Is film dead? Tokyo Phenomenon announces cessation of operations

Tokyo Phenomenon and its parent company Toei announced on November 25 that Tokyo Phenomenon will end its 67-year film processing business tomorrow, Wednesday, November 30.

The companies believe that the business is difficult to sustain due to changes in the business environment, including the industry's move toward the use of Digital Cinema Packages (DCPs) to distribute films and a significant increase in the trend toward storing and transferring films via mobile phone digital files.

Tokyo Phenomenon will close, but its digital imaging and video editing operations will be transferred to Toei Studio, and its archiving operations will be transferred to a new archiving company that Toei will establish within the studio.

Tokyo Phenomenon was founded in April 1955 and has been engaged in video editing, film development and archiving of many animations. The company has also processed film for many Chinese films, including "Farewell My Concubine", "Red Sorghum" and "Sunny Days".

Toei entered into a business alliance with post-production company IMAGICA Lab in September 2021, and has since shifted its focus to digital video media and abandoned physical media.