Toei Company
Toei Company, Ltd., simply known as Toei Company or Toei, is a Japanese entertainment company. Headquartered in Kyōbashi, Chūō, Tokyo, it is involved in film and television production, distribution, video game development, publishing, and ownership of 34 movie theaters. Toei also owns and operates studios in Tokyo and Kyoto and holds shares in several television companies. The company is renowned for its production of anime and live-action dramas known as tokusatsu, which incorporate special visual effects. It is also known for producing period dramas. Toei is the majority shareholder of Toei Animation and is recognized for its franchises such as Kamen Rider, Super Sentai and Power Rangers.
Toei is one of the four members of the Motion Picture Producers Association of Japan, and is therefore one of Japan's Big Four film studios, alongside Kadokawa, Shochiku and Toho.
History
Toei is a pioneer in the use of "Henshin"/"character transformation" in Live Action Television Film Video Game and Other's, Etc. Superhero martial-arts Mecha drama Franchises, a technique developed for the Kamen Rider, Metal Hero and Super Sentai series; the genre currently continues with Kamen Rider and Super Sentai.Toei's predecessor, the Toyoko Eiga Company, Ltd., was incorporated in 1938. It was founded by Keita Goto, CEO of, the direct predecessor to the Tokyu Corporation. It had erected its facilities immediately east of the Tōkyū Tōyoko Line; they managed the prewar Tōkyū Shibuya Yokohama studio system. From 1945 through the Toei merger, Tokyo-Yokohama Films leased from the Daiei Motion Picture Company a second studio in Kyoto.
On October 1, 1950, the Tokyo Film Distribution Company was incorporated as a subsidiary of Toyoko Eiga; in 1951 the company purchased Ōizumi Films. The current iteration of Toei was established on April 1, 1951 with Hiroshi Okawa as the first president. Through the merger, they gained the combined talents and experience of actors Chiezō Kataoka, Utaemon Ichikawa, Ryunosuke Tsukigata, Ryūtarō Ōtomo, Kinnosuke Nakamura, Chiyonosuke Azuma, Shirunosuke Toshin, Hashizo Okawa, and Satomi Oka.
In 1956, Toei purchases the Kyoto studio from Daiei. In 1956, Toei establishes an animation division, Toei Animation Company, Limited at the former Tokyo-Ōizumi animation studio, purchasing the assets of Japan Animated Films.
Toei also bid on a license to start an education-focused TV station in 1956, which resulted in their part-ownership of Nippon Educational Television Co., now known as TV Asahi.
Shigeru Okada becomes the president & chief executive officer of Toei in 1971 and oversaw the adoptions of Toei's new business venture distributing foreign films in Japan in 1972.
In 1975, Toei opens the Toei Kyoto Studio Park. Toei Kyoto Studio's history reaches back to 1926 when Bando Tsumasaburo first developed a studio in what is now Uzumasa. Mitsuo Makino took over the property following the war in partnership with Toyoko Eiga and was absorbed along with Toyoko during Toei's merger.
Shigeru Okada becomes chairperson as Tan Takaiwa succeeds him as president and chief executive officer in 1993, establishing Toei Satellite TV Co., Ltd. and creates Toei Channel in 1998.
Asahi National Broadcasting Co., Ltd. is listed on the First Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange in 2000, as shares of Toei Animation Co., Ltd. are listed on the over-the-counter market of the Japan Securities Dealers Association.
In 2011, Shigeru Okada, then chairperson emeritus, passes away, as Yusuke Okada and Noriyuki Tada become chairperson and president & chief executive officer of Toei in 2014.
Osamu Tezuka became president and chief executive officer of Toei in 2020, as Noriyuki Tada succeeded Okada as chairperson. Toei also celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Kamen Rider Series in 2020. Tezuka initiates major structural reorganization in 2022 before passing in February 2023.
Tada temporarily assumed the role of CEO until Toei managing director and head of content Fumio Yoshimura was announced to succeed Tezuka as Toei's 7th president & chief executive officer. Recognizing Japan's shrinking market share, Yoshimura has vowed to continue with Tezuka's restructuring plans, and is looking towards North America and Asian markets to developing new projects and export existing IPs. Visiting Los Angeles for meetings with Hollywood studios together with Toei's studio head Yuji Kojima in 2025, Yoshimura announced Toei has budgeted US$1.6BN for content and US$400M to strengthen business operations.
