Expanding Japanese Storytelling: Netflix Leases Two Soundstages from Toho Studio
Not many can call themselves home to Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai, and the Godzilla film series that quite literally took over the world. As the birthplace of both, and many more motion pictures that built the foundations of Japanese filmmaking, Toho Studio opens its doors to tens of hundreds of artists every year, as one of the largest production studios in Japan. As someone who built their career working on Japanese films and series, Toho Studio has always been somewhere I dreamt of bringing projects to.
Today, we are taking our commitment to Japanese storytelling to a new level by leasing two of Toho Studio’s international-standard soundstages over several years. From April 2021, Netflix will have access to both Stage 7 and Stage 10, as well as several in-studio facilities all within Toho Studio located in the quaint, central suburban Setagaya Ward in Tokyo. Two of our most ambitious upcoming projects, Yu Yu Hakusho and Sanctuary, will be the first to film at Toho Studio this year.
“Since opening doors in 1932, we’ve welcomed a wide variety of filmmakers, streaming projects, and commercial creators from around the world. We’re thrilled that Netflix is joining our roster of amazing talent at Toho Studio. We look forward to continue delivering inspiring entertainment to audiences around the world,” Mitsuru Shimada, President and CEO of Toho Studio, said.
This new partnership comes as we continue to bet big on stories from Japan. We plan to release over 25 original live-action and anime titles from Japan this year. We’re excited to expand and diversify our live-action catalog by bolstering our film slate with titles like Ride or Die, We Couldn’t Become Adults, and Asakusa Kid, new series such as the long-awaited The Naked Director season 2, and new, engaging unscripted formats such as Creator’s File: Gold, all streaming this year with much more to come. As huge fans of Japanese culture and storytelling, we’re thrilled to continue working closely with the local creative community to bring these stories to our members around the world.
