joshuu sasori: Kemono-beya) (d. Shunya Itō)
  • Female Convict Scorpion: Grudge Song (1973) (Joshuu sasori: 701-gō urami-bushi) (d. Yasuharu Hasebe)
• The Gincho series
  • Gincho Wataridori (1972) (d. Kazuhiko Yamaguchi)
  • Gincho Nagaremono: Mesuneko Bakuchi (1972) (d. Kazuhiko Yamaguchi)

• Lady Snowblood (1973) (Shurayukihime) (d. Toshiya Fujita)
• Battles Without Honor and Humanity: Hiroshima Deathmatch (1973) (Jingi naki tatakai: Hiroshima shito hen) (d. Kinji Fukasaku)
• Lady Snowblood 2: Love Song of Vengeance (1974) (Shurayukihime: Urami Renga) (d. Toshiya Fujita)
• The Homeless (1974) (Yadonashi) (d. Kōichi Saitō)
• Yakuza Graveyard (1976) (Yakuza no hakaba: Kuchinashi no hana) (d. Kinji Fukasaku)
• Lullaby of the Earth (1976) (Daichi no komoriuta) (d. Yasuzo Masumura)
• Sonezaki Shinju (1978) (d. Yasuzo Masumura)
• Rakuyōju (1986)

Television[link]

• Sasagawa Saho Matatabi Shirizu - Kuresakatouge e no chisou (1972) - Oshizu
• Terauchi Kantarō Ikka (1974) TV series .... Shizue Terauchi
• Sorekara no Musashi (1981) TV series ... Yuri-hime
• Kaseifu wa mita! 2 (1984) (TV)
• Sutaa tanjō (1985) TV series
• Tantei Kamizu Kyōsuke no satsujin suiri 8: Izu Shimoda-kaigan ni akai satsui ga hashiru (1988) (TV) .... Shōko Hamano
• Aoi sanmyaku '88 (1988) .... Umetaro
• Onihei hankachō (1989) TV series .... Omasa
• Onihei hankachō (1995) ... aka Onihei's Detective Records (International: English title)
• Kenkaku Shōbai (1998) TV series
• Kaseifu ha mita! 21 (2003) (TV) .... Mayumi Hirao
• Anata no tonari ni dare ka iru (2003) TV series .... Shimako Matsumoto
• Nogaremono orin (2006) TV series
• Hasshū mawari kuwayama jūbei (2007) TV series

Discography[link]

Awards and nominations[link]

3rd Hochi Film Award^[8]

• Won: Best Actress for The Love Suicides at Sonezaki

References[link]

Further reading[link]

• Rikke Schubart: Super Bitches and Action Babes: The Female Hero in Popular Cinema, 1970–2006 (McFarland & Company, USA 2007) ISBN 978-0-7864-2924-0: Contains a chapter on Meiko Kaji.

External links[link]

• Meiko Kaji at the Internet Movie Database
• Meiko Kaji Official Blog (Japanese)
• Meiko Kaji at the Japanese Movie Database (Japanese)
• Meiko Kaji LiveJournal community
• Schubart, Rikke. "Meiko Kaji: "Woman walking at the brink of life and death"". medievidenskab. Archived from the original on 2007-07-02. http://web.archive.org/web/20070702120632/http://www.medievidenskab-odense.dk/index.php?id=54. Retrieved 2007-07-06. 
• Yahoo Japan Profile (Japanese)