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Now that turning off Netflix and rising from the couch to actually go to the movies takes something special, a great cinema can be that difference-maker. And despite independent movie houses being something of an endangered species in Tokyo, as the recent closures of beloved venues like Shinjuku’s Cinema Qualité and Cine Libre in Ikebukuro attest, the capital is still blessed with some of the most extraordinary cinemas anywhere.
That fact is reflected on Time Out’s recently published celebration of the 100 greatest cinemas in the world right now, with the Tokyo area claiming three spots on the list. Ikebukuro is deservedly well-represented: IMAX temple Grand Cinema Sunshine leads the pack at No. 33, while the nearby Shin-Bungeiza comes in at No. 52. Cinema Jack & Betty down in Yokohama also made the top 100, ranking 90th on the global roll of honour.
Bigger means better at Grand Cinema Sunshine, the Ikebukuro mega-multiplex that opened in 2019, just before the pandemic devastated cinemas worldwide. It spans ten floors and a whopping 12 screens, with enough luxury seating to accommodate nearly 2,500 people. To get to the upper floors, you’ll pass 140 posters detailing the story of cinema itself, with everything from Metropolis and Tokyo Story to Jaws and Shoplifters supplying the ‘Time Gallery’ that lines the escalators. Go on past the American-style diner and the sky lounge, with its terrific city views, and you’ll find the largest IMAX screen in Japan towards the top – comprising two floors and measuring 25.8 metres wide and 18.9 metres high.
As for Shin-Bungeiza, the legendary repertory house is renowned for its double-bill and Saturday all-night screenings, the themes of which range from Godzilla and Gary Oldman to Soviet sci-fi. Shin-Bungeiza’s 266 seats make it one of the largest independent cinemas in Tokyo. A constantly changing, lovingly curated programme – which includes Western and local films – means there’s always something new (the longest they’ve ever shown a movie for was five days). Their lounge area also includes a library of movie-related books.
Lastly, Yokohama’s Jack & Betty is set on a street once surrounded by cinemas. When the single-screen Yokohama Meiga-za was split into two rooms in 1991 – one showing samurai films, the other romances – it was rechristened ‘Jack & Betty’ using names from an English textbook. Today, this classic mini-theatre champions new indie talents – Drive My Car Oscar-winner Ryusuke Hamaguchi was a household name here as early as 2010.
Check out the full list of the 100 greatest cinemas in the world right now.
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