Tokyo Theatres Company, Incorporated

Tokyo Theatres Company, Incorporated (東京テアトル株式会社) is a Japanese entertainment and real-estate company founded in June 1946 as Tokyo Kōgyō Co., Ltd. by Jūzaburō Yoshioka, a former president of Tokyo Takarazuka Theater, Korakuen Stadium and Nikkatsu. It opened the Theatres Ginza cinema in December 1946 and listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange in May 1949, the same month the exchange reopened. In 1955 it changed its name to Tokyo Theatres and opened Theatres Tokyo in Ginza. Over the decades the company diversified into cabarets, bowling, retail, hotels and real estate. From the 1980s it was affiliated with the Sezon Group through Seibu Urban Development (later Seiyō Environmental Development), and it took over cinema operations from Seibu Department Stores, Seiyu and Parco. After the collapse of major shareholders Tōhō Life Insurance (1999) and Seiyō Environmental Development (2000), the company restructured, selling the Ginza Theatres Building in 2013 and exiting hotels, retail and bowling. Today the Tokyo Theatres Group operates three core segments: film (production, distribution and cinema management under the Theatres Cinema Group banner), food and beverage (including the yakitori chain Kushidori and restaurants such as Western Ginza), and real estate (leasing and renovation/resale of second-hand condominiums under the Reno Mama brand). Consolidated revenue for fiscal 2025 was 20,655 million yen. The company is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Standard Market and is led by President Kazuhiro Ōta.

Tokyo Theatres was founded in June 1946 as Tokyo Kōgyō Co., Ltd. by Jūzaburō Yoshioka, a veteran of the Hankyu-Toho group who had served as president of Tokyo Takarazuka Theater, Korakuen Stadium and Nikkatsu. The company opened its first cinema, Theatres Ginza, in December 1946, beginning its film exhibition business. In May 1949 it listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange at the same time the exchange reopened. In 1955 it changed its name to Tokyo Theatres Co., Ltd. and opened Theatres Tokyo in Ginza. In 1960, Theatres Tokyo set a record for the longest theatrical run of a Western film in Japan with Ben-Hur. The company diversified into dining (1953), bowling (1963), real estate leasing (1968), advertising (1973), retail (1976) and hotels (1982). In 1983, Seibu Urban Development (later Seiyō Environmental Development) acquired a 37% stake, and in 1987 the Ginza Theatres Building opened on the site of the former Theatres Tokyo, housing Hotel Seiyō Ginza, Ginza Sezon Theater and Ginza Theatres Seiyu. By 1989, Seiyō Environmental Development had become the largest shareholder, making Tokyo Theatres a subsidiary of the Sezon Group. It then took over cinema operations from Seibu Department Stores, Seiyu and Parco. In 1999, major shareholder Tōhō Life Insurance failed, followed by Seiyō Environmental Development in 2000. Tokyo Theatres purchased the land and building of the Ginza Theatres Building and took over Sezon Group operations there, with borrowings peaking above 22 billion yen. The company began film distribution in 1998 and film production in 2002. It distributed the Anpanman film series from 1999 and scored hits with The Chef of the South Pole (2009), In This Corner of the World (2016) and We Made a Beautiful Bouquet (2021). From 2009 to 2013, under financial pressure, the company closed or sold many businesses, including the Kabukicho Club Heights cabaret, Hotel Seiyō Ginza and the Ginza Theatres Building. It expanded into renovation and resale of second-hand condominiums (Reno Mama, 2013) and the yakitori restaurant chain Kushidori. In 2020 it acquired a 90% stake in subtitle and dubbing company Axy. In October 2025 its TSE industry classification changed from Services to Real Estate.

• Founded as Tokyo Kōgyō Co., Ltd.

• Theatres Ginza opens; film exhibition business begins

• Listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange

• Shibuya Club Heights opens; dining business begins

• Renamed Tokyo Theatres Co., Ltd.

• Ben-Hur sets record for longest Western film run at Theatres Tokyo

• Kobe Theatres Bowling Center opens; bowling business begins

• Shinjuku Theatres Building completed; real estate leasing begins

• Theatres Agency established; advertising business begins

• Kushidori main store (first location) opens

• Ikebukuro Hotel Theatres opens; hotel business begins

• Ginza Theatres Building completed on former Theatres Tokyo site

• Takes over operation of 8 cinemas (13 screens) from Seiyu and 3 cinemas (4 screens) from Seibu Department Stores

• Film distribution business begins

• Begins distributing Anpanman film series from 11th installment

• Hotel Seiyō Ginza becomes directly managed

• Film production business begins

• Produced film The Chef of the South Pole becomes a major hit

• Hotel Seiyō Ginza closes; hotel business ends

• Reno Mama one-stop renovation service for individuals begins

• Distributed film In This Corner of the World becomes a major hit

• Acquires 90% of Axy Co., Ltd., a subtitle and dubbing production company

• Distributed film We Made a Beautiful Bouquet becomes a major hit

• TSE industry classification changed from Services to Real Estate

A diversified Japanese entertainment and lifestyle group centered on cinema, dining and real estate.

• Theatres Shinjuku

  Mini-theater in Shinjuku, Tokyo, known for independent and art films.

• Kineka Omori

  Opened in 1984 as Japan's first cinema complex, with 3 screens.

• Theatres Umeda

  Renamed from Cinema Libre Umeda in April 2024, located in Umeda Sky Building.

• Kushidori

  Yakitori restaurant chain, mainly in Hokkaido.

• Western Ginza

  Restaurant brand derived from Hotel Seiyō Ginza.

• Reno Mama

  One-stop renovation and resale service for second-hand condominiums.

1. 1東京テアトル株式会社 公式サイトtheatres.co.jp
2. 2沿革｜東京テアトル株式会社theatres.co.jp
3. 3東京テアトルとは｜東京テアトル株式会社theatres.co.jp
4. 4会社情報｜東京テアトル株式会社theatres.co.jp
5. 5東京テアトル - Wikipediaja.wikipedia.org
6. 6Tokyo Theatres - Wikidatawikidata.org