Film Exhibition Yearbook｜2021
I. Film Exhibition at Theaters

4. General Situation in Each Prefecture
At the time this manuscript was prepared, the statistics of the film attendance of each prefecture had not beenannounced. Until 2019, the “Special Service Industry Situation Research Report” (Ministry of Economy, Trade andIndustry) used to include the number of film theater attendance in each prefecture. This report was cancelled in2020 when it was included and reorganized in the statistics of economic structures. The 2020 report does notinclude the film audience size of each prefecture. In this almanac, we calculated the average share of theattendance in each prefecture against Japan’s total attendance in each year, based on the “Special Service
Industry Situation Research Report” from 2014 to 2019. We then multiplied these percentages by Japan’s total
attendance of 2021 in the “Japanese Film Industry Statistics” in order to obtain the rough attendance of eachprefecture.
The average number of films a person went to see annually was obtained for each prefecture. The total
attendance nationwide in 2021 was 114,818,000, showing an 8% increase from that in 2020, however, around a
40% decrease from that in 2019. The average number of films a person went to see annually also decreased. The
national average in 2021 was 0.8 films, far less the1.5 in 2019. Only five prefectures scored above 1.0: Tokyo (1.4),
Kanagawa (1.1), Kyoto (1.1), Osaka (1.1), and Aichi (1.0).
The number of screens in each prefecture was high, like that of attendance in the prefectures with big cities.
From 2020 to 2021, the total number of screens nationwide increased by 18. During the last five years, thisnumber has been constantly increasing between 30 to 60 screens: from 2015 to 2016, 52 screens were added;
from 2016 to 2017, 33 screens; from 2017 to 2018, 39 screens; from 2018 to 2019, 57 screens; and from 2019 to2020, 42 screens were added. During the last year, the increase was smaller. Until 2021, the number of screenshas not shown any drastic decrease as was shown in the sizes of attendance and box office income due to the
COVID-19 pandemic.
The national average population per screen was 34,034. When this figure is lower, it means that there are more
screens in the area, and the inhabitants feel that the screens are easily accessible. The numbers in only two
prefectures, Ishikawa (16,084) and Yamagata (19,560), were between 10,000 and 19,999, and these are the“prefectures with many movie houses.” In these two prefectures, the average number of films a person went tosee annually was also above the national average. Additionally, Ishikawa Prefecture added 10 screens of multiscreen theaters in 2021, and its number of screens is as high as those in other countries. Oita, Kumamoto andOkinawa scored high because multi-screen theaters opened in these prefectures in 2020-2021. On the other
hand, six prefectures whose average population per screen exceeded 50,000 were: Kochi (68,231), Yamanashi(61,949), Fukushima (56,660), Akita (52,493), Iwate (52,012), and Nagasaki (51,866), mostly the same prefectures
as the previous year’s. In these prefectures, the number of movie theaters and the average number of films a
person went to see annually were low. However, in these areas with a lower number of theaters, there have been
a number of traveling screenings at public auditoriums and other independent film exhibition activities notreflected in their number of theater screenings. We must keep in mind that rich film exhibition environments
could be uncounted in these film business statistics.

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Film Exhibition Yearbook｜2021
I. Film Exhibition at Theaters
fig.27 General Situation in Each Prefecture2Film Exhibition Yearbook｜2021
I. Film Exhibition at Theaters

