Yokohama Odeon Theatre

The 1,245-seat Yokohama Odeon Theatre in Chojamachi was the first ever movie theater in Japan specializing in foreign films including American movies, opening its doors on Christmas Day 1911 in the Nigiwacho area of Yokohama by by Richard Weldermann of the German trading company Nierop & Company. However with the outbreak of World War I, its deemed inconvenient to have an enemy national managing the theater, so to fix out this solution, his brother-in-law Eitaro Hirao of the Hirao Company ended up taking over management in 1914. Initially, it had a special agreement with M. Pathe & Company (one of the predecessors of Nikkatsu), and became the first paid screening facility in the country to screen foreign films imported by the company.

Throughout its time and into the next several decades, Nigimachi was a street lined with downtown movie theaters. Diagonally across from the Odeon was the Kiraku-za (later known as the Yokohama Nikkatsu Kaikan), and next to it was the Nigiza (opened in 1880, renamed Asahi-za in 1915, closed unknown). Across the main street in Matsugaeda-cho (now Isezakicho 2-chome, the same ward), and nearby is the Yokohama Denkikan which opened in 1908 and was long closed.

Unfortunately, the Great Kanto Earthquake destroyed the Odeon on September 1, 1923, and killing its owner Hirao. Five months later in January 1924, Weldermann returned to Japan. Clarinetist Ichinosuke Mutsuzaki later rebuilt the theater in its entirety and reopened later that year. This was also a popular venue by adding orchestral performances to silent films during that time. Sound was added in 1929 and was rebuilt into a four-story reinforced concrete building in April 1936.

After 1940, restrictions on foreign films were tightened because of World War II, and the theater was entrusted to Shochiku for management. Japanese films became the primary focus during the war, as in 1942, it was renamed the Yokohama Toa Theater. However, later during the war, it was subsequently renamed the “Yokohama Shochiku Theater” after the theater was transferred to Shochiku with a special buyback agreement. After the war completely died, the theater briefly closed on September 30, 1945 when it was taken over by the occupying forces after the establishment of the General Headquarters on October 2 of the same year, and reopened the theater as the “Octagon Theater”.

This requisition was lifted in November 1955. Rokuzaki Ichinosuke, its owner, negotiated with Shochiku because the previous repurchase agreement expired in 1950, but Shochiku declined, and Shochiku continued to use the theater, operating it again as the Yokohama Shochiku Theater once again as a premiere theater for Shochiku films. In June 1968, construction work was carried out to divide the theater into a twin, with the second screen and above became the Yokohama Roxy Movie Theater, a subsidiary of Shochiku Tokyu Foreign Films. Ichinosuke’s lawsuit against Shochiku for the repurchase of the building was settled in 1970, and as a result, Ichinosuke purchased the land and began redevelopment, closing the theater for the final time on February 22, 1973.

However, after the theater closed and the original building being demolished, the “New Odeon Building” was constructed on the site, becoming a commercial complex that retained its name. On July 13, 1985, a single-screen theater under the Toho Foreign chain opened its doors as the New Odeon Theatre. After its revival, the theater had a strong mini-theater feel, and used a unique projection method where films were projected from behind the screen. Unfortunately that theater closed on July 7, 2000 because of declining attendance.

The 1973 closure of the Yokohama Shochiku Theater didn’t stop Shochiku from operating in the downtown strip. Shochiku ended up taking over the former Yokohama Daiei Theater nearby and was twinned afterward. Throughout the remainder of the 1970s and into the 1980s and beyond, it went under the auditorium names “Yokohama Shochiku” and “Yokohama Central”. Unfortunately because of the Warner Mycal Cinemas chain launching their own Warner Mycal Cinemas Minatomirai at the Yokohama World Porters, both the Yokohama Shochiku and Central Theaters closed for the final time on September 10, 1999.

Hirao Eimi, son of the founder Hirao Eitaro, and Rokuzaki Akira, son of Ichinosuke, the second-generation manager, have both donated materials related to the Odeon Theatre to the Yokohama Port Opening Archives Museum and all of the materials can be viewed at the museum.

Here’s some information about what happened right after World War II. Right after the death of war comes Rokuzaki Ichinosuke once again, who would later open a newer Yokohama Odeon Theatre, a 592-seat single-screener in Akebonocho on January 1, 1947, not too far from the original location, but that theater was renamed the Yokohama Shintoho on March 1, 1956 because of Ichinosuke stepping down from management due to the proliferation of foreign film theaters. Okura Mitsugu who also ran Shintoho took over management afterward. In 1961, that theater was taken over by the Tokyu Foreign Film Chain, and when Tokyu Bunka Kaikan partnered with Shochiku to form the Shochiku Tokyu Chain (ST Chain) in March 1965 (Showa 40), the Okura theaters that had been members of the Tokyu Chain withdrew and formed the Adult Film/OP Chain. The “newer Odeon” went through several names (including Yokohama Tokyu and Yokohama Toa Theater [the same name used in the original location during the war]) until closing on April 8, 1979.

Want to be emailed when a new comment is posted about this theater?
Just login to your account and subscribe to this theater.