The Transition of Pre- and Post-War Film Ephemera in Japan

The initial style of the film handbill, or flier, was seen in Japan before World War II. There were a limited number of movie theaters in Japan at this period, and films were promoted by theaters themselves. The pre-war handbills in the Makino Collection were printed on coarse paper and produced by the movie theaters, unlike […]

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The Film Ephemera Collection within the Makino Collection: The Uniqueness of Japanese Film Ephemera

The ephemera within the Makino Collection are the most vibrant part of it. Generally speaking, the word “ephemera” means “something which has a transitory existence”. What exactly does “ephemera” mean in the archival world and in library and information science? The term is defined by the Library of Congress (2008) as: non-commercial, non-book publications in […]

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Yōga (Foreign films) and hōga (Japanese films): An Overview of the Japanese Film Industry as Represented in the Makino Collection

The most prevalent films in Japan could be roughly separated into two genres: hōga (Japanese films) and yōga (imported/international/foreign films). According to the Japanese dictionary Daijirin, yōga is understood as “films which were produced in Western countries. Also, the term could indicate foreign films in a broad sense”. Right after World War II, films which […]

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A Hidden Collection to be Revealed: Makino Collection Film Ephemera and Rare Book Project

The final phase of the project to make hidden treasures from the Makino Collection available to the public has started moving ahead. The Makino Mamoru Collection on the History of East Asian Film has been lauded for its scholarly value and awarded a generous grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, through the administration of […]

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Makino Mamoru’s recent publication

Mr. Makino and Mr. Sato Yo recently published a collection of Mr. Makino’s writings in the new book, Eigagaku no michishirube = An approach to film studies in Japan / 映画学の道しるべ = An approach to film studies in Japan. C.V. Starr East Asian Library was given a copy of this book and it is now […]

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Welcome to the Makino Collection Blog

The Makino Blog is a place to share interesting materials and announcements about the Makino Mamoru Collection on the History of East Asian Film (牧野守コレクション, Makino Collection) as it is processed. The Makino Collection is a vast treasure chest of things I have only begun to uncover. Those who have been fortunate over the past 20 […]

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