Title: Imokawa Mukuzō Genkanban no Maki (芋川椋三玄関番の巻) English Title: Imokawa Mukuzo the Janitor Release Year: 1917 Creator/Director: Ōten Shimokawa (下川凹天) Country: Japan Studio: Tenkatsu Runtime: Approx. 4–5 minutes (exact runtime lost) Language: Silent Genres: Animation, Comedy, Slice of Life --- Overview: Imokawa Mukuzō Genkanban no Maki is widely regarded as the first commercially released anime in Japan. Created by Ōten Shimokawa, a political cartoonist turned animator, it premiered in 1917 during the early Taishō era. Although the film is now considered lost, it holds immense historical importance as a cornerstone of Japanese animation history. The film centers around the character Imokawa Mukuzō, who had originally appeared in printed manga-style illustrations. In this short, he stars as a janitor working at a building entrance, encountering various comedic situations. --- Historical Significance: Recognized as the first publicly shown Japanese animated film, predating other works such as Namakura Gatana (1917) by Jun'ichi Kōuchi and Katsudō Shashin (c. 1907, often cited as a private or experimental reel). Created during a time when Japan was beginning to explore animation as a medium, often adapting the cel-less techniques used in Western and Chinese animation. Ōten Shimokawa was self-taught in animation and used chalk or ink on a blackboard or paper, redrawing each frame—a painstaking process. The work was produced under the Tenkatsu production company, which commissioned Shimokawa to try animation after being impressed by his political cartoons. --- Plot Summary (Reconstructed): Imokawa Mukuzō acts as a doorman or janitor at a building. He deals with misbehaving visitors, odd situations, and slapstick interactions in front of the building's entrance. The humor is physical, exaggerated, and based on everyday miscommunications and mistakes—a style that would become foundational in anime comedy. Because the film is lost, this summary is based on contemporary accounts and magazine descriptions from the time. --- About Ōten Shimokawa: One of the "Fathers of Anime" alongside Seitaro Kitayama and Jun’ichi Kōuchi. Known for his speed—he reportedly created the entire film in less than a month despite having chronic health issues. He went on to make a few more shorts before retiring from animation due to ill health. --- Legacy & Influence: The character of Imokawa Mukuzō was among the first animated "protagonists" in Japanese cinema, setting the stage for the development of mascot-style leads in future anime. This film laid the groundwork for the unique identity of Japanese animation, separate from its Western influences. It sparked further interest in animation among Japanese filmmakers, resulting in a mini-boom of experimental shorts during the 1910s and 1920s. Despite its loss, Imokawa Mukuzō is frequently referenced in historical retrospectives, exhibitions, and scholarly discussions about the origin of anime. --- Trivia: Some suggest that Katsudō Shashin (1907) is technically earlier, but it was never publicly screened, giving Imokawa Mukuzō the crown for first commercial anime. The visual style was influenced by Western political cartoons and comic strips, but it incorporated distinctly Japanese themes and humor. Tenkatsu later became a part of Nikkatsu, a major Japanese studio. Shimokawa used a homegrown method for animation, adapting tools and materials available at the time with no imported cel technology. --- Hashtags: #ImokawaMukuzo #OtenShimokawa #FirstAnime #1917Anime #JapaneseAnimation #LostFilm #AnimeHistory #SilentAnime #PublicDomainAnime #EarlyAnimation #AnimeOrigins #Tenkatsu #ClassicAnime #TaishoEra #AnimatedShorts