Toho Co., Ltd. is a classic Film company Known For There world famous Godzilla Franchise who is featured in 33 of the company's films. Godzilla, Rodan, Mothra, King Ghidorah and Mechagodzilla are described as Toho's Big Five because of the monsters' numerous appearances in all three eras of the franchise, as well as spin-offs. Toho has also been involved in the production of numerous anime titles. Its subdivisions are Toho-Towa Distribution, Toho Pictures Incorporated, Toho International Company Limited, Toho E. B. Company Limited, and Toho Music Corporation & Toho Costume Company Limited. The company is the largest shareholder (7.96%) of Fuji Media Holdings Inc.
Toho Educational Film Companies Logo from 1932–51, presented in a windowboxed 1.33:1 frame
1966 logo
Toho is one of the four members of the Motion Picture Producers Association of Japan (MPPAJ), and is the largest of Japan's Big Four film studios.
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TohoScope
Main article: TohoScope
Toho-Scope is an anamorphic lens system developed in the late 1950s by Toho Studios in response to the popularity of CinemaScope. Its technical specifications are identical to those of CinemaScope. This widescreen format was first used for the black-and-white films The Men of Tohoku, and On Wings of Love, made use of color in The Last Pursuit, and debuted in full-color (and tokusatsu) with The Mysterians (all 1957). The label fell out of use in 1965 to be replaced by Panavision lenses of similar specifications.
In contemporary popular culture, the recognizable Toho Scope logo prefaced Godzilla: Final Wars, one of many homages to older science fiction productions made throughout the film.
Films
1930s
| Film | Release Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Three Sisters with Maiden Hearts | 1935 | The first-ever film made by Toho. |
| Enoken's Ten Millions | 1936 | The second movie made by Toho. The film would also later have a sequel. |
| Enoken's Ten Millions 2 | 1936 | |
| Tokyo Rhapsody | 1936 | |
| Humanity and Paper Balloons | 1937 | |
| Avalanche | 1937 | |
| A Husband Chastity | 1937 | |
| Tojuro's Love | 1938 | |
| Enoken's Shrewd Period | 1939 | |
| Chushingura I | 1939 | |
| Chushingura II | 1939 | sequel to Chushingura I. |
1940s
| Film | Release Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Song of Kunya | 1940 | The first movie made by Toho in the 1940s. |
| Enoken Has His Hair Cropped | 1940 | |
| Songoku: Monkey Sun | 1940 | |
| Hideko the Bus-Conductor | 1941 | |
| Uma | 1941 | |
| The War at Sea from Hawaii to Malay | 1942 | aka Hawai Mare oki kaisen |
| Sanshiro Sugata | 1943 | aka Sugata Sanshirō, aka Judo Saga |
| Ramayana | 1943 | a Forgotten film with effects by Eiji Tsuburaya |
| The Most Beautiful | 1944 | aka Ichiban utsukushiku |
| Sanshiro Sugata Part II | 1945 | sequel to Sanshiro Sugata. |
| The Men Who Tread on the Tiger's Tail
|
1945 | |
| No Regrets for Our Youth | 1946 | aka Waga seishun ni kuinashi |
| Those Who Make Tomorrow | 1946 | |
| One Wonderful Sunday | 1947 | |
| Snow Trail | 1947 | The first film that was composed by Akira Ifukube. He would later compose many of the Godzilla films and many other non-Godzilla Toho kaiju films later on. |
| Drunken Angel | 1948 | |
| Stray Dog | 1949 | aka Nora Inu |
Toho's Classic Logo from the early 1960's
1950s
| Film | Release Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| The Lady of Musashino | 1951 | aka Musashino-Fujin |
| Repast | 1951 | aka Meshi, a post-WW2 drama |
| Ikiru (To Live) | 1952 | aka Doomed |
| Seven Samurai (Shichinin no Samurai) | 1954 | This film was one of the 2 films that almost caused Toho to go into bankruptcy, with the other one being Godzilla. However both films became massive hits and box office successes. |
