Shochiku

Shochiku K. K. (Japanese松竹 株式会社, Shochiku Kabushiki - gaisha ) is a Japanese film company and one of the oldest film studios worldwide. It was based in the 1910s and 1920s explicitly to the American film industry and brought many innovations to Japan.

In keeping with its philosophy to focus on artistic merit, progressive films, Shochiku took a leading role in the enforcement of a new style of films. So 1921 in the Shochiku film rojo no Reikon (路上 の 霊魂) was the first time a female lead role played by a woman, and not by a male actor ( Oyama ).

Today Shochiku for example, produces the popular films of star director Takeshi Kitano. Shochiku produced the most famous and successful director Ozu Yasujirō.