In Each Prefecture [Number of Screens]
The nationwide number of screens in Japan increased by 322, from 3,365 to 3,687 during the 10 years from 2012
to 2021. The Great East Japan Earthquake took place on March 11, 2011; and around the same time, a big change
took place in the form of the theatrical digitalization (transition from film projection to DCP [Digital Cinema
Package] projection). Because of these elements, the number of screens decreased by as many as 174 from3,496 in 2011 to 3,322 in 2014. However, from 2014, the number of screens has once again been increasing.
The prefectures where the number of screens has notably increased are: Tokyo (by 55 screens), Saitama (by 35
screens), Chiba (by 34 screens), Osaka (by 30 screens), and Okinawa (by 23 screens). During these 10 years, 69
multi-screen sites with 661 screens were added, and among them, 6 sites are in Chiba, 10 sites are in Tokyo, and5 sites are in Saitama, Aichi, and Osaka, each around the big cities.
The two cinema chains that are the main forces behind these increases during the past 10 years are TOHO
Cinemas and Aeon Cinemas. Aeon Cinema (until 2013, Warner Mycal Cinemas) have opened 25 sites and 239
screens since 2012, becoming the biggest multi-screen theater chain in Japan. TOHO Cinemas has opened 16
sites and 157 screens during the last 10 years, including ones in city centers like Nihonbashi, Shinjuku, Ueno,
Hibiya, and Ikebukuro, all of which have opened since 2016. In addition, Cinema Sunshine opened 5 sites with 44
screens, and United Cinema opened 9 sites with 91 screens. Other types of theaters have opened 50 sites and 84
screens during the last 10 years. In particular, 43 mini-theater sites and 75 screens have opened (including
relocations and re-openings of once-closed theaters) during the last 10 years.
Also during the last 10 years, 28 multi-screen sites and 228 screens have closed. The prefectures where thenumber of screens has decreased more than 10 during the last 10 years are Gunma (19 screens) and Fukuoka (12screens), due to the closing of multi-screen sites. As for other types of theaters, 136 sites and 229 screens haveclosed nationwide.

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Film Exhibition Yearbook｜2021
I. Film Exhibition at Theaters
fig.28 Changes in Number of Screens in Each Prefecture (2011-2020)

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Film Exhibition Yearbook｜2021
I. Film Exhibition at Theaters

Changes in Number of Theaters and Screens According to Theater Types
in Each Prefecture (2012-2021)
We will see how the number of theaters and that of screens have changed according to theater types in eachprefecture during the last 10 years and the pandemic period of 2020-2021.

Hokkaido and Tohoku Region [Hokkaido, Aomori, Iwate, Miyagi, Akira, Yamagata, and Fukushima]
In the Hokkaido and Tohoku Region, the number of screens in 2021 was 360, increasing by 6 from that in 2012;
and the number of theaters in 2021 was 65, decreasing by 13 from that in 2012. Their number of screens
occupied 9.8% of the nationwide number. During the last 10 years, its population decreased by 5.9% (the national
average was a decrease of 1.6%). Their decrease rate was more dramatic compared with that in other regions. In
2021, its population occupied 11.0% of the nationwide population.
The population per screen in Hokkaido (46,686), Iwate (52,012), Akita (52,493), and Fukushima (56,660), wereconsiderably higher than that of the nationwide average (34,034), meaning that these prefectures have fewer
theaters.
In 2020-2021, the number of screens changed in Miyagi, Akita, and Yamagata. In Miyagi Prefecture, MOVIX Rifu
(with 12 screen) in Rifu City closed in October 2020, and Aeon Cinema Shin-Rifu (with 11 screen) opened in
March 2021. In Akita Prefecture, Lumiere Akita (with 5 screen) inside Akita Station Building Alve closed in May
2020, however, re-opened as Alve Theater with 3 screens in December 2020. In Yamagata Prefecture, Tsuruoka
Machinaka Kinema closed in May 2020. Many citizens and film fans all over Japan wanted it to re-open, and it reopened by Sanno Machizukuri Co., Ltd. as its main operation force. In October to December 2021, they started
screenings as its “pre-open” operation, and are preparing for its re-opening in the winter of 2022. In Aomori
Prefecture, Aomori Korona Cinema World closed in August 2021.
During the last 10 years, notable changes were as follows: Hokkaido’s number of theaters decreased by 8 and its
number of screens decreased by 9; and Miyagi’s number of screens decreased by 13. In Hokkaido, several
conventional and mini-theaters closed between 2011 and 2015: Sapporo Toho Plaza, Dinos Cinema, Sasori-za,
Cine Tokachi Prince Theater, Theater Voice in 2013, and so on. Once closed Sapporo Toho Plaza reopened in July
2020 after its renewal as mini-theater Satsugeki.
In Miyagi Prefecture, movie houses were severely damaged by the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake. Ruined by
the earthquake and tsunami, some movie houses temporarily closed, then, permanently closed. In 2012, Miyagi’s
number of screens dropped from 95 to 64. However, TOHO Cinemas Sendai opened in 2016, United Cinema
Forte Miyagi-Ogawara re-opened in 2018, and Aeon Cinema Shin-Rifu opened in March 2021. The number ofscreen in Miyagi was 77 in 2021. In 2018, mini-theater Sakurai Pharmacy Central Hall closed and Forum Sendai
became the only mini-theater in Sendai City.
In Iwate Prefecture, Miyako Cinemarine closed in September 2016. As a result, there is currently no movie theaterin this seashore area. In Akita City, Akita Forus Cinema Palais and Theater Play Town closed and there is no minitheater. However, a local film production company renovated an old traditional house in Akita City and created asmall screening room with 16 seats, named it Out Crop Cinema, and started its regular operation in November5Film Exhibition Yearbook｜2021
I. Film Exhibition at Theaters
2021. In Odate City, a family who moved in from another area reopened the old Onari-za movie house, and it has
become a popular theater creating lots of buzz. In Yamagata Prefecture, Aeon Cinemas Tendo opened in 2014,
and in Fukushima Prefecture, Polepole Cinema Iwaki Onahama opened in 2018. In each of these prefectures, thenumber of screens has increased.
There are many areas in this region with no theaters at all. Historically, traveling screenings have been active.
Miyako Film Life Co-op’s Miyako Cinemarine closed, however, they collaborate with the traveling screenings inMiyako, Kamaishi, Otsuchi, Iwaizumi, etc., and screenings at public auditoriums, as well as hosting film festivals.
In Miyako City, a new film exhibition venue, Cinema de Aeru was founded. With population shrinking, activities
providing local people with film culture and the experience of watching films on a big screen are becoming
increasingly important in areas with no theaters.

