Nikkatsu Corporation

Credits

Descriptions by
kidinbed, Lazlow, Nova and Logoarto

Captures by
kidinbed, Lazlow, Nova, Logoarto, MizukiAccent48 and Henrynguye5

Editions by
MizukiAccent48 and others

Video captures courtesy of
shimomov, Peakpasha, Logoarto, LogicSmash, EnormousRat, Moe Szyslak (a.k.a. CenturyUniversalify), Nova, szjdfgsALT, ifrequire, and LogosForTheWin

Nikkatsu Corporation
Founded:	September 10, 1912 (112 years ago)
Location:	Japan
Parent:	Namco Limited (1997-2005) Index Holdings (2005-2013)
Subsidiaries:	Django Films Kantana Japan

Background

The Nikkatsu Corporation (日活株式会社) was founded on September 10, 1912, when Yoshizawa Shōten, Yokota Shōkai, Fukuhōdō and M. Pathe, merged to form Nippon Katsudō Shashin (日本活動寫眞株式會社), making it Japan's first film studio and one of the oldest film studios still in operation today.

Nikkatsu was one of the most popular Japanese film studios after the American Occupation (alongside Daiei, Shochiku, Toho, and Toei). They gained fame in the 1960's when they produced big-budget films about the yakuza (Japanese organized crime), in addition to pinku eiga (pink films or softcore films) such as the Roman Porno series.

On July 1, 1993, Nikkatsu declared bankruptcy, but Namco invested 3 billion yen in the company in December. Nikkatsu eventually became a wholly owned subsidiary of Namco in 1997. They were later sold off to Index Holdings in 2005 as a result of Namco's merger with Bandai until it became independent.

1st Logo (1922)

Visuals: On a black background, a circle containing a thick sans-serif "N" with a thin serif "K" inside is seen. Above the circle is "日本活動寫眞株式會社" and below is "東京撮影所 製作" (both sets of text reading right-to-left and arched around the circle).

Technique: A still painted card filmed by a cameraman.

Audio: None.

Availability: This logo is seen on 山縣公爵 國葬實况 大正十一年二月九日.

2nd Logo (1923)

Visuals: On a dark background, the emblem from before is seen with "日本活動寫眞株式會社" below (reading right to left). The logo is encased within an ornate frame with clover leaf decorations.

Technique: A still painted card filmed by a cameraman.

Audio: None.

Availability: This logo is seen on 大正十二年四月十五日 於向島 和田豊治家園遊會.

3rd Logo (September 17, 1925)

Visuals: On a black background, a metallic rendition of the emblem from before with Art Deco flourishes on both sides. The company's name "日活関西撮影所" and "致育部作品" (both reading right-to-left and slightly arched) is above and below the logo respectively.

Technique: Model work.

Audio: None.

Availability: This logo is seen on Furusato No Uta.

4th Logo (1926)

Visuals: On a black background, a close-up of the Nikkatsu emblem is seen, with the stacked words "Photographed BY" above the "N" and "TOKYO STUDIO" below, the "S" in "STUDIO" in a large script font. Encircled around the emblem is "JAPAN CINEMATROGRAPH CO"

Technique: A still painted card filmed by a cameraman.

Audio: None.

Availability: Seen on 靖国神社春季大祭.

5th Logo (December 31, 1929)

Visuals: On a black background, the Nikkatsu emblem is seen with the company name in white flanking it. "日活" is seen on the upper right corner of the screen while "作品" is on the bottom left corner. All the text are arranged right-to-left.

Technique: Printed card.

Audio: None.

Availability: Seen on Sweat (汗).

6th Logo (1935-1937)

Visuals: The bunched-up "NK" inside the white circle outline (the Nikkatsu emblem) is on a gray background with the company's name under it.

Technique: Model work.

Audio: None, or the opening theme of the movie.

Availability: ^[Examples?]

7th Logo (December 31, 1937-October 10, 1940)

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Visuals: Same as before, only the background now has vertical stripes.