| Godzilla | Nov. 3, 1954 | The first Godzilla film made by Toho, which became Toho's longest running film series; inspired by the 1952 re-release of King Kong and The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms; Godzilla was released in the US in 1956, dubbed in English and heavily re-edited into the film known as Godzilla: King of the Monsters! (this heavy re-editing would be done again with the Americanized versions of Godzilla Raids Again, Half Human, Varan, King Kong vs. Godzilla and Daiei Film's Gamera, the Giant Monster) |
| Tomei Ningen (The Invisible Man) | 1954 | aka The Invisible Avenger; never dubbed in English; B&W/full screen. |
| Sound of the Mountain | 1954 | aka Yama no Oto |
| Late Chrysanthemums | 1954 | aka Bangiku |
| Floating Clouds | 1955 | aka Ukigumo |
| Godzilla Raids Again | Apr. 24, 1955 | aka Gojira no gyakushu (Godzilla's Counterattack); shot in B&W/full screen; featured the 1st appearance of the monster Anguirus; a rushed sequel to the previous Godzilla; released in the U.S. as Gigantis the Fire Monster; series was put on hiatus after this until 1962's King Kong vs. Godzilla. |
| Half Human (Jujin Yukiotoko/ Monster Snowman) | Aug. 14, 1955 | The original Japanese version was banned due to the film's depicting the Ainu people in a negative light; the re-edited American version, featuring added footage of John Carradine, was only released in 1958 and is the only version available on home video worldwide. |
| I Live in Fear (Ikimono no kiroku) | 1955 | aka Record of a Living Being, aka What the Birds Knew |
| Sudden Rain | 1956 | aka Shūu |
| A Wife's Heart | 1956 | aka Tsuma no kokoro |
| Vampire Moth | 1956 | aka Kyuketsuki-ga; murder mystery |
| Sazae-san | 1956 | comedy/drama based on a manga comic book |
| Madame White Snake | 1956 | aka Byaku fugin no yoren, aka The Bewitched Love of Madame Pai; released in US in 1965 |
| Flowing | 1956 | aka Nagareru |
| Rodan | Dec. 26, 1956 | aka Sora no daikaiju Radon (The Sky's Giant Monsters: Rodan); first Toho film made in color; featured the first appearance of both Rodan and the Meganulons |
| Untamed | 1957 | aka Arakure |
| The Secret Scrolls Part One | 1957 | aka Yagyu Bugeicho, aka Yagyu Secret Scrolls; released subtitled in US in 1967 |
| Throne of Blood | 1957 | aka Kumonosu-djo (Cobweb Castle); aka Castle of the Spider's Web |
| Ikiteiru koheiji | 1957 | musical |
| Knockout Drops | 1957 | aka Tokyo no Tekisasujin, directed by Motoyoshi Oda |
| The rainbow does not disappear in my chest | 1957 | |
| Snow Country | 1957 | aka Yukiguni. |
| The Lower Depths | 1957 | aka Donzoko; directed by Akira Kurosawa |
| The Mysterians | Dec. 28, 1957 | aka Chikyu Boeigun (Earth Defense Force); first appearance of the robot Moguera |
| The Secret Scrolls Part Two | 1958 | aka Ninjutsu; released in US in 1968, subtitled |
| The H-Man | June 24, 1958 | aka Bijo To Ekatai-Ningen (Beauty and the Liquid People) |
| The Hidden Fortress | 1958 | aka Kakushi toride no san akunin |
| Shirasagi | 1958 | aka The Snowy Heron |
| Adventures of Sun Wu Kung | 1958 | aka Sungoku: The Road to the West (special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya) |
| Varan | Oct. 14, 1958 | aka Daikaiju Baran (Giant Monster Baran); first appearance of the monster Varan; film was heavily re-edited in America, similar to Godzilla: King of the Monsters! (the American version of Godzilla), Godzilla Raids Again, Half Human, King Kong vs. Godzilla, and Daiei Film's Gamera, the Giant Monster |
| Ishimatsu Travels with Ghosts | 1959 | aka Moro no Ichimatsu yurei dochu |
| The Birth of Japan (Nippon Tanjo) | Nov. 1, 1959 | aka The Three Treasures, aka Age of the Gods |
| Battle in Outer Space | Dec. 26, 1959 | aka Uchū Daisensō (Great War in Space) |
1960s
| Film | Release Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| The Secret of the Telegian | Apr. 10, 1960 | aka Denso ningen/ The Electrically-Transmitted Man |
| The Bad Sleep Well | 1960 | aka Warui yatsu hodo yoku nemuru; directed by Akira Kurosawa |
| When a Woman Ascends the Stairs | 1960 | aka Onna ga kaidan o agaru toki |
| Storm Over the Pacific | 1960 | This film is also known as Hawai Middouei daikaikusen: Taiheiyo no arashi/ Hawaii-Midway Battle of the Sea and Sky: Storm in the Pacific Ocean; This film was released in 1961 in the United States in a dubbed and abridged 98-minute version produced by Hugo Grimaldi as I Bombed Pearl Harbor |