Kanto Region [Ibaragi, Tochigi, Gunma, Saitama, Chiba, Tokyo, and Kanagawa]In the Kanto Region, the number of screens was 1,283 in 2021, increasing by 123 from that in 2012; and thenumber of theaters in 2021 was 201, decreasing by 10 from that in 2012. This region’s number of screens
occupied 34.8% of the nationwide number, and the number of theaters occupied 33.7%. The population during
these 10 years increased by 2.2% (Japan’s average was a decrease of 1.6%), and the population in this region
occupied 34.7% of the nationwide population.
During the period between 2020 and 2021, the number of screens changed largely in Saitama and Tokyo. In
Saitama Prefecture, Aeon Cinema Kawaguchi (with 10 screens) opened in June 2021. In Tokyo, TOHO Cinemas
Ikebukuro opened in July 2020 inside Hareza Ikebukuro, a half-governmental, half-commercial business facilities
created after Toshima City Hall and Public Auditorium were demolished in Ikebukuro. TOHO Cinemas Tachihi
opened in Tachikawa City in September 2020. Furthermore, in June 2021, Cinema Neko opened in Ome City, thefirst movie house in 30years. In January 2022, Shimokita Ekimae Cinema K2 opened in the redevelopment area
where there used to be railways of Higashi Kitazawa and Setagaya-Daita stations of the Odakyu line. On the other
hand, in January 2022, Iwanami Hall made an announcement that it was going to close at the end of July, creatinga shock wave inside and outside of Japan. In addition, Uplink Shibuya closed in May 2021, and Ebisu Gardens
Cinema closed in February 2021. However, as a whole in the Kanto Region, 2 theaters and 1 screen were added.
During the last 10 years in this region, 25 multi-screen theaters opened, and 23 out of the 25 opened in themetropolitan areas of Tokyo, Saitama, Chiba, and Kanagawa Prefectures.
In Tokyo, 10 multi-screen theaters have opened since 2014. While 8 multi-screen theaters with 92 screens wereadded during the last 10 years, the number of other types of theaters has decreased by 23 theaters with 37
screens. Since 2012, 21 mini-theaters and repertory theaters have closed. The closing of Cinema Rise (in 2016)
and Kichijoji Baus Theater (in 2014), symbols of the mini-theater culture, drew attention. Also during the last 10
years, many conventional theaters loved by film fans for a long time and known for creating cinema culture inTokyo closed, including: TOHO Cinemas Nichigeki, Ginza Cine Pathos, Asakusa Meiga-za, Shimbashi Bunka
Gekijo/Shimbashi Roman Gekijo, Sangenjaya Cinema, Shinjuku Milano-za, and Ueno Tokyu. On the other hand, 7
mini-theaters opened including Chupki Tabata, Japan’s first barrier-free movie house (in 2016), Uplink Kichijoji
with 5 screens (in 2018), Kinoshita Group’s mini-theater Kino Cinema Tachikawa Takashimaya SC (in 2019) andothers. As a whole, 55 screens were added during the last 10 years.
In Kanagawa Prefecture, during the last 10 years, 2 multi-screen theaters closed including Aeon Cinema

