Three bits of news

[Aaron Gerow]

>Do you happen to know  what the future of Shochiku is? Also, is it open to 
>the public during this final month?

Well, the future of Shochiku...that's a big question, one Mark may also 
want to answer.  I personally do not think there's much of a chance of 
Shochiku itself going under (the kabuki side is fairly profitable), but 
there's a legitimate question about what will happen to the film side.  
Many are speculating that Shochiku will essentially become a 
distribution/exhibition company, with little or no production.  But it 
does seem that Shochiku is serious about building a replacement studio in 
Shin Kiba (I think I heard they already had a groundbreaking ceremony or 
something like that).  But we shall see...

The Shochiku union did hold some public events at the studio in order to 
drum up support for their quixotic attempt to save the studio (one of my 
colleages at YNU went to one), but I don't think the studio itself has 
been open to the public every day.  And I also assume it's too late now...

Aaron Gerow
Yokohama National University
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