MIYAKO, Iwate Prefecture--Once fearful that the Cinemarine might close, moviegoers are now anxiously anticipating the next summer blockbuster playing here at the coastal area's only theater, thanks to about 6.5 million yen ($66,200) in donations that poured in from across Japan.
MIYAKO, Iwate Prefecture--Once fearful that the Cinemarine might close, moviegoers are now anxiously anticipating the next summer blockbuster playing here at the coastal area's only theater, thanks to about 6.5 million yen ($66,200) in donations that poured in from across Japan.
Housed in a supermarket on elevated ground, the Cinemarine was spared from the devastating earthquake and tsunami two years ago. But audiences decreased by about 30 percent after the disaster, putting the cinema into financial difficulty.
Japan is seeing a rising number of movie houses going out of business. A rapidly increasing number of theaters across the country have gone digital in a little over a year. Theaters such as Cinemarine that can only show film prints and are unable to afford digitally compatible equipment saw a sharp drop in the number of releases they could play.
Opened in 1997, Cinemarine is also the only co-op movie theater in Japan. Run by the Miyako film cooperative association, it has been struggling financially to convert to digital or go out of business.
Film director Keishi Otomo, a native of Morioka, Iwate Prefecture, learned about the Cinemarine's plight through a former high school classmate while making a guest appearance at the Morioka Cinema Street Film Festival last fall.
Motivated to do something about the theater, Otomo, 46, initiated the fund-raising campaign, calling for donations via Facebook and at various events.
With the money collected so far, the theater will likely be able make one of its two screens digitally compatible by summer.
"We are supported by children. I'd like to present digital screenings starting with a (Studio) Ghibli movie in the summer," manager Kazunori Kushigeta, 40, said with a smile.
Maho Ohora, 33, a hairdresser in Miyako who came to see a "Doraemon" animated film with her two elementary schoolchildren, echoed his sentiment.
"This is a movie theater we should never lose. I've also set up a donation box at my hair salon," she said.
Donations are still being accepted.
For more information, visit Cinemarine's official website at (
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