| Autumn Has Already Started | 1960 | aka Aki tachinu |
| The Human Vapor | Dec. 11, 1960 | aka Gasu ningen dai ichigo (Gas Human Being #1); a sequel was planned, to be called Frankenstein vs. the Human Vapor, but the project was scrapped. |
| I Bombed Pearl Harbor | 1961 | Storm Over the Pacific was released in 1961 in the United States in a dubbed and abridged 98-minute version produced by Hugo Grimaldi as I Bombed Pearl Harbor |
| Mothra (Mosura) | July 30, 1961 | The first appearance of Mothra, who would go on to reappear in many later Godzilla films as well as a trilogy of 1990s Mothra films (Rebirth of Mothra, Rebirth of Mothra II, and Rebirth of Mothra III). |
| Yojimbo | 1961 | directed by Akira Kurosawa |
| The Last War | Oct. 8, 1961 | aka Sekai daisenso (The Great World War) |
| The End of Summer | 1961 | aka Kohayagawa-ke no aki |
| My Friend Death | 1961 | aka Yurei Hanjo-ki; filmed in B&W/Scope |
| Sanjuro | 1962 | aka Tsubaki Sanjūrō; directed by Akira Kurosawa |
| The Youth and his Amulet | 1962 | aka Gen and Fudo-Myoh |
| Gorath | Mar. 21, 1962 | aka Yosei Gorasu (Suspicious Star Gorath); the walrus-monster in the film, Maguma, was removed from the American version of the film entirely |
| King Kong vs. Godzilla | Aug. 11, 1962 | The highest grossing Godzilla film ever (and the first one made in color); featured King Kong and the Oodako (a giant octopus). |
| Rorentsu o· Ruisu no shōgai | 1962 | N/A |
| A Wanderer's Notebook | 1962 | aka Hourou-ki, aka Her Lonely Lane |
| High and Low | 1963 | aka Tengoku to Jigoku (Heaven and Hell); directed by Akira Kurosawa |
| The Lost World of Sinbad | 1963 | aka Dai tozoku (The Great Thief); aka Samurai Pirate |
| Matango | Aug. 11, 1963 | aka Attack of the Mushroom People |
| Atragon | Dec. 22, 1963 | aka Kaitei gunkan (Undersea Battleship); first appearance of the snake-monster Manda, who would later reappear in Destroy All Monsters. |
| Yearning | 1964 | aka Midareru |
| Whirlwind | 1964 | aka Dai tatsumaki |
| Woman in the Dunes | 1964 | aka Suna no Onna (The Sand Woman) |
| Onibaba | 1964 | Translation: The Demon Hag; aka The Witch, aka Devil Woman; B&W/TohoScope |
| Mothra vs. Godzilla | Apr. 29, 1964 | aka Godzilla vs. The Thing; the last Showa Godzilla film where Godzilla was the villain |
| Kwaidan (Ghost Story) | 1964 | aka Kaidan; anthology of four short stories (The Black Hair, Woman of the Snow, Hoichi the Earless and In a Cup of Tea) |
| Shirasagi | 1964 | aka The Snowy Heron |
| Dogora (aka Dagora, the Space Monster) | Aug. 11, 1964 | aka Uchu daikaiju Dogora (Giant Space Monster Dogora) |
| Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster | Dec. 20, 1964 | aka San daikaiju chikyu saidai no kessen (The Greatest Giant Monster Battle on Earth); 1st ever appearance of King Ghidorah; also featured Rodan and Mothra |
| Kokusai himitsu keisatsu: Kayaku no taru | 1964 | This film and the one following were edited together to form the English-dubbed film What's Up, Tiger Lily? |
| Kokusai himitsu keisatsu: Kagi no kagi | 1965 | This film and the film above it were edited together to form the English-dubbed film What's Up, Tiger Lily? |
| Tokyo Olympiad | 1965 | |
| Illusion of Blood | 1965 | aka Yotsuya Ghost Story (Yotsuya Kaidan) |
| Red Beard (Akahige) | 1965 | directed by Akira Kurosawa |
| Frankenstein Conquers the World | Aug. 8, 1965 | aka Furankenshutain tai chitei kaiju Baragon (Frankenstein vs. Subterranean Monster Baragon); first appearance of the monster Baragon, who would later reappear in Destroy All Monsters; alternate ending was filmed which again featured the Oodako (a giant optopus), but it was later edited out of the international version; see sequel called War of the Gargantuas. |
| Invasion of Astro-Monster (aka Monster Zero) | Dec. 19, 1965 | aka Kaiju daisenso (The Great Monster War); this was the 6th Godzilla film; The alien Xillians would later be used again in Godzilla: Final Wars. |
