Kindai Eiga Kyokai

Main Availability

Background

Kindai Eiga Kyokai (近代映画協会, Modern Film Association) is a Japanese film company established on July 31, 1950. The company was founded by directors Kōzaburō Yoshimura and Kaneto Shindo, as well as actor Taiji Tonoyama.

1st Logo (August 6, 1952-November 8, 1963)

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Visuals: In an outdoor scene, there is a stone carving of a man kicking at a Dutch angle. Then, "A Kindai Eiga Kyokai Presentation" in kanji fades in.

Variants:

• An early version exists where the scene's environment is brighter and the company name is in a more handwritten-like style.
• On Lucky Dragon No. 5, the kanji text notice for Shinseiki Eiga is shown underneath the company name, both of which are off-centered for "共同作品" to fit in the middle.

Technique: Live-action and cel animation.

Audio: The opening theme or silent.

Audio Variant: On Lucky Dragon No. 5, there is an echoing bell melody.

Availability:

• It premiered on Lucky Dragon No. 5, The Naked Island, and Mother.
• The early version was known to appear in Children of Hiroshima.

2nd Logo (July 27, 1954)

Visuals: On a black background, a white rectangular box is seen with an off-center vertical rectangle filled with white inside. Two horizontal stripes are seen on the upper left corner of the box, and two more are seen on the bottom right corner. The stripes stop when they meet the filled rectangle. Below is "近代映画協会".

Technique: A still graphic.

Audio: None.

Availability: This logo is seen on Dobu.

3rd Logo (November 21, 1964-March 17, 1977)

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Visuals: Over a gray background, there is a statue of a mermaid carrying a sword and shield. Like in the previous logo, the company name appears in kanji.

Trivia: The statue in this logo is based on Ludwika Nitschowa's The Little Mermaid memorial located in Warsaw, Poland.

Variants:

• On Kuroneko, the kanji text notice for Nippon Eiga Shinsha is shown underneath the company name, both of which are off-centered for "共同作品" to fit in the middle.
• A updated colorized variant is later used where the spotlight is omitted it takes place on a red background. The light on the statue also shines differently.

Technique: A still photo.

Audio: None.

Availability:

• It was used on Onibaba and Kuroneko.
• The colorized variant was seen on The Iron Crown, Love Betrayed, the aforementioned Waga Michi, Kenji Mizoguchi: The Life of a Film Director, andChikuzan hitori tabi.