Salome's Vision and Mariko Mikasa's Dream of a Film Company - Japanese Film Industry in the 1920s

Salome's Vision and Mariko Mikasa's Dream of a Film Company - Japanese Film Industry in the 1920s

A plan to establish a film company centered on the actress Mariko Mikasa was proposed, and the narrator joined the company as one of the executives. At the time, Mariko radiated a strong atmosphere reminiscent of "Salome," and was so attractive that it was no wonder that Benritsuru Sato was enamored with her. In the end, however, the company failed without completing a single film, and the dream and enthusiasm vanished like a bubble. The film industry of the 1920s was still in its infancy, with literary and entertainment figures mingling and searching for new venues of expression, and the barriers of funding and distribution loomed large. Referring to historical facts, Mariko Mikasa (real name Shina Yokota 1893-1972) married Koroku Sato and appeared in "Shodo Island," "Mother," and "Before the Light" in 1924. Koroku became the director of Toa Kinema and traveled to Europe, where he also devoted himself to film studies. External documents also mention an independent production
attempt called "Sato Productions," in which Manriko played the lead role. In other words, while some films were released, it is highly likely that the company's attempts ended in failure. The film industry at that time was a place where dreams and setbacks intersected, and this recollection is still vividly remembered as a symbolic episode of that time.