| We Will Remember | 1965 | aka Senjo ni nagareru uta; war film |
| The Face of Another | July 10, 1966 | aka Tanin no kao (Face of a Stranger) |
| Silence Has No Wings | 1966 | aka Tobenai Chinmoko |
| War of the Gargantuas | July 31, 1966 | aka Furankenshutain no kaiju - Sanda tai Gairah (The Monsters of Frankenstein - Sanda vs. Gairah); the sequel to Frankenstein vs. Baragon |
| Adventures of Takla Makan (Kiganjo no boken) | 1966 | aka Adventure in Kigan Castle, B&W/TohoScope |
| Ebirah, Horror of the Deep (aka Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster) | Dec. 17, 1966 | aka Gojira, Ebira, Mosura Nankai no Daikettō (Godzilla, Ebirah, Mothra: Big Duel in the South Seas); the first Godzilla film in which the main setting is a barren South Pacific island rather than a city; first appearance of the giant lobster Ebirah; originally meant to be a King Kong film made in collaboration with Rankin/Bass Productions, but Rankin/Bass dropped out and Toho turned it into a Godzilla film instead |
| The Killing Bottle (Zettai zetsumei) | 1967 | crime drama starring Nick Adams |
| Tenamonya: Ghost Journey | 1967 | aka Ghost of Two Travelers at Tenamonya (Tenamonya yurei dochu) |
| Samurai Rebellion | 1967 | aka Jōi-uchi: Hairyō tsuma shimatsu |
| King Kong Escapes (King Kong no gyakushu) | July 22, 1967 | 2nd King Kong film made by Toho, based on an animated TV show made by Rankin/Bass known as The King Kong Show; also features Gorosaurus and Mechani-Kong |
| Son of Godzilla (Gojira no musuko) | Dec. 16, 1967 | aka Kaiju shima no kessen: Gojira no musuko; 1st appearance of Minilla, Kamacuras, and Kumonga |
| Kuroneko (The Black Cat) | Feb. 24, 1968 | B&W/ TohoScope |
| Destroy All Monsters | Aug. 1, 1968 | aka Kaiju soshingeki (March of the Monsters); features Godzilla, Minilla, Mothra, Rodan, Anguirus, King Ghidorah, Varan, Baragon, Kumonga, Gorosaurus, and Manda. |
| Latitude Zero | July 26, 1969 | aka Ido zero dai sakusen (Latitude Zero: Big Military Operation) |
| Portrait of Hell | September, 1969 | aka A Story of Hell, aka Jigokuhen |
| All Monsters Attack | Dec. 20, 1969 | aka Godzilla's Revenge; the 10th Godzilla film, this one was geared for children |
1970s
| Film | Release date | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| The Vampire Doll | July 4, 1970 | aka Chi o suu ningyo (Bloodthirsty Doll); aka Night of the Vampire; released in U.S. subtitled only |
| Terror in the Streets | 1970 | aka Akuma ga Yondeiru; features an invisible man; released on a double bill with The Vampire Doll |
| Space Amoeba (aka Yog, Monster from Space) | Aug. 1, 1970 | aka Gezora, Ganime, Kameba: Kessen nankai no daikaiju (Gezora, Ganimes, and Kamoebas: Decisive Battle! Giant Monsters of the South Seas) features three monsters named Gezora, Ganimes and Kamoebas |
| Dodes'ka-den | October, 1970 | directed by Akira Kurosawa (his first color film) |
| Inn of Evil | March 1, 1971 | aka Inochi bonifuro |
| To Love Again | 1971 | aka Ai futatabi |
| Godzilla vs. Hedorah (aka Godzilla vs. the Smog Monster) | July 24, 1971 | aka Gojira tai Hedora |
| The Battle of Okinawa | 1971 | aka Gekido no showashi: Okinawa kessen |
| Lake of Dracula | 1971 | aka Chi o suu me (Bloodthirsty Eyes), aka Bloodsucking Eyes; English-dubbed version sold directly to TV in US in 1980, with three minutes cut |
| Young Guy vs. Blue Guy | 1971 | aka Wakadaishô tai Aodaishô |
| Godzilla vs. Gigan (aka Godzilla on Monster Island) | Mar. 12, 1972 | The last film which Haruo Nakajima played Godzilla; also features King Ghidorah and 1st appearance of Gigan |
| Daigoro vs. Goliath (Kaiju daifunsen: Daigoro tai Goriasu) | Dec. 17, 1972 | This film was a co-production with Toho and Tsuburaya Productions. The film was originally planned to be called Godzilla vs. Redmoon but that project was scrapped and finally became this film; made for Japanese TV |
| Lightning Swords of Death | 1972 | aka Sword of Vengeance |
| Shogun Assassin | 1972 | aka Baby Cart at the River Styx |