6Film Exhibition Yearbook｜2021
I. Film Exhibition at Theaters
Tsukimino and 109 Cinemas MM Yokohama; on the other hand, in March 2020, Aeon Cinema Zama (with 10
screen) opened, followed by T Joy Yokohama (with 9 screens) in June 2020 inside Yokohama Station Building. As
for other types of theaters, Yokohama New Theatre in Isesaki-cho, loved by the community for a long time, closed
in 2018. Meanwhile, 5 mini-theaters have opened since 2014 including Yokohama Cinemarine, Cinema
Novecento, Kino Cinema Yokohama Minato Mirai, Cine-koya, and Atsugi no Eigakan kiki. In October 2019,
Typhoon #19 impacted many areas in Japan, and Kawasaki City Museum was flooded. Numerous valuable items
in its collection including films and film related documents were damaged severely, and the restoration work has
continued while it was decided to demolish the building itself.
In Gunma Prefecture, both the numbers of theaters and screens were decreased. 2 multi-screen theaters, Ota
Korona World and Plabi Isezaki, were closed, resulting in the decrease by one theater and 19 screens. On theother hand, in Takasaki City, Takasaki Eiga-kan, with its long history, revived in 2014 as a repertory theater. In
Ibaragi Prefecture, mini-theater Amaya-za opened in Naka City in 2017, and Cinema Sunrise Hitachi opened in
Hitachi City in 2020.

Chubu Region [Niigata, Toyama, Ishikawa, Fukui, Yamanashi, Nagano, Gifu, Shizuoka, and Aichi]
In the Chubu Region, the number of screens in 2021 was 705, decreasing by 11 from that in 2012; and thenumber of theaters in 2021 was 108, increasing by 35 from that in 2012. The region’s number of screens
occupied 19.1% of the nationwide number; and the number of theaters occupied 18.1%. During these 10 years,
its population decreased by 2.8% (Japan’s average was a decrease of 1.6%), and the population outside of Aichi
Prefecture decreased. The region’s population in 2021 occupied 16.7% of the nationwide population.
In 2020-2021, the number of screens changed notably in Ishikawa, Nagano and Aichi Prefectures. In Ishikawa
Prefecture, Hakusan City, a suburb of Kanazawa City, Aeon Cinema Hakusan (with 10 screens) opened in July
2021. In Nagano Prefecture, Cinema Point, a conventional theater in Nagano City, closed in June 2020, and Ueda
Eigeki re-opened one screen of the former Ueda Denki-kan as Traum Raise in July 2020. In Aichi Prefecture, TOHO
Cinemas Nagoya Bay City (with 12 screens) closed in November 2020. In Aichi, 5 multi-screen theaters haveopened since 2014, and the number of screens has kept increasing. On the other hand, Kinoshita Hall (Nagoya
City), Toyota Grand (Toyota City), and Handa Korona World (with 11 screens) closed in 2019, and TOHO Cinemas
Nagoya Bay City closed in November 2020, thereby, shifting the number of screens to decreasing. However, thepopulation per screen of Aichi Prefecture was 26,837, and the number of screens is the highest among theprefectures with big cities.
The number of screens per population of Ishikawa Prefecture was the highest in Japan. In 2021, Aeon Cinema
Hakusan opened and Ishikawa’s population per screen became 16,084, falling to the levels in Korea and Germany.
In March 2020, Ekimae Cinema in Kanazawa City, a movie house with more than 60 years of history, closed.
In Niigata, Fukui, Yamanashi, and Gifu Prefectures, the number of theaters and that of screens both decreased. In
Yamanashi Prefecture, 2 multi-screen theaters (Gran Park Toho and Kofu Musashino Cinema Five) closed in 2011,
followed by two historical movie houses, Koho Cinema in 2013 and Theatre Isawa in 2018. The statistics in thechart do not show that an adult movie house Konan Gekijo closed in November 2021 and a movie theater in Kofu
City became the only one with Theater Central Be-kan. In Gifu Prefecture, United Cinema Shinsei, a multi-screen
theater, closed in 2011, and in 2014, the only theater in Hida, Takayama Asahi-za, closed. Since then, the movie
theater situation has not changed. Royal Gekijo and CINEX in Gifu City currently present mini-theater programs.