Technique: Model work.

Audio: None or the opening theme of the movie.

Availability: This logo is seen on Devoted Servant Naosuke.

8th Logo (1954-1955)

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Visuals: Same as before, but now the emblem looks as if it was hewn out of rock. The emblem is smooth, while the background is rough.

Technique: Model work.

Audio: None or the opening theme of the movie.

Availability: ^[Examples?]

9th Logo (1954-1956)

Better images of this logo are needed due to poor picture quality or other issues. You can help AVID by uploading them.

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Visuals: Same as the last logo, but on a white wood-like background and with the addition of the kanji "製作" (which translates to "production").

Variants:

• On color movies, the emblem is red.
• On its CinemaScope movies, the text is larger and more spaced.
• There is a distribution variant with the "Production" replaced with "Distribution".

Technique: Model work.

Audio: None or the opening theme of the movie.

Availability: Appeared on yakuza films of the time period, like Buta to Gunkan. The "Distribution" variant was spotted on some films, like Fuji sancho and Shirotori (Taking the Castle), and the color variant is seen on many movies by the company since 50s. It was also seen on The Burmese Harp.

10th Logo (September 29, 1957?-1979?)

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Visuals: On a background with different colored moving spikes is the Nikkatsu "NK", below it is the kanji "日活株式会社製作" (translation: "Produced by Nikkatsu Corporation").

Variants:

• Starting in 1970, the "NK" is in metallic gold.
• The trailer of Eagle and Hawk has the inverted moving spikes in the logo.

Technique: Effect using layers of glasses.

Audio: The opening theme of the movie.

Availability:

• It can be seen on films from the time period, such as the Roman Porn films, Danger Pays, and Gappa: The Triphibian Monster, among other things.
• The 1957 variant can be found on a trailer of The Eagle and the Hawk.

11th Logo (1979-1982)

Visuals: Essentially an updated version of the previous logo. On a background with blue moving spikes, an orange, curved "N" in a red circle appears turning up, then, the text "株式会社 にっかつ 製作・配給" (translation: "Produced and Distributed by Nikkatsu Corporation") fades in below .

Technique: Effect using layers of glasses.

Audio: None, or the opening theme of the movie.

Availability: Unknown. ^[Examples?]

12th Logo (August 6, 1982-1985?)

Visuals: Over an ocean sunset, the Nikkatsu logo zooms in, the same text from the previous logo, this time in orange, fades in below.

Variant: A 70th anniversary variant exists.

Technique: Live-action mixed with camera-controlled animation.

Audio: None.

Availability: Seen on some films around the period, such as Jealousy Game. The 70th anniversary variant was discovered on said film.

13th Logo (August 24, 1985-November 9, 1996)

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Visuals: The sequence starts in a side view of a backdrop similar to the one in the previous logo, then, the Nikkatsu logo in gold zooms in. The water then changes to grass, and that changes to snow. The text "提供 にっかつ" (translation: Courtesy of Nikkatsu) fades in below.

Variant:

• Later on, the logo was modified, the outline of the "N" is carved into the circle and the logo is beveled.
• A version exists where after the logo, two silver halves of a letter "X" zoom in, combine, and glow.

Technique: Camera-controlled animation.

Audio: A descending synth theme combined with bass.

Audio Variants:

• There's an alternative theme done fully in synth.
• On the variant, a "ding" like sound, accompanied by a female announcer saying "Presenting to you the most exciting...", when the halves of the "X" combine, a transformation-like sound is heard, then the announcer says "Nikkatsu Roman X-rated films."

Availability: Seen on their films from the time period. It's last known appearance was in Dangan Runner.

• The "Roman X" variant was discovered on Hako no naka no onna: Shojo ikenie.

14th Logo (August 27-November 26, 1988)

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Visuals: Following the Ropponica logo, there are two pieces of text: 配給 シネ・ロッポニカ (Distribution: Cine Ropponica) and 製作 にっかつ (Produced by Nikkatsu), with the latter having a small Nikkatsu print logo next to the "にっかつ" text.