| Godzilla vs. Megalon | Mar. 17, 1973 | first Godzilla film in which Godzilla is not played by Haruo Nakajima; return of Gigan, and first appearances of both Megalon and Jet Jaguar. |
| Kure Kure Takora | 1973 | translation: Gimme Gimme, Octopus; a Japanese children's television series |
| Lady Snowblood | 1973 | aka Shurayuki-hime; action film based on a Japanese manga comic book |
| The Human Revolution (Ningen Kakumei) | 1973 | |
| Submersion of Japan (Nippon chiubotsu) | Dec. 29, 1973 | aka Tidal Wave |
| Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla | Mar. 21, 1974 | originally known as Godzilla vs. the Bionic Monster, then changed to Godzilla vs. the Cosmic Monster; the first appearance of Mechagodzilla |
| Prophecies of Nostradamus (Nostradamus no dai yogen) | 1974 | aka The Last Days of Planet Earth, aka Catastrophe 1999; released to US television in 1981 |
| Evil of Dracula | July, 1974 | aka Chi o suu bara (The Bloodthirsty Rose); aka The Vampire Rose, The Bloodsucking Rose |
| Lupin III | 1974 | aka Lupin III: Strange Psychokinetic Strategy, aka Rupan Sansei: Nenriki Chin Sakusen; live action film based on a Japanese manga comic book |
| ESPY (aka Esupai) | December, 1974 | aka E.S.P. Spy |
| Terror of Mechagodzilla | Mar. 15, 1975 | aka Mekagojira no gyakushu (Mechagodzilla's Counterattack), aka The Terror of Godzilla |
| Demon Spies | 1975 | aka Oniwaban |
| The Human Revolution II (Zoku Ningen Kakumei) | 1976 | The sequel to The Human Revolution. |
| The Inugamis | 1976 | |
| The Last Dinosaur | Feb. 11, 1977 | aka Polar Probe Ship: Polar Borer, aka Saigo no Kyoru; joint effort between Toho, Rankin/Bass, Tsuburaya Productions, CIC, and Warner Bros.. Aired in the United States February 11, 1977 as a made-for-TV movie on ABC, and shortly afterwards was released in Japan as a theatrical feature (in English language with subtitles), then later released in Japan on television (dubbed in Japanese). |
| House (Hausu) | Aug. 26, 1977 | never dubbed in English |
| The War in Space | Dec. 17, 1977 | aka Wakusei Daisenso (The Great Planet War) |
| The Mystery of Mamo | 1978 | aka The Secret of Mamo; animated film based on a manga comic book |
| The Phoenix (Hinotori) | 1978 | released subtitled in the US in 1982 at 137 minutes |
| The Castle of Cagliostro | 1979 | released dubbed in UK in 1991 at 100 minutes, based on a manga comic book. |
2020s
| Film | Release Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku | 2020 | Third Toho Reiwa Romantic Comedy film. |
Upcoming
| Film | Release Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Doraemon: Nobita's New Dinosaur | 2020 | First Doraemon film under the Reiwa (Reformist) period. |
| Detective Conan: The Scarlet Letter | 2020 | The 24th film of the Detective Conan series. |
| Crayon Shin-chan: Crash! Rakuga Kingdom and Almost Four Heroes | 2020 | |
| Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 | 2020 | The fourth film of Rebuild of Evangelion series. Co-distribution with Toei Company. |
| Pokémon the Movie: Coco | 2020 | |
| Monster Hunter | 2021 | Based on a video game series by Capcom. Co-Production with Impact Pictures, Constantin Film, Sony Pictures, and Tencent Pictures. |
| Godzilla vs. Kong | 2021 | Under license from Toho, a Legendary Pictures production and a crossover film. The fourth MonsterVerse film. The third MonsterVerse Godzilla film and the second MonsterVerse King Kong film. |
| Shin Ultraman | 2021 | Based on a franchise to commemorate the 55th Anniversary of Ultra Series. Co-production with Cine Bazzar and Tsuburaya Productions. |
| What Did You Eat Yesterday? | 2021 | Based on a manga by Fumi Yoshinaga. |
| Raiden | 2021 | First Japanese Heroine Based on a Raiden (series). |
| Stand by Me Doraemon 2 | TBA |
Other films
Shorts
- Go! Godman (2008-Short)
Stage Shows
les yeux sans visage
Japan Releases
- les yeux sans visage
partnership
- Hammer Film.
- WB co.
- Daiei (in Godzilla vs. Gamera (1970), Gamera 3: Awakening the evil god,Gamera 2: The Great Legion Invasion,Gamera)
Video Games
- Godzilla Team
