History of anime
Before the first film projector ever turned on in Tokyo, Japanese audiences experienced moving images through a device called utsushi-e. This 19th-century magic lantern show used mechanical slides and lightweight wooden projectors known as furo. Several performers could each control different projected figures by hand. Traveling storytellers narrated legends while unrolling emakimono scrolls from right to left. These painted figures moved across screens to create a sense of motion without electricity. Paper plays called kamishibai surged in popularity during the twelfth century and remained common until the 1930s. Puppets from bunraku theater and ukiyo-e prints also served as precursors for animated characters. Cartoonists Kitazawa Rakuten and Okamoto Ippei began using film elements in their strips during the early 20th century.
Katsudō Shashin remains the earliest known animation produced in Japan, though its exact date is uncertain and believed to be around 1911. The first confirmed public showing occurred on the 15th of May 1912 with Émile Cohl's Les Exploits de Feu Follet. A short film titled Namakura Gatana released on the 30th of June 1917 stands as the earliest surviving anime. Three pioneers shaped this era: Oten Shimokawa, Junichi Kouchi, and Seitaro Kitayama. Shimokawa worked for Tokyo Puck magazine before creating Imokawa Mukuzo Genkanban no Maki in 1917. He only made five films due to medical reasons before returning to cartooning. Kouchi studied watercolor painting and created approximately fifteen movies between 1916 and 1918. Kitayama founded his own studio called Kitayama Eiga Seisakujo but closed it due to lack of commercial success. Most works from these three creators were destroyed after the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923.
The Japanese government began enforcing cultural nationalism during the 1930s which led to strict censorship of published media. Animators received pressure to produce content that enforced national spirit and affiliation. The Film Law of 1939 promoted documentary and educational films shown in newsreel theaters. Wartime reorganization merged feature film studios into three large companies including Shochiku. Kenzo Masaoka created Chikara to Onna no Yo no Naka released on the 13th of April 1933 as the first talkie anime. Mitsuyo Seo used a multiplane camera in Ari-chan in 1941. Momotaro: Sacred Sailors released on the 12th of April 1945 became the first anime feature film commissioned by the Imperial Japanese Army. These propaganda films focused on showing quick Japanese people winning against enemy forces. Pre-war animation depended heavily on sponsorship from companies and the Ministry of Education for survival.
Osamu Tezuka established Mushi Production in 1961 after his contract with Toei Animation expired. Astro Boy premiered on Fuji TV on the 1st of January 1963 becoming the first widely broadcast anime series to Western audiences. This show influenced U.S. popular culture and prompted American companies to acquire various titles from Japanese producers. Sazae-san began broadcasting in 1969 and continues today with over 6,500 episodes as of 2014. Doraemon started airing on TV Asahi in 1979 and became the most widely watched anime series of all time. Heidi Girl of the Alps aired in 1974 and was an international success that allowed Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata to start a literary-based anime series. By 1978, over fifty anime shows were airing on Japanese television including Space Battleship Yamato which debuted in October 1974.
Mobile Suit Gundam released in 1979 marked the beginning of real robot space operas and achieved significant commercial success. The film Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind released on the 11th of March 1984 gave extra prestige to anime allowing many experimental projects to be funded shortly after its release. Studio Ghibli formed under the supervision of former Animage editor Toshio Suzuki with Castle in the Sky debuting in 1986. Dragon Ball premiered in 1986 introducing martial arts genres to wider audiences globally. Akira released on the 16th of July 1988 brought a much larger international fan base despite domestic commercial failure in Japan. Ghost in the Shell appeared on the 18th of November 1995 as a cyberpunk thriller that influenced The Matrix. Princess Mononoke cost $20 million to produce making it the most expensive anime film up until that time. Hayao Miyazaki personally checked each of the 144,000 cels in the film and is estimated to have redrawn parts of 80,000 of them.
Hideaki Anno wrote and directed Neon Genesis Evangelion which began airing in 1995. This show became popular among anime fans and known to the general public through mainstream media attention. The End of Evangelion grossed over $10 million in 1997 but caused TV Tokyo to increase censorship due to violent and sexual scenes. Cowboy Bebop first broadcast in 1998 was shown heavily edited yet gained heavy popularity both inside and outside Japan. Spirited Away won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature at the 75th Academy Awards held in 2003. It became the highest-grossing anime film with worldwide box office reaching US$274 million. Howl's Moving Castle received nomination for Best Animated Feature at the 78th Academy Awards in 2006. Satoshi Kon established himself alongside Otomo and Oshii as one of the premier directors before his premature death at age 46.
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba the Movie Mugen Train released on the 16th of October 2020 became the fastest-grossing film in Japanese cinema earning 10 billion yen in just ten days. It beat the previous record set by Spirited Away which took twenty-five days to achieve similar earnings. In 2024 Studio Ghibli's The Boy and the Heron won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature making it Hayao Miyazaki's second Oscar win. By 2015 an all-record-high of 340 anime series were airing on television globally. Netflix and Amazon Prime Video became increasingly involved in production and licensing of anime for international markets during the 2010s. Attack on Titan won Most In-Demand TV Series in the World 2021 award becoming first non-English language series to earn that title. YOASOBI's opening theme Idol topped Billboard Global 200 Excl. U.S. charts with 45.7 million streams and 24,000 copies sold outside the U.S. in 2023.
Common questions
What is the earliest known animation produced in Japan and when was it created?
Katsudō Shashin remains the earliest known animation produced in Japan with an uncertain date around 1911. The first confirmed public showing occurred on the 15th of May 1912 featuring Émile Cohl's Les Exploits de Feu Follet.
Who were the three pioneers who shaped early Japanese anime before the Great Kanto Earthquake?
Oten Shimokawa, Junichi Kouchi, and Seitaro Kitayama were the three pioneers who shaped this era. Most works from these three creators were destroyed after the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923.
When did Osamu Tezuka establish Mushi Production and what series premiered shortly after?
Osamu Tezuka established Mushi Production in 1961 after his contract with Toei Animation expired. Astro Boy premiered on Fuji TV on the 1st of January 1963 becoming the first widely broadcast anime series to Western audiences.
Which film became the fastest-grossing movie in Japanese cinema history and how much did it earn?
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba the Movie Mugen Train released on the 16th of October 2020 became the fastest-grossing film in Japanese cinema earning 10 billion yen in just ten days. It beat the previous record set by Spirited Away which took twenty-five days to achieve similar earnings.
What Academy Award win did Hayao Miyazaki receive for The Boy and the Heron in 2024?
In 2024 Studio Ghibli's The Boy and the Heron won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature making it Hayao Miyazaki's second Oscar win. This victory followed his earlier success where Spirited Away won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature at the 75th Academy Awards held in 2003.