An anime film dating back to 1923, over a century ago, has been discovered in Japan.
According to NHK, the silent film was found among the possessions of a late cinema enthusiast.
This eight-and-a-half-minute anime, reportedly produced by a company dealing in toothbrushes and daily necessities, appears to serve as an educational piece aimed at promoting dental health awareness. Appropriately titled Dental Health, it is credited to Seitaro Kitayama and preserved by Lion Corporation.
Image credit: NHK
Kitayama, an early pioneer in Japanese animation direction, is renowned for his contributions to the commercial production of anime. Some of his works, including the now-lost short film Battle of a Monkey and a Crab, date back to 1917, which was a year of firsts for Japanese animation.
Given the rarity of surviving films from this era, this discovery holds immense value in shedding light on the industry’s early stages and evolution.
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Rayan Sayyed is a staff writer for IGN India with a primary focus on Asian entertainment spanning from anime, manga, games to films and dramas from the East. You can reach out to him at rayan_sayyed@ign.com, or find him on Twitter @rayanaver and Instagram @rayansayyed.
