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The Uzumasa district of Kyoto is iconic in the history of Japanese cinema as a key filming location for *jidaigeki* (period dramas). Many renowned works in this genre have been produced here.
“Rashomon,” the highly influential 1950 classic directed by Akira Kurosawa, is a peak example of the genre. It was filmed in Uzumasa and won the Grand Prix at the Venice International Film Festival the fol-lowing year.
Toei Studios Kyoto, which has made over 2,000 jidaigeki since its founding in 1951, has played a critical in role in the success of these movies, with “Bushido Zankoku Monogatari” (also known as “Bushido Samurai Saga”) one of its shining examples. Filmed in Uzumasa and released in 1963, it won the Golden Bear award at the 13th Berlin International Film Festival. Both of these films remain appreciated for their impact and artistic value today.
Toei Studios Kyoto was also one of the filming locations for the Oscar-nominated 2025 blockbuster “Ko-kuho,” which depicts the world of kabuki.
On Feb. 27, Toei will release “Kobikicho no Adauchi,” starring Tasuku Emoto with Ken Watanabe. This drama set in the Edo Period (1603 to 1868) is about unraveling the mystery behind an act of revenge.
Toei Kyoto Studio Park Director Ken Takahashi said these period dramas stand out for their thematic di-versity when compared with similar works from other countries. In a recent interview with The Japan Times, Takahashi said Japan’s dramas have evolved beyond their traditional ethical or mythical storylines to incorporate other storytelling elements, such as comedy, eroticism, horror and social commentary, that remain popular today.

Renovation aimed at new experiences

Toei Studios Kyoto, which has supported the genre through its ups and downs, will celebrate the 100th an-niversary of its studio lot in Uzumasa, which first opened as Bantsuma Uzumasa Production in 1926.
The adjacent theme park, Toei Kyoto Studio Park, was created to let the general public view live-action shoots and marked its 50th anniversary last year.
A century ago, jidai-geki were enjoying their golden age. After World War II, however, as television began to proliferate, visual entertainment gradually began shifting to the new broadcasting technology.
By the 1970s, jidai-geki were being broadcast on TV every day, which is one reason why the genre is so diverse. Many Japanese fondly remember gathering around the TV with their families to watch them.
At the same time, the theme park’s efforts to showcase the filming process were proving popular.
Following an industry lull in the 2000s, jidai-geki have gained greater international recognition, especially in the West, with foreign filmmakers coming to Japan to produce them, demonstrating the genre’s recovery and expansion.
Amid a succession of anniversary years, the theme park has been undergoing a full but methodical reno-vation without closing its doors.
Plans to introduce new content and attractions for the park’s renewal have been in the works since fiscal 2024, with financial and other support provided by the Japan Cultural Expo 2.0 — a state initiative run by the Japan Arts Council.
The first phase of the renovated areas and new attractions will open on March 28, and the park will be of-ficially renamed Uzumasa Kyoto Village, after the district where it stands. Under the new concept “Step into the world of Edo Period Kyoto,” the village will feature a realistic re-creation of Edo Period town-scapes that visitors can enjoy strolling through in rental kimono. In addition, the park’s closing time will be extended to 9 p.m. from 5 p.m.
“We will also offer cultural activities such as tea ceremonies, ikebana, noh and kyogen,” said Keiichiro Minamida, a producer at the park. New features will include stores where visitors can experience Japanese food, including traditional products made by some of the most venerable names in the industry.

