Kenzō Masaoka

Before Masaoka Kenzō became one of Japan’s main animation pioneers, he directed two live-action featurettes full of special effects, both...

Wartime propaganda film loosely based on the attack on Pearl Harbour in which Fuku-chan assaults a den of thieves who had been terrorizing the town.

Before Masaoka Kenzō became one of Japan’s main animation pioneers, he directed two live-action featurettes full of special effects, both...

Before Masaoka Kenzō became one of Japan’s main animation pioneers, he directed two live-action featurettes full of special effects, both...

Before Masaoka Kenzō became one of Japan’s main animation pioneers, he directed two live-action featurettes full of special effects, both...

A family of cats find an abandoned kitten and take him in to their home. But one of the siblings becomes jealous about the attention the new cat gets...

Tora-chan and Miike and playing while their big sister prepares for her wedding. Just then a letter arrives; it's from Grandfather, who writes that...

Tora-chan and Miike are working on the side of a tuna steamship and manage to run afoul of the short-tempered captain. But the captain makes plenty...

A short morality/folktale film about an old couple that learn the virtue of not being greedy.

Animated short from Japan.

A spider attempts to lure a ladybug into his web. When she manages to escape and hide in a tulip, a storm comes that batters the spider, while the...

Adapts the legendary encounter between two key figures in Japanese culture.

Jesuit priests in Japan during the 17th century are persecuted by the shogunate to for trying to spread Christianity.

A visually artistic animation with no real story. It follows a pair of butterflies as they drift past various beautiful depictions of people and...

The first full cel-animated short. A group of tanukis investigate a temple and cause mischief.

Animated short about a kid on monkey island.

Chestnuts, bees, and a mortar join forces to punish a villainous monkey.

A lost Japanese animated film noted for being one of the earliest to feature voice acting. The story is about a working family man who has an affair...

A spider attempts to lure a ladybug into his web. When she manages to escape and hide in a tulip, a storm comes that batters the spider, while the...

A rare glimpse of early Japanese sound anime and prewar Japanese culture, The Roots of Japanese Anime features the masterworks of such pioneers of...