The movie-going experience in Japan can be rather different than what you might be used to in your home country. From etiquette inside the theater to the release windows and availability of films on offer, going for a night out at the cinema (or a matinee, if that’s your speed) can prove a little perplexing at first. Not to fear, this article will walk you through the whole process and give you some tips and tricks for your first forays into Japanese movie theaters.
Booking your tickets
Most theaters in Japan have assigned seating, so that means if you just show up fifteen minutes before your movie starts, you might not get the best seats, especially if you’re going to a popular cinema in Tokyo like ToHo Shinjuku or Wald 9. However, I’ve found that the seats at Piccadilly in Shinjuku fill up a bit less quickly than the other heavy-hitters.
Regardless of the theater you choose, you can book your tickets online on their website. Note that most theaters release their schedules 2-3 days in advance.
When choosing your showing, you will notice that most foreign films have two different entries: one for the dubbed version (吹替, fukikae) and one for the subtitled version (字幕, jimaku). Make sure you pick subtitles, unless you want to hear Deadpool cracking wise in Japanese (which honestly sounds pretty fun).
Discounts
The price of movie tickets is steadily creeping upward -just as it is in other countries- and a standard ticket will often cost you ¥1900 to ¥2000. Add onto that the extra bells and whistles like Dolby Atmos, IMAX, and MX4D (seats that vibrate, bump, and jostle you for the sake of immersion), and your ticket price can soar as high as ¥3500.
Luckily, there are plenty of discounts to take advantage of. The usual discounts for students, seniors, and people with disabilities apply, but on top of that, there are reduced price days that everyone can benefit from. Theaters such as ToHo, Wald 9, and Piccadilly do discount Wednesdays where a basic ticket will be ¥1300. Many of these theaters also have discounted tickets on the 1st of every month, and some theaters like Kichijoji Odeon offer discount tickets during your birth month. In addition, there are discount days for women, for users of certain cell plans, discounts for late showings, and more. Check your favorite theater’s website for more information.
When it comes to snacks, the concession stand at Japanese theaters is relatively reasonable. Unlike North American theaters, Japanese theaters don’t make the bulk of their profits off of popcorn and drinks, so you can get a decent set of theater treats for ¥1000 or less. But if you want more than what the concession has on offer, a trip to the convenience store beforehand is always a good idea.
Etiquette
You might have heard about the amusement park officials who, during the pandemic, urged rollercoaster riders to “scream inside their hearts.” Well, generally, the same mantra applies at the theater. Whether it’s a laugh-out-loud comedy film or a seat-of-your-pants action flick, Japanese theater-goers tend to sit quietly and enjoy the spectacle. That’s not to say you should just follow suit and stay silent, but it can be a bit jarring when you are the only one yelling and cheering when Captain America wields Thor’s hammer at the end of Avengers: Infinity War (speaking from experience here). Many folks go to the theater for the atmosphere and sense of camaraderie of experiencing a film with a group of others, but that doesn’t really translate to the Japanese cinema in my experience. Try to stay mindful of others, and keep the talking, yelling, and other outbursts to a minimum (which honestly goes for theaters anywhere) – there may even be video encouragements to keep it quiet before the movie starts,
Japanese theater-goers also watch the credits all the way to the end. And I mean ALL the way. Most people won’t leave until they’ve acknowledge every single person involved, from the producers to the third assistant dolly grip and the dogwalker for the director’s personal assistant. So get comfortable and let the credits wash over you (but if you really need to go to the bathroom or run for that last train, it’s okay to duck out).
Release Schedules
There are plenty of options at Japanese movie theaters from the latest Japanese drama or anime film to hot new American blockbusters. But while the big western releases like Disney, Marvel, or the eighty-fifth Fast and Furious film are all pretty much guaranteed to release in Japan at the same time as the rest of the world, a lot of smaller films can be delayed quite a while. Delays range from a couple of weeks to months and even up to a year (it took a concerted effort to avoid any spoilers for Everything, Everywhere, All At Once for 12 months). Between preparing the subtitles and monitoring a film’s success to gauge whether it will perform well in Japan, Japanese film distributors might keep you waiting until well after that indie Sundance darling has been released onto streaming platforms.
On the flip side, there are a plethora of Japanese films releasing all the time, many of which may not come out in theaters outside of Japan, if at all (be warned though, there won’t be any English subtitles for these).
A couple of freebies I got at the movies.
Bonuses
Whether its an exclusive sticker, a little action figure or mini character posters, Japan loves a collectible. You can often get one with your movie ticket (at no extra cost) and they’ll even produce exclusive items for non-Japanese films.
Whether you’re looking to turn your brain off for the afternoon and watch some pretty pixels dance on the screen, or you want to dial in and immerse yourself in the latest cerebral thriller, Japanese cinemas have it all.
Got any theater tricks or hacks I missed in this article? Sound off in the comments below!
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