Who owns TOHO CINEMAS?
TOHO CINEMAS is owned by TOHO (Japan, TSE: 9602), which has owned the brand since 2003.[1]
This ownership is reported in official statements but has not yet been matched to a regulatory filing.
Evidence: TOHO CO., LTD. Financial Results Presentation, fiscal year ended February 2026, 14 April 2026. Last checked .
Key facts
- Current owner
- TOHO CO., LTD. reported
- Owned since
- Owner HQ
- 🇯🇵 Japan, Chiyoda, Tokyo
- Origin
- 🇯🇵 Japan
- Founded
- 2003
- Category
- Media & entertainment › Live & sport › Cinema chains
- Parent ticker
- TSE: 9602
- Last verified
- · 1 sources
About TOHO CINEMAS
TOHO CINEMAS is Japan's largest cinema chain, with 705 screens at 75 sites as of 31 March 2026 and just under 30 per cent of national box-office revenue. The name dates from April 2003, when TOHO bought Virgin Cinemas Japan and renamed it; the group's older theatre division was folded into the same company in 2006. Recent investment has gone into IMAX and Dolby screens, luxury seating and mobile ordering at concession stands.
Ownership timeline of TOHO CINEMAS
Where TOHO CINEMAS sits in TOHO
Controlling ownership as of . Brands grouped under the entity that owns them; large groups are collapsed.
Open the full TOHO ownership tree →
See the full TOHO brand portfolio (7) →
Other brands owned by TOHO
TOHO controls 7 brands on Brandtree, 7 of them in media & entertainment.
Also in media & entertainment
- Anime Limited
- GKIDS
- Godzilla (1954)
- Science SARU (2013)
- TOHO animation (2013)
- TOHO animation STUDIO (2017)
Other brands in cinema chains, and who owns them
The 23 brands in cinema chains on Brandtree belong to 9 owners. The largest is CJ CGV, with 7.
| Brand | Owner | Owner based in |
|---|---|---|
| 4DX | CJ CGV | 🇰🇷 South Korea |
| Emagine Entertainment | Kinepolis | 🇧🇪 Belgium |
| Century Theatres | Cinemark | 🇺🇸 United States |
| AMC Theatres | AMC Theatres | 🇺🇸 United States |
| Cineplex | Cineplex | 🇨🇦 Canada |
| IMAX | IMAX | 🇨🇦 Canada |
| VOX Cinemas | Majid Al Futtaim | 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates |
| T-Joy | Toei | 🇯🇵 Japan |
About the owner: TOHO
TOHO is a publicly listed company headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan, founded in 1932. Brandtree records 7 brands under its control, and it is listed as TSE: 9602.
TOHO is the Japanese entertainment company established in 1932 by Ichizo Kobayashi, the Hankyu Railway founder, as the Tokyo-Takarazuka Theatre Company. It distributes and produces films, runs the country's largest cinema chain, owns Godzilla, holds anime rights and production studios, and lets a large Tokyo property portfolio. The year to 28 February 2026 was a record: operating revenue of ¥360.6 billion, up 15.2 per cent, and operating profit of ¥67.8 billion. It remains listed in Tokyo with Hankyu Hanshin Holdings its largest shareholder at 13.58 per cent, well short of control.
🇯🇵 TOHO CINEMAS and other Japanese brands
Brandtree records a controlling owner for 437 brands that began in Japan. 21 of them (5%) are now controlled by a company headquartered in another country; TOHO CINEMAS is not one of them.
- Aggretsuko — Sanrio 🇯🇵
- BS Nippon — Nippon TV Holdings 🇯🇵
- Doga Kobo — Kadokawa 🇯🇵
- Gundam — Bandai Namco 🇯🇵
- NITRO PLUS — CyberAgent 🇯🇵
- T-Joy — Toei 🇯🇵
Frequently asked questions
Who is the parent company of TOHO CINEMAS?
The parent company of TOHO CINEMAS is TOHO, a publicly listed company headquartered in Japan.
Is TOHO CINEMAS Japanese?
Yes. TOHO CINEMAS originated in Japan in 2003 and its owner, TOHO, is also headquartered in Japan.
Since when has TOHO owned TOHO CINEMAS?
TOHO has owned TOHO CINEMAS since 2003.
Is TOHO CINEMAS still owned by TOHO?
Yes. As of 28 September 2026, TOHO CINEMAS is still owned by TOHO. The ownership record was last checked against primary sources on that date.
Sources (1) & corrections
Last verified . Every ownership fact above is backed by one of these primary documents. Numbers in brackets in the text refer to this list.
- [1] TOHO CO., LTD. Financial Results Presentation, fiscal year ended February 2026 — TOHO CO., LTD., Official document, published 14 April 2026; retrieved 28 September 2026.
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