Technique: Digital graphics.

Audio: None.

Availability: Only known to appear on Akutoku no sakae and Megalopolis Expressway Trial.

15th Logo (September 15, 1992)

Visuals: The camera pans away from the clouds to reveal a CGI red Nikkatsu logo. Once the camera settles in its position, "にっかつ" zooms in below the logo.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: None.

Availability: Only known to appear on The Setting Sun.

16th Logo (April 7, 1998-September 22, 2005)

Visuals: On a blue background, the white Japanese text "日活株式会社" in Kozuka Mincho Pro Bold wipes in through segments, then, its English translation "NIKKATSU CORPORATION" in Adobe Garamond Pro Bold fades in below.

Technique: Basic computer editing effects.

Audio: None.

Availability: Currently known to appear on Central Park Media's release of Ayane's High Kick, the 2000 DVD of Gundress and the 2005 DVD of King of Sha-Kin.

17th Logo (May 13, 2000-September 13, 2003)

Visuals: On a grey background, there is a rotating chain of several spike-like metal/aluminum pieces. The text "NIKKATSU CORPORATION", and "日活" on top, both in the same fonts as before, fade in.

Trivia:

• This logo is based on "Cycle", which was shown at SIGGRAPH 2000.
• The objects in this logo are a metaphor for people who live and work in the Tokyo area. "These people are extremely busy, due to daily tedious, exhausting tasks. A sudden explosion sets them free for awhile, but succeeding days are as oppressive as ever".

Variant: A short variant for trailers exists.

Technique: CGI by Nobuo Takahashi.

Audio: None.

Availability: It is currently known to appear on Dora-heita, Freeze Me, Warm Water Under a Red Bridge, Mizu no onna, The Sea is Watching, and EX-Driver the Movie.

18th (known) Logo (January 27, 2007-)

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Visuals: The sequence starts near moving copper rods and move further to reveal the inner structure of a film projector while a filmstrip (of the logo's final product) is running. Then the screen zooms out into the light, a folded and joined "NK" figure with the black text "NIKKATSU" in Univers below it fly into the center, and are surrounded by trembling light with a brown background.

Variants:

• In its early life, "AN INDEX GROUP COMPANY" fades in below the logo after it flies in.
• Additionally, the logo sometimes has the word "SINCE 1912" in black do the same thing as the "AN INDEX GROUP COMPANY" byline variant.
• A variant exists where in the beginning, there is a black background with the number "1O" stays on a blue line, and the number "O" in the left has legs and has its right foot on a stair. Above the number "1O" there is the text "since 1912", while below all of it, the word "新たなるステージへ" ("To a new stage") in white sandwiched by two lines of white dots. Then shortly after, everything fades into a dawn over a forest, the sun gets brighter, a lot of trees and a river start to appear, and the "NK" figure with word "NIKKATSU" in white, the small "SINCE 1912" word in white below, and "100th Anniversary" in white under "SINCE 1912" fade in at the center of the screen. And after that, the "SINCE 1912" variant plays. This was made for Nikkatsu's 100th anniversary in 2012.
• There's a still variant which has the print logo on a black background.
• There's a short variant where the logo is cut to its last few seconds.

Technique: CGI.

Audio: At the beginning, there is the sound of a film projector running. Then, a soft piano/violin soundtrack plays over when the camera moves further to the film projector, while at the same time still keeps the projector sounds. After that, when the screen zooms into the light, a short piano chime is played over.

Availability: Seen on the studio's newer productions, such as Yatterman (2009) and Alien vs Ninja, its earliest known appearance was in Ten Nights of Dream.

• The 100th anniversary variant can be seen on Tokyo Tribe and Killers, both of which are oddly from 2014, 2 years after the company's 100th anniversary.

Legacy: Thanks to the animation and the soundtrack, this is seen as one of the greatest logos from Japan.

External Links

• Nikkatsu on NIPPONEIGA.COM