Japanese Location Production Operation Launched by Toho

Above, Toho Studios in Setagaya. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

International movie productions have "shied away" from shooting in Japan as there's no incentives for location filming.

All that is about to change as Toho Co., Ltd. is launching a production services division.

Variety reported:

Toho, Japan’s most powerful movie studio, is launching a production services offshoot intended to assist and grow foreign film and TV shoots in the country.

Toho Tombo Pictures is a joint venture with Japan-based producer Georgina Pope, who has worked with the top entertainment companies around the globe for more than 30 years.

The new company will be headed by Shimada Mitsuru, who currently serves as president of Toho Studios, as representative director of Toho Tombo Pictures. Pope, Ueda Koji and Toho Studios executive Sudo Tetsushi will serve as directors. Ueda is GM of international business of Toho and VP of U.S. subsidiary, Toho International, Inc.

Toho says that “interest in filming in Japan has skyrocketed over the past decade,” and that it sees an opportunity “to create a suite of services that incorporates the expertise and expansive capabilities of Japan’s premier film studio, Toho Studios.”

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