On July 27, 2025, Toei closed its headquarters at the Toei Kaikan in Ginza, and relocated to Kyobashi Edogrand in Kyobashi. The closure also marked the end of Toei's cinema division as it wound down its operations in order for the company to focus on.
Branding
The characters that make up Toei are the result of a portmanteau of Toei predecessor "Toyoko Eiga", and first seen in Toyoko Eiga's logo of a stylized triangle with the characters of 東 and 映 near the top. The logo was carried over by Toei following its merger of Toyoko and Ōizumi in 1951.A black & white version of Toei's now iconic Wild Waves and Rocks opening credit was first used in 1954 on the Utaemon Ichikawa classic, The Idle Vassal: House of the Mysterious Phantom. It would be first seen in color in 1961 and has since been reshot with several iterations of the same rocks in the 70 years since it was first used.
The image features the Toei logo superimposed over a scene from Cape Inubō in Chiba, of three rocks in the surf beyond the beach as waves crash over the rocks. It has been seen in front of most live-action film & television produced and distributed by Toei, such as Street Fighter, Battle Royale, and Power Rangers, as well as in a handful of animated films such as Dragon Ball and Evangelion as well.
Its dynamic image, as opposed to the mostly static logos of its competitors has helped make Toei's logo one of the most recognizable Japanese film company logo around the world.
Film and television
Toei films
Toei started producing films in 1953. This list compiles the films by their original release date, their common English titles and Japanese titles. The Japanese titles are not necessarily direct translations of their English counterparts.For feature films, Toei established itself as a producer of B-movies, that were made to fit into double bills and triple bills. It is predominantly known in the west for its series of action films and television series.
| Release date | English film title | Original title | Notes | |
| Nichirin | Toei's first all-color film released. | |||
| Hatamoto Taikutsuotoko | First use of the iconic Toei "Wild Waves and Rocks" title card | |||
| 27 February 1955 | Bloody Spear at Mount Fuji | Chiyari Fuji | Recognized as one of actor Chiezō Kataoka finest roles | |
| 19 March 1959 | A Story of Pure Love | Jun'ai Monogatari | Tadashi Imai won the Silver Bear for Best Director at the 8th Berlin International Film Festival | |
| Alakazam the Great | Saiyu-ki | First film adaptation of a Osamu Tezuka manga. Although credited as director, most of the direction was done by Yabushita Taiji. Also one of the earliest Toei anime films to be released in the United States. | ||
| Drifting Detective: Tragedy in the Red Valley | Fūraibō tantei: akai tani no sangeki | First starring role for Sonny Chiba | ||
| 19 July 1961 | Invasion of the Neptune Men | Uchu kaizoku-sen | ||
| 28 April 1963 | Bushido, Samurai Saga | Bushidō zankoku monogatari | Won the Golden Bear at the 13th Berlin International Film Festival | |
| 31 July 1963 | League of Gangsters | Gyangu Dōmei | Ryōhei Uchida's first starring role | |
| Abashiri Prison | Abashiri Bangaichi | A remake of the 1958 American film The Defiant Ones, Abashiri Prison starred Ken Takakura and became a popular franchise running for a total of 17 films. | ||
| 5 March 1966 | Kai tatsu daikessen | |||
| 1 July 1966 | Kaitei Daisensō | U.S./ Japanese co-production | ||
| 13 August 1967 | Yongary, Monster from the Deep | Dai koesu Yongkari | South Korean/Japanese co-production | |
| 1 December 1968 | Gamma sango uchu dai sakusen | U.S./ Japanese co-production | ||
| Horrors of Malformed Men | Kyofu kikei ningen | |||