A spellbinding atmosphere

In jidaigeki, the actors’ deportment and gestures are crucial elements.
“Jidaigeki actors receive thorough instruction on *shosa* (how to carry and conduct oneself),” Minamida said, explaining that this is what gives every small gesture — standing, sitting, touching or lifting objects — a special nuance. He said the actors’ movements have the power to make the atmosphere on set special even when they are not filming a scene. In this way, Minamida said, the park aims to offer an experience where one can enjoy the aesthetics of a jidaigeki performance simply by being present with the actors.
Minamida said that, just as theme parks create experiential value when different elements work together to create excitement, “a good movie is made when the power of the filming location, the power of the actors and the power of the script are skillfully intertwined.” The village will precisely embody this combination of elements.
“We hope visitors from overseas will fully immerse themselves in the open movie sets — whether as dai-myo, ninja, samurai, geisha, or *oiran* (courtesans) — interact with jidaigeki actors and enjoy eating udon, yakitori and more,” Takahashi said.
In recent years, the spread of social media has made it increasingly difficult to control information on new dramas before their official release, leading to situations where public access had to be restricted.
But with these big anniversaries coming up, Minamida said the studio is keen to restore public access.
“We want visitors to feel the tension and energy of the actors, directors and staff, and the energy of eve-ryone involved in the production. We want to show how movies and dramas are made. Now that we are celebrating milestone anniversaries, we are actively exploring ways to allow visitors to feel these things again.”
The sense of season is one of the notable advantages of using an open-air set. “If you look up, there is the same sun shining as it did a thousand years ago,” Minamida said. Walking through the streets set in the Edo Period 200 years ago, one can imagine how people lived amid the changing seasons.
“When rain falls, a sense of serene loneliness envelops the townscape, and the sight of snow falling softly also has its own charm. The human stories that unfold here possess authenticity. What is being created here is not a lie, but an ideal. We hope visitors will weave their own stories here, created only by them-selves and the people they come with,” Minamida said.
Even with the advent of technologies like computer-generated imagery, Takahashi believes that filming in real environments remains the first choice for producers because it affects actors’ performances and cre-ates an atmosphere that cannot be achieved in a virtual world. He also emphasized that the focus should always be on creating a compelling story.
“I don’t think audiences would watch films just because they’re period pieces — they watch them because the stories set in the past are genuinely interesting.” He also said the power of jidai-geki lies in its ability to convey the very essence of societal events in their archetypal form.

Inviting global collaboration

The Kyoto Historica International Film Festival, which Takahashi directs, attracts many foreign partici-pants every year. About 90% of this year’s nearly 400 applicants for the Kyoto Filmmakers Lab — a workshop for emerging filmmakers organized by the festival’s Executive Committee — are from overseas. One workshop participant went on to direct Episode 8 of the American TV series “Shogun,” set in 1600s Japan.
This workshop involves shooting short films using open sets. Among the participants are filmmakers who have already built their careers overseas. Takahashi said these workshops have given rise to fresh collab-orations, such as Japanese actors performing stories based on foreign folk tales with an Edo-style spin.
Takahashi stated that global interest in producing films set in Japan or based on Japanese stories is grow-ing, explaining that over the past few years, efforts to invite overseas production companies to shoot films in Japan have begun to take shape.
To further expand this, Takahashi said that film’s status as both an industry and a cultural asset needs to be raised. This can be done by focusing on building more infrastructure and strengthening film education in Japan, he said. Citing the renewed success of “Shogun,” he expressed hope that this trend will expand worldwide in the future.
The number of foreign visitors to Toei Kyoto Studio Park has also increased. Minamida emphasized that the park will enhance efforts to respond to inquiries individually while further disseminating information on its website and social media accounts. “However, what truly matters more than language is our hospi-tality mindset when welcoming our visitors,” he said.
Drawing more attention to jidaigeki will not only contribute to its sustainability, but also lead to the preservation of Japanese culture. “We are exhibiting cultural experiences, expecting all visitors to be part of the exhibit,” Takahashi said.
In addition to the attractions offered year-round, the park holds seasonal events based on particular ele-ments of Japanese culture. A *yokai* (supernatural beings) festival titled Kai-Kai Yokai Matsuri was a big hit last autumn. Minamida described the event as a Japanese-style Halloween and expressed hope this would become an annual tradition.
Minamida said that films are a mirror reflecting the times. “We want to offer heartwarming, energizing and refreshing experiences that enable visitors to feel the energy and discover what they might be missing,” he said.

Ken Takahashi, director, Toei Kyoto Studio Park Co.

Takahashi was born in Tokyo in 1964 and joined Toei in 1987. He has worked on about 800 period dramas, including “Abarenbo Shogun,” and oversees international film festivals. He became the director in 2024.

Keiichiro Minamida, producer, Toei Kyoto Studio Park

Minamida was born in Hyogo in 1969 and has dedicated his career to theme park management. Since 2025, he has led innovative projects like the Kai-Kai Yokai Matsuri. He specializes in blending Kyoto’s history with immersive entertainment to create unique experiences for global visitors.