7Film Exhibition Yearbook｜2021
I. Film Exhibition at Theaters
Royal Gekijo particularly attracts attention because it screens only non-digital films.
The numbers of conventional and adult theaters have decreased nationwide. Takada Sekai-kan in Niigata
Prefecture, Nagano Roxi/Nagano Shochiku Aioi-za, Ueda Eigeki, and Shiojiri Azuma-za in Nagano Prefecture, allchanged their programming from that of conventional theaters to that of mini-theaters and repertory theaters,
creating new opportunities. In Shizuoka Prefecture, since 2011, 8 conventional and one adult theaters haveclosed, and only Shizuoka Toho Kaikan has survived among conventional theaters. In Niigata and Toyama
Prefectures, there are no conventional or adult theaters. In Fukui Prefecture, one-hundred-year old Fukui Cinema
closed in 2018.
In Toyama Prefecture, multi-screen theater JMAX Theater Toyama opened in 2016, and Toyama Theater Daitokaiclosed in 2018. Hotori-za Theater, during the COVID-19 pandemic in June 2020, moved to the former location of
the renovated Forza Sogawa and opened as a new Hotori-za. Hotori-za also opened a cinema café, starting apermanent film exhibition at a restaurant in Takaoka City in July 2020, as DaFriends x HOTORIZA.
In Tokamachi City in Niigata Prefecture, the mini-theater Tokamachi Cinema Paradise, having operated for 10
years, closed in 2018. On the other hand, Gashima Cinema opened with 5 days a week operation in SadogashimaIsland.

Kinki Region [Mie, Shiga, Kyoto, Osaka, Hyogo, Nara, and Wakayama]
In the Kinki Region, the number of screens in 2021 was 604, increasing by 82 from that of 2012; and the numberof theaters in 2021 was 97, decreasing by 8 from that of 2012. This region’s number of screens occupied 16.4%,
and that of theaters occupied 16.3% of the nationwide numbers. During these 10 years, the region’s population
decreased by 2.2% (Japan’s average was a decrease of 1.6%), and this regional population in 2021 occupied
17.7% of the nationwide population. In all prefectures in the Kinki Region, population decreased during the last 10
years.
During the period between 2020 and 2021, the number of screens notably changed only in Osaka Prefecture. In
Osaka City, Theatas Shinsaibashi (with 7 screens) opened in March 2021, and TOHO Cinemas Seven Park Amami(with 10 screens) opened in July 2021. On the other hand, in February 2020, a multi-screen theater Fuse Line
Cinema (with 7 screens) closed in Higashi-Osaka City. The chart does not show that in March 2022, Otsu Alex
Cinema (with 5 screens) closed in March 2022. In Hyogo, Kobe Kokusai Shochiku (with 4 screens) in Kobe City
closed in March 2022, and in the next month, re-opened as mini-theater Kino Cinema Kobe Kokusai. In Tanba City,
Ebisu Cinema opened in August 2021. Toyooka Gekijo changed its management, and after a large-scalerenovation, it re-opened in 2014 with a program including mini-theater programming. Then, it announced in
February 2022 that it would close in long-term after August 2022, searching for a way to survive. Uplink Kyoto
opened in June 2020, however, Tokyo Theatre took over its theater management in January 2022.
During the last 10 years, the following prefectures showed notable increase in their number of screens: Mie (by15 screens), Kyoto (by 20 screens), and Osaka (by 30 screens). In Kyoto Prefecture, Aeon Cinema Kyoto
Katsuragawa, a multi-screen theater with 12 screens, opened in 2014; Demachi-za, a mini-theater, opened in
2017; Kyoto Minami Kaikan reopened in August 2019 increasing its number of screen from 1 to 3; and Uplink
Kyoto opened in April 2020. In Nishi Maizuru, a “semi-movie house” (café cinema) Cine Grulla, opened. On theother hand, 2 historical movie houses, Shin Kyogoku Cine La Liebe and Gion Kaikan, closed stopping theiroperations.

