Entertainment in 3-chome
kino cinéma

Two movie theaters are located in the Shinjuku Bunka Building facing Meiji Dori.
One is Cinemart Shinjuku, which has been around for a long time. The other is kino cinéma Shinjuku.
There used to be another movie theater here, but it was newly remodeled about a year ago.
What is kino cinéma, which breathes new life into Shinjuku, the city of movies? ...... We interviewed the manager.

「仁、義、礼、智、忠、信、孝、悌」と8つの珠を持つ八犬士が活躍する姿を描いた江戸時代の名作といえば『南総里見八犬伝』。滝沢馬琴の代表作です。その馬琴と、現代では世界的絵師として知られる葛飾北斎の交流を描き、名著が生まれるまでの物語と馬琴の作品世界をシンクロさせた映画が『八犬伝』です。

  Starring famous actors such as Koji Yakusho, Seiyo Uchino, Tao Tsuchiya, Hayato Isomura, Haru Kuroki, and Shinobu Terajima……, this movie is one of the most remarkable Japanese movies of the year. In fact, this movie was planned and produced by the movie company of Kinoshita Group. It is distributed by Kino Films and is shown at kino cinéma.

  “Of course, it is not just a movie for kino cinéma, as it has been shown nationwide. But there is no doubt that the Kinoshita Group put a lot of effort into making this movie,” said Takumi Ohno. Mr. Ohno was selected as the manager of kino cinéma Shinjuku when it opened, and was also the manager of kino cinéma Yokohama Minato Mirai.

  The Kinoshita Group, to which Mr. Ohno belongs, is a large company that operates in a wide range of fields, including nursing care, childcare, sports, and construction. In particular, they focus on cultural projects, such as the restoration of the Louvre Museum and investment support for the Japanese national table tennis team and the Los Angeles Dodgers.

  “We have a strong desire to value cultural things as our company culture. The movie business is part of that. Kino cinéma was born in this context. Originally, there were distribution companies such as Kino Films, but we decided to create a movie theater that would be closest to our customers this time.”

kino cinéma shinjuku
Takumi Ohno

Manager, kino cinéma Shinjuku. It has been about two years since he joined kino cinéma, the film division of the Kinoshita Group, in mid-career. He moved from the manager of kino cinéma Yokohama Minatomirai to the manager of kino cinéma Shinjuku. Since I've come all the way to Shinjuku Sancho-me, I want to enjoy Yose (Japanese classical theater) as well! I would like to enjoy Yose (Japanese-style theater) since I came all the way to Shinjuku Sancho-me.

The first kino cinéma store was the Minatomirai store in Yokohama. It was followed by Tachikawa, Tenjin in Fukuoka, and Kobe. Shinjuku is the fifth of these stores. In addition, a new theater opened in Shinsaibashi, Osaka in December.

  “Like Kobe, Shinjuku’s theater used to be operated by a different company. It’s not like we took it over completely, but we took it over and created a new movie theater. You may wonder why it is a movie theater now, but there must have been movie fans who used to go to the movies here! They are hard-core fans because they come all the way to the theaters to see the movies. I think this is why we are so particular about movie theaters.”

  However, we are now in an age where movies are watched at hand. We dare to pursue reality in an era where various types of distribution are being performed. Moreover, where does the “aggressive” attitude of opening one theater after another come from? I asked for more details.

  “It’s about how we watch movies, right? There are really a lot of people who have different stances. To each their own. Some watch many broadcasts, and some go to the movies. On the other hand, there are people who have no interest in streaming at all and believe that the best way to watch a movie is in the theater. Or, some people watch in the theater what they have seen on TV or streaming. Why is that? After all, it’s something that can only be understood by watching it in the theater. For example, I think it’s because you can enjoy the quality of the sound, the size of the screen, and the sense of being at the theater.

  Especially for sound, there must be a part of the sound that can be clearly heard from soft to loud with a good sound source. This cannot be conveyed through the sound you hear in the broadcast. You can only experience it in the theater. You could say it’s a different kind of immersion. I think this is the sentiment of movie fans, and it’s precisely in these times that realism is important.”

  Kino cinéma has not yet been around for a long time as a movie theater. But why do some people still come to this theater? Has it already gained fans? Or is there some ingenuity?

  “Movie fans come to us with a very small piece of information, and that’s really true. For example, some people are fans of small theaters rather than large cinema complexes. Or do they come because it’s being shown at kino cinéma, or does the title of the movie bring them to us? This is also 50/50. Theaters that have been playing movies for a longer period of time have their own fans, and there are people who come to see the movie because it’s being played at this specific theater. This is also the point we want to emphasize and we hope that people who come here by following the title of the movie will find our theater and become our fans. In that sense, we still have a long way to go.”

At the entrance of the Shinjuku Bunka Building on the first floor, there is a bulletin board with information on movies being screened. If you find a movie you want to see here, you can drop in on it at any time. There is also a restroom with Popeye and Olive painted on it. This gives the cinema a special atmosphere and makes you feel good.

  There is also a theater on the floor above kino cinéma here, but what makes one movie theater different from others?

  “I guess that the image of the theater. In our case, we have decided on image colors, and we are creating a concept using white and blue. It’s a little brighter, I would say, or it creates a calm ambience. Some theaters pursue a darker image, and each theater has a completely different image.

  I also think the color of a movie theater is determined by the movies it shows. The programming department at the head office determines the lineup of the screenings, which is then used to determine the schedule at each theater. However, it’s just not the same in all theaters. After all, Shinjuku needs a Shinjuku color, and that’s also the difference in the clientele that comes to us, isn’t it? If there are a lot of older people, they will choose content for adults, and if there are a lot of wealthy people, they will choose the kind of movies that have won awards at European film festivals, for example. The programming department itself chooses a wide range of works, and theaters may also approach us for productions.”

  Interesting story. What kind of color is Shinjuku? And what kind of town is Shinjuku 3-chome for movies?

  “3-chome is diverse. There are many tourists, and many business people. And there are also many young people, including students. Since movies are a part of popular culture, the colors of the people who visit here naturally come out. It’s a part of life, isn’t it? I mean, I want it to be a part of life. I guess that’s the right answer.

  There is also a theater called Suehirotei in this town. Yose and movies are different things, but both are part of the entertainment industry. I think they have something in common when it comes to hobbies. This is a place where people with such interests gather.”

  It’s very interesting to think about the color of the area through the framework of movies. Mr. Ohno also said that he would like to consider developing more and more local contributions as well, perhaps because it meant to be dyed in those colors. Since this is a city where many people gather for their hobbies, kino cinéma should be able to fulfill that role.

  “The movies we show are popular, of course, but we also show a wide range of movies, including anime that adults can enjoy, and more popular movies in the evening hours, so people who come to this town must have something to catch their attention.