Toei Company

Toei is a pioneer in the use of "Henshin"/"character transformation" in Live Action Television (TV) Film Video Game and Other's, Etc. Superhero martial-arts Mecha drama Franchises, a technique developed for the Kamen Rider, Metal Hero and Super Sentai series; the genre currently continues with Kamen Rider and Super Sentai.^[3][4]

Toei's predecessor, the Toyoko Eiga Company, Ltd. (東横映画, Tō-Yoko Eiga; "Toyoko Films"), was incorporated in 1938. It was founded by Keita Goto, CEO of Tokyo-Yokohama Electric Railway [ja], the direct predecessor to the Tokyu Corporation. It had erected its facilities immediately east of the Tōkyū Tōyoko Line; they managed the prewar Tōkyū Shibuya Yokohama studio system. From 1945 through the Toei merger, Tokyo-Yokohama Films leased from the Daiei Motion Picture Company a second studio in Kyoto.

On October 1, 1950, the Tokyo Film Distribution Company was incorporated as a subsidiary of Toyoko Eiga; in 1951 the company purchased Ōizumi Films. The current iteration of Toei was established on April 1, 1951 with Hiroshi Okawa as the first president. Through the merger, they gained the combined talents and experience of actors Chiezō Kataoka, Utaemon Ichikawa, Ryunosuke Tsukigata, Ryūtarō Ōtomo, Kinnosuke Nakamura, Chiyonosuke Azuma, Shirunosuke Toshin, Hashizo Okawa, and Satomi Oka.^[4]

In 1956, Toei purchases the Kyoto studio from Daiei.^[5] In 1956, Toei establishes an animation division, Toei Animation Company, Limited at the former Tokyo-Ōizumi animation studio, purchasing the assets of Japan Animated Films (日本動画映画, Nihon Dōga Eiga; often shortened to 日動映画 (Nichidō Eiga)).

Toei also bid on a license to start an education-focused TV station in 1956, which resulted in their part-ownership of Nippon Educational Television Co., now known as TV Asahi.^[6]

Shigeru Okada becomes the president & chief executive officer of Toei in 1971 and oversaw the adoptions of Toei's new business venture distributing foreign films in Japan in 1972.^[5][4]

In 1975, Toei opens the Toei Kyoto Studio Park. Toei Kyoto Studio's history reaches back to 1926 when Bando Tsumasaburo first developed a studio in what is now Uzumasa. Mitsuo Makino took over the property following the war in partnership with Toyoko Eiga and was absorbed along with Toyoko during Toei's merger.^[5][7]

Shigeru Okada becomes chairperson as Tan Takaiwa succeeds him as president and chief executive officer in 1993, establishing Toei Satellite TV Co., Ltd. and creates Toei Channel in 1998.^[4]

Asahi National Broadcasting Co., Ltd. (currently TV Asahi Holdings Corporation) is listed on the First Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange in 2000, as shares of Toei Animation Co., Ltd. are listed on the over-the-counter market of the Japan Securities Dealers Association.^[4]

In 2011, Shigeru Okada, then chairperson emeritus, passes away, as Yusuke Okada and Noriyuki Tada become chairperson and president & chief executive officer of Toei in 2014.^[4]

Osamu Tezuka (no relation to the manga author and animator of the same name) became president and chief executive officer of Toei in 2020, as Noriyuki Tada succeeded Okada as chairperson. Toei also celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Kamen Rider Series in 2020. Tezuka initiates major structural reorganization in 2022 before passing in February 2023.^[8][9]

Tada temporarily assumed the role of CEO until Toei managing director and head of content Fumio Yoshimura was announced to succeed Tezuka as Toei's 7th president & chief executive officer. Recognizing Japan's shrinking market share, Yoshimura has vowed to continue with Tezuka's restructuring plans, and is looking towards North America and Asian markets to developing new projects and export existing IPs. Visiting Los Angeles for meetings with Hollywood studios together with Toei's studio head Yuji Kojima in 2025, Yoshimura announced Toei has budgeted US$1.6BN (JP¥240BN) for content and US$400M (JP¥60BN) to strengthen business operations.^[10][11]

On July 27, 2025, Toei closed its headquarters at the Toei Kaikan in Ginza, and relocated to Kyobashi Edogrand in Kyobashi. The closure also marked the end of Toei's cinema division as it wound down its operations in order for the company to focus on T-JOY [ja].^[12]

The characters that make up Toei (東映, Tōei; "East Reflection") are the result of a portmanteau of Toei predecessor "Toyoko Eiga", and first seen in Toyoko Eiga's logo of a stylized triangle with the characters of 東 and 映 near the top. The logo was carried over by Toei following its merger of Toyoko and Ōizumi in 1951.

A black & white version of Toei's now iconic Wild Waves and Rocks (荒磯に波) opening credit was first used in 1954 on the Utaemon Ichikawa classic, The Idle Vassal: House of the Mysterious Phantom. It would be first seen in color in 1961 and has since been reshot with several iterations of the same rocks in the 70 years since it was first used.^[3][13]

The image features the Toei logo superimposed over a scene from Cape Inubō in Chiba, of three rocks in the surf beyond the beach as waves crash over the rocks. It has been seen in front of most live-action film & television produced and distributed by Toei, such as Street Fighter, Battle Royale, and Power Rangers, as well as in a handful of animated films such as Dragon Ball and Evangelion as well.^[14]

Its dynamic image, as opposed to the mostly static logos of its competitors has helped make Toei's logo one of the most recognizable Japanese film company logo around the world.^[14]

Saburō Yatsude (八手 三郎, Yatsude Saburō; alternatively read as Saburo Hatte) is a collective pseudonym used by Toei Company television producers, and formerly Toei Animation producers, when contributing to their various anime and tokusatsu series; similar to Bandai Namco Filmworks' Hajime Yatate. The use of the pen name began with The Kagestar and has been used throughout the Super Sentai (in the adapted Power Rangers series starting with Power Rangers Ninja Storm, the credits list Saburo Hatte. Before this, the credits listed "Original Concepts by Saburo Yatsude") and Metal Hero Series as well as for Spider-Man, Choukou Senshi Changéríon, Video Warrior Laserion, Chōdenji Robo Combattler V, Chōdenji Machine Voltes V, Tōshō Daimos, Daltanious, Space Emperor God Sigma, Beast King GoLion and Kikou Kantai Dairugger XV. The name is also used as a contributor to the soundtracks for the series.

Toei Animation stopped using Saburo Yatsude in 1999, and they began to use Izumi Todo instead. The first anime that was created by Izumi Todo was Ojamajo Doremi.

In the Unofficial Sentai Akibaranger series, Saburo Hatte is an actual person who is godlike within the fictional reality that the show takes place in. In fact, his hand appears at the end of the first half of the series to cover the camera lens and end the show, later having the second half be made under Malseena's influence while in the hospital in the real world.

In the Doubutsu Sentai Zyuohger spinoff, Super Animal War's third episode, he is portrayed by Jun Hikasa.

On April 3, 2016, an unknown Toei staff member going by Saburo Yatsude was interviewed while wearing a "Giraffe Zyuman" mask in reference to Zyuohger.^[64]