8Film Exhibition Yearbook｜2021
I. Film Exhibition at Theaters
In most big city centers, conventional theaters have shifted to multi-screen theaters, and this stands out in Hyogo
and Osaka Prefectures, where many conventional theaters have closed. In Osaka during these 10 years, 7 haveclosed and there is no conventional theater now. In Hyogo Prefecture, 6 conventional theaters have closed during
the last 10 years. In Mie Prefecture, Xyst Cinema Iga Ueno closed in March 2018 and there is now no conventional
theater. In Nara Prefecture, there has been no increase or decrease of the number of theaters during the last 10
years. In Wakayama Prefecture, Aeon Cinemas Wakayama opened in 2014, and in the cities of Gobo, Tanabe, andShingu, Xyst Cinema, a conventional theater, has continued to operate. However, two adult theaters closed. In
Shiga Prefecture, there has been almost no change during the last 10 years.

Chugoku and Shikoku Region[Tottori, Shimane, Okayama, Hiroshima, Yamaguchi, Tokushima, Kagawa, Ehime, and Kochi]
The number of screens in the Chugoku and Shikoku Region in 2021 was 281, increasing by 13 from that in 2012,
and the number of theaters in 2021 was 50, decreasing by 8 from that in 2012. The number of screens in thisregion occupied 7.6% of the nationwide number, and that of theaters was 8.4%. During these 10 years, theregion’s population decreased by 5.2% (Japan’s average was a decrease of 1.6%), the largest decrease in Japan,
and the 2021 population occupied 8.6% of the nationwide population.
There were not many changes during these 10 years in numbers. The prefectures whose number of screenschanged notably are Shimane and Yamaguchi. In Shimane, Onozawa Cinema reopened in January 2022 where
Digital Theater Masuda Chuo was operating until 2008 in Masuda City (with population of 45,000). In Yurihama
City in Tottori, Zig Theater opened in July 2021 renovating the abandoned elementary school building andscreening one project (for about one week) every month regularly. Otherwise, there has not been much change.
In Okayama and Tokushima Prefectures, a multi-screen theater opened, adding 10 screens and 9 screens each.
In Hiroshima Prefecture, a multi-screen theater Aeon Cinema Hiroshima Seifu-Shinto (with 9 screens) opened in
Hiroshima City in 2018, while 3 conventional theaters, 2 mini- and repertory theaters, and one adult theaterclosed.
In Yamaguchi Prefecture, a multi-screen theater Cinema Sunshine Shimonoseki (with 8 screens) opened in
Shimonoseki City in 2014, while all 4 conventional theaters in 2012 and one mini-theater Theater Zero in 2014
closed. In the prefectural capital city of Yamaguchi, there has been no movie theater after Yamaguchi Scala-za
closed in 2012. However, Yamaguchi Center for Arts and Media has been compensating for this situation by
showing diverse kinds of films every weekend.
In Ehime Prefecture, there are 7 multi-screen theaters and one mini-theater, and Ehime’s population per screen is
25,898, making the number of screen per population the fifth largest in Japan. In Kagawa Prefecture, there has
been no notable change during the last 10 years, and in Kochi Prefecture, there has been no change in numbers
except the closing of an adult film theater Kochi Sho-gekijo in 2013. In Kochi, Weekend Kinema M opened in 2017,
however, temporarily closed in January 2019, and is scheduled to reopen at a new location in 2022. In the
Chugoku Region’s Japan Sea shore areas and in Shikoku, there are not many theaters. Some prefectures have
only 2-3 theaters altogether in their prefectures. In Kochi, Tottori, and Okayama, the population per screen is
between about 50,000 and 68,000, becoming prefectures with very few theaters. In Yamaguchi and Shimane,
their population per screen is each over 40,000.