| Voyage Into Space | Giant Robo | Episodes of the Japanese TV series re-edited into a TV movie for U.S. release | ||
| 23 September 1970 | Tora! Tora! Tora! | Tora! Tora! Tora! | An international co-production with Twentieth Century Fox, the film featured an international cast and sought to present a balanced account of the attack on Pearl Harbor for both sides. It was praised for its historical accuracy and was nominated for five Oscars at the 43rd Academy Awards. | |
| Venus Flytrap | Akuma no Niwa | Based on a 1950s unproduced screenplay by Ed Wood. Later released on video as Revenge of Dr. X. | ||
| 12 March 1972 | Under the Flag of the Rising Sun | Gunki Hatameku Moto ni | Submitted by Japan as their entry for the Best Foreign Language Film, but was not selected | |
| 25 August 1972 | Female Prisoner 701: Scorpion | First of a series of 4 Female Convict Scorpion film franchise | ||
| 13 January 1973 | Battles Without Honor and Humanity | Jingi Naki Tatakai | The first in a five-film series based on articles by journalist Kōichi Iiboshi, eventually became an 11 film franchise most recently rebooted in 2000. | |
| 2 February 1974 | Gekitotsu Satsujinken | starred Sonny Chiba; spawned 2 sequels, Return of the Street Fighter and Street Fighter's Last Revenge | ||
| 28 December 1974 | New Battles Without Honor and Humanity | Shin Jingi Naki Tatakai | A continuation of the Battles Without Honor and Humanity franchise expanding beyond the articles written by journalist Kōichi Iiboshi. | |
| 26 April 1975 | Cops vs. Thugs | Kenkei tai Soshiki Bōryoku | Won two Blue Ribbon Awards in 1976 for Best Director and Best Actor.Complex named it number 6 on their list of The 25 Best Yakuza Movies. | |
| 29 April 1977 | Legend of Dinosaurs & Monster Birds | Kyoryu-kaicho no densetsu | ||
| 21 January 1978 | Shogun's Samurai | Yagyū Ichizoku no Inbō | Adapted into a 39-episode TV series, The Yagyu Conspiracy, also produced by Toei. | |
| 29 April 1978 | Message from Space | Uchu kara no messeji | Starred Sonny Chiba and Vic Morrow | |
| Shogun's Ninja | Ninja Bugeichō Momochi Sandayū | Hiroyuki Sanada's first lead role | ||
| 30 January 1981 | G.I. Samurai | Sengoku jieitai | ||
| 29 April 1983 | The Ballad of Narayama | Narayama Bushikō | Directed by Shōhei Imamura adaptated from the book by Shichirō Fukazawa. Won the Palme d'Or at the 1983 Cannes Film Festival. | |
| 13 May 1989 | Black Rain | Kuroi ame | Won multiple Japanese film awards and critical acclaim by American critics. | |
| 17 October 1998 | Dr. Akagi | Kanzō-sensei | ||
| 5 June 1999 | Poppoya | Tetsudōin | Best Film at the Japan Academy Awards, it was submitted to the 72nd Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film, but was not accepted as a nominee. | |
| 25 November 2000 | New Battles Without Honor and Humanity | Shin Jingi Naki Tatakai | Reboot of the popular franchise from 1973. | |
| 16 December 2000 | Battle Royale | Battle Royal | Embargoed from US distribution due to violence, finally released straight-to-DVD to critical acclaim in 2010 following praise by Quentin Tarantino. | |
| 1 May 2008 | Partners: The Movie | AIBOU: The Movie | Based on the television series AIBOU: Tokyo Detective Duo, it was the first in the Aibou film series. | |
| 23 December 2011 | Admiral Yamamoto | Rengō Kantai Shirei Chōkan Yamamoto Isoroku | ||
| 3 September 2013 | Space Pirate Captain Harlock | a.k.a. Harlock: Space Pirate | Toei Animation Production | |
| 5 December 2015 | 125 Years Memory | Kainan 1890 | Co-produced by Toei, Creators' Union, Böcek Yapım | |
| 17 May 2019 | First Love | Hatsukoi | Distributor, produced by OLM | |
| 25 June 2021 | The Goldfish | Umibe no Kingyō | ||
| March 17, 2023 | Shin Kamen Rider | Shin Kamen Rider | Reboot of the original 1971 series by Hideaki Anno |