Japan's solely public establishment dedicated to the artwork of cinema, the Nationwide Movie Archive of Japan (NFAJ) was based in 1952 and have become impartial because the sixth department of the Nationwide Museum of Artwork in 2018. Headquartered in Kyobashi, Chuo Metropolis, the archive is situated a brief stroll away from Tokyo Station although it's removed from a busy vacationer spot.
As its title suggests, its important objective is to protect and restore movies, and is most notably credited for restoring The Uninteresting Sword (1917), the oldest anime movie identified to exist, which was as soon as thought of misplaced however rediscovered at an vintage store in Osaka in 2008. The archive now boasts greater than 90,000 movies in its assortment.
The seventh flooring of the constructing is dwelling to a everlasting exhibition, Nihon Eiga: The Historical past of Japanese Movie. It chronologically follows the event of cinema in Japan via an intriguing assortment of film posters, props, award trophies, movie cameras and projectors. Quick movie footage can also be proven at intervals.
Even when you aren't so well-versed in Japanese cinema, recognizable names and titles are positive to pop up from time to time, from Akira Kurosawa to Yasujiro Ozu and Godzilla. Studying their backgrounds and the way they influenced at this time's well-liked tradition might lead you down a rabbit-hole, encouraging you to start out watching classics.
There's additionally a theater on the second flooring of the NFAJ headquarters, the place the establishment repeatedly holds 35mm screenings, not solely restricted to Japanese movies but in addition varied items of worldwide cinema. This Nagase Memorial Theatre OZU is provided with the one 35mm/70mm twin projector in Japan in addition to projectors for 16mm movies and 4K DCP screenings.