9Film Exhibition Yearbook｜2021
I. Film Exhibition at Theaters
In Shimane Prefecture, the Shimane Film Festival has been hosting screenings in various areas of the prefecture,and in Okayama Prefecture, a library in Maniwa City in the middle of the mountains has a monthly film screening.
These projects in the areas with no movie houses have become regular programs providing their local people
with opportunities of watching films on a big screen.

Kyushu and Okinawa Region[Fukuoka, Saga, Nagasaki, Kumamoto, Oita, Miyazaki, Kagoshima, and Okinawa]
In the Kyushu and Okinawa Region, the number of screens in 2021 was 454, increasing by 63 from that in 2012;
and the number of theaters was 75 in 2021, increasing by 6 from that in 2012. The number of screens in thisregion occupied 12.3% of the nationwide number, and the number of theaters was 12.6%. During these 10 years,
the region’s population decreased by 1.5% (Japan’s average was a decrease of 1.6%), occupying 11.3% of thenationwide population in 2021. In Fukuoka and Okinawa Prefectures, their population increased.
During the period between 2020 and 2021, Kumamoto, Miyazaki, and Okinawa Prefectures showed changes intheir numbers of screens. In Kumamoto Prefecture, Kumamoto Piccadilly (with 10 screens) opened inside Amu
Plaza Kumamoto, new commercial facilities inside Kumamoto Station Building. TOHO Cinemas Kumamoto
Sakuramachi (with 9 screens) opened inside commercial facilities Sakuramachi Kumamoto in September 2019. In
Miyazaki Prefecture, Miyazaki Kinema-kan with 2 screens moved to a new location, renovated, and reopened in
April 2021 adding two more screens. In 2020, Wonder Attic Cinema (with 7 screens) opened inside Miyazaki
Station Building. In Okinawa Prefecture, Yui Road Theater (in Ishigaki City) opened in 2018 as Japan’s
southernmost small theater in Japan. However, it was closed long-term in April 2020, prompting its ex-employees
to set up a movement, the Society to Protect Yui Cinema, working for its re-opening.
In this region, during the last 10 years, multi-screen theaters kept opening, and in Kumamoto, 2 multi-screen
theaters opened, adding 18 screens.
In Oita Prefecture, TOHO Cinemas Amu Plaza Oita (with 10 screens) opened inside Oita Station Building in 2015,
and Central Cinema Sanko (8 screens) opened inside Aeon Mall Sanko in Nakatsu City in March 2020, adding 19
screens. In Oita Prefecture, there is no conventional theater in the numbers, however a historical movie house,
Beppu Bluebird Theater, currently operates with a mini-theater-like programming, hosting film festivals andgaining popularity. In Hita City, Hita Cinematheque Liberte has been operating as a mini-theater accompanying acafe and gallery since 2009. In Okinawa, United Cinema started business in 2019, and United Cinema PARCO
CITY Urasoe (with 11 screens) opened. In Okinawa City, mini-theater Cinema Plaza House 1954 opened, in
addition to the opening of Theater Donuts in 2015, and the number of screen in Okinawa Prefecture increased
largely by 23 during the last 10 years.
In Fukuoka Prefecture, TOHO Cinemas Tenjin (Main Building) closed in March 2017, in addition to the closings ofmini-theaters, conventional, and adult theaters, and the number of screens decreased by 12 during the last 10
years. On the other hand, multi-screen theater TOHO Cinemas Lala Port Fukuoka (with 9 screens) opened in April
2022 inside Mitsui Shopping Park Lala Port Fukuoka on the previous site of Fukuoka City Green Market. In
Fukuoka City, there was only one mini-theater, KBC Cinema, for a long time until Kino Cinema Tenjin, Kinoshita
Group’s third movie house, opened in April 2020. In addition, Fukuoka City Public Library presents screenings
every day in its Auditorium Ciné-là, functioning as a repertory theater.

10Film Exhibition Yearbook｜2021
I. Film Exhibition at Theaters
In Saga Prefecture, there used to be no movie house outside of Saga City after 2009. In October 2019, the minitheater named Theater Enya opened in Karatsu City, the first movie house in about 30 years. In Nagasaki
Prefecture, a conventional theater closed in both Sasebo City and Isahaya City in 2011, resulting in no movie
house except in Nagasaki City and Sasebo City.

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