Editing Toho (section)

=== Labor disputes (1946–1948) ===
{{main|Toho strikes}}
[[File:Toho Labor disputes.JPG|thumb|upright|left|American soldiers outside Toho Studios in August 1948 due to the intensity of the third dispute]]
After the end of [[World War II]], the new [[Occupation of Japan|Occupation]] government allowed and encouraged the formation of [[labor unions]], which had been banned under the Imperial government.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Hirano |first1=Kyōko |title=Mr. Smith Goes to Tokyo: The Japanese Cinema Under the American Occupation |date=1992 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6OsKAQAAMAAJ |publisher=Smithsonian Institution Press |isbn=9781560981572 |pages=205  |access-date=4 November 2023}}</ref> During a [[general strike]] of film studio employees beginning in October 1946, a group of Toho's ten top stars led by [[Denjiro Okochi]] split from the main Toho union along with 445 employees. During the resolution of the strike, a [[closed-shop]] provision with the main union led to the establishment of the [[Shintoho]] Company, which comprised the members of the dissenting union and former Toho facilities.<ref name="hirano218">Hirano (1992), pp. 218–223</ref> 

The loss of major stars led to the hiring and training of new stars, including [[Toshiro Mifune]].<ref name="hirano218"/> The contract made after the strike stipulated that Toho would only produce films approved by a committee that included union members, which led to filmmakers gaining unprecedented creative and productive control over their films.<ref name="hirano218"/> While Toho produced only thirteen films in 1947, six Toho films, including ''[[One Wonderful Sunday]]'', directed by [[Akira Kurosawa]], were ranked among the best ten films of the year in [[Kinema Junpo]].<ref name="hirano218"/> However, each film had double or triple the budget of films produced by other studios, and the company suffered severe losses.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Richie |first1=Donald |last2=Anderson |first2=Joseph L. |title=The Japanese Film: Art and Industry |date=1982 |isbn=9780691053516 |page=166 |publisher=Princeton University Press |edition=Expanded |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uSSUswEACAAJ |access-date=4 November 2023}}</ref>

In 1948, the new Toho president Tetsuzo Watanabe ordered a return of the wartime quota of 24 films per year and the end of control over production by the union.  In April, Toho management announced the dismissal of 1200 employees,<ref name="hirano223">Hirano (1992), pp. 223-229</ref> with the aim of both cutting expenses and eliminating Communist leaders from the union.<ref>{{cite news |title=Japan's movie-makers move to oust communist elements |work=Nippon Times |date=9 April 1948}}</ref> Negotiations failed and the union occupied the studio on April 15, joined by activists from the [[Japan Communist Party]] and other organizations, erecting [[barricades]] and closing the main gates.<ref name="hirano223"/> 

On August 13, the [[Tokyo District Court]] decided in Toho's favor,<ref name="hirano223"/> and on the morning of August 19, a district police chief arrived at the front gate to read out the court decision. Two thousand policemen surrounded the studio, reinforced by soldiers, three airplanes, and several [[Armored car (military)|armored cars]] and tanks sent by the [[Eighth United States Army|U.S. Eighth Army]].<ref name="hirano223"/><ref>Richie & Anderson (1982), p. 170</ref> The union leaders agreed to end their occupation on the condition the union was not disbanded.<ref name="hirano223"/>

Toho was severely weakened after the strikes and produced only four films in 1948 and five films in 1949, and continued to distribute Shintoho films until the end of 1949.<ref name="hirano230">Hirano (1992), pp. 230-236</ref>