Where once there might have been silence, the voices of the benshi rang out in the cinemas of early 20th-century Japan.
Narrators have long been present in performance arts like kabuki and noh, adding aural color to the action on stage. So, when the first silent films arrived in Japan, it seemed natural, and indeed necessary, to have narrators for them as well. While other countries employed live narrators, only in Japan did katsudou benshi (活動弁士), or benshi for short, become a permanent fixture in silent cinema.
The result was the birth of a skilled profession and cinematic tradition unique to Japan — one which flourished in silence, only to become outmoded by the arrival of sound.
Table of Contents
ToggleAn Essential Part of Silent Cinema
The earliest silent films were only minutes long, so theaters needed to keep movie-goers engaged and eager for more. The first benshi were hired to extend viewing time by explaining intertitles, providing commentary, elaborating on character motivations and behaviors, and more. Meanwhile, for foreign films they served as translators and “tour guides” who demystified foreign customs and places.
Benshi provided opening remarks, or maesetsu, to “set the stage” of a film. They needed powerful, resonating voices, and benshi carefully cultivated a unique vocal repertoire and body language to captivate the crowd. They also coordinated with the accompanying musical ensemble to ensure a seamless blend of narration and music. Indeed, their roles could go beyond mearly explicating a film. During the 1904-1905 Russo-Japanese War, for example, benshi helped buoy nationalistic fervor as reels and reenactments of war enraptured the moviegoing audience.
Benshi as Celebrities
Benshi also enjoyed a celebrity status on par with film stars, earning equal if not higher salaries, and gracing movie posters. They came from various social backgrounds, both well-off and destitute, but all attracted hundreds if not thousands of admirers. Even legendary filmmaker Kurosawa Akira’s older brother Heigo was a benshi, choosing to make his living in the theaters over pursuing higher education.
Most of these professional narrators only performed at the theaters employing them. For instance, if you wanted to see the famed Tokugawa Musei, you’d go to either the Aoikan or Musashinokan theaters in Tokyo.

Over time, the popularity of foreign films and celebrities, namely Americans, challenged the benshi’s stardom. Although their positions were still secure, some felt rankled by the foreign film techniques. Coherent narratives and close-ups of facial expressions were pretty self-explanatory. As one benshi in 1917 put it:
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“The object of the audience’s applause shifted from the benshi to actors …. I have decided that, when an actor’s facial expression was highlighted, I would hold my tongue.”
“Benshi as Stars”, pg. 11
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Setsumei vs. Kowairo setsumei
As films grew longer and more complex, benshi placed greater emphasis on nakasetsu, or running commentary of a film. After the Russo-Japanese War, a stylistic divide split benshi into two camps.
Narrators usually worked solo for foreign films, simply narrating what was happening without further embellishment. For Japanese films, a group of four to six narrators would perform out of sight using different voices for different characters, a trend called kowairo setsumei, or voice coloring. The rise of kowairo setsumei saw an uptick in female benshi, which persevered until around 1926.
The Pure Film Movement
Silent films and benshi weren’t immune to criticism.
In 1915, cinema purists took to the pages of film magazines to lambast the theatrical state of cinema in what is now known as the Pure Film Movement (純映画劇運動; Jun eigageki undō). They believed Japanese cinema lacked the complex visual narration and screenplay finesse of foreign films. Filmmakers relied too heavily on benshi to embellish upon any lackluster scenes or confusing plot lines.
Thus, removing benshi would be a step towards modernizing cinema, a sentiment even acclaimed novelist Tanizaki Jun’ichiro shared. Critics also called out studios for employing onnagata, or female impersonators; Japan should hire women as actresses as the West did.

Benshi may have garnered hundreds of adoring fans. However, they still occupied a nebulous place on the social totem pole, which came under scrutiny around this time. Many viewed these professional narrators as lecherous, susceptible to various vices, and too uncouth to have so much oratory power over the people. On the other hand, others praised them as social educators with more power and influence than schoolteachers.
In 1917 the Tokyo Metropolitan Police instituted a mandatory licensing system in coordination with the Motion Picture Exhibition Regulations. It was an attempt to curb the benshi’s social power under the guise of legitimization. The Ministry of Education also set up courses and seminars for narrators.
This angered many pure film advocates, including Tanizaki. Even some benshi grumbled at the new regulations. They were artists, not test-takers or teachers. Others, however, saw the sense in securing public favor and followed the government’s standards.
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The Golden Age of Silent Film and Post-WWII Benshi
By 1925, the Pure Film Movement had successfully pushed studios to experiment with their film-making and to begin employing Japanese actresses. However, it failed to incapacitate benshi; in fact, it did quite the opposite, ushering in a “golden age” of silent cinema. By this time, it wasn’t uncommon for professionals to narrate four or five films a day, up to thirty films a week, taking turns narrating as films grew longer. Alas, with stricter government regulations and the advent of “talkie” films in the 1930s, benshi slowly became obsolete. Some successfully migrated to entertainment industries like radio and television, but others weren’t as fortunate. A few still managed to keep working right up to WWII.
In a postwar land desperate for entertainment, silent films and their narrators saw a resurgence in popularity. Benshi like Matsuda Shunsui traveled in a troupe to perform in rural areas. War had impressed upon Matsuda the importance of preserving silent films. It’s primarily thanks to Matsuda’s tireless efforts that many of Japan’s silent films still exist.
Japan is still home to many modern benshi who’ve made names for themselves both at home and abroad. Matsuda’s protégé Sawata Midori is one of the most well-known active benshi today, as is her pupil Kataoka Ichiro.
活弁映画『瞼の母』弁士澤登翠
活動弁士、澤登翠(さわと みどり)による『瞼の母』活弁の様子をまとめたダイジェスト映像です。 音のなかった映画に、生き生きとした話芸で命が吹き込まれます。 100年前、映画の黎明期を彩った日本独特の文化=活動大写真です。 *** 大阪にて上映決定! 活弁と生演奏の音楽で貴重な映画体験をお届けします! 『弁士と楽団が奏でる無声映画の世界 in LICはびきの』 2011年9月23日 金曜日(秋分の日)、14:00から 場所:LICはびきの・ホールM(最寄り駅:近鉄南大阪線 古市駅) ¥2,000 3本立て! 「チャップリンの放浪者」 「子寶騒動」 「剣聖 荒木又右衛門」 活動弁士:澤登翠 演奏:カラード・モノトーン(ミニユニット) チケット専用電話 072-950-5504 アドレス http://www.city.habikino.lg.jp/lic/ マツダ映画社・無声映画のHPはこちら http://www.matsudafilm.com/
Benshi are often credited for extending the lifespan of Japan’s silent cinema, and it’s easy to see why. They were walking, breathing advertisements, and their commercial and social appeal, despite attempts to curb them, were in line with a long tradition rooted in the performance arts. They truly were artists in their own right. Japan’s silent film scene would have looked vastly different without them.
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Sources
Dym, Jeffrey A. “A Brief History of Benshi (Silent Film Narrators).” Japan Society. https://aboutjapan.japansociety.org/a_brief_history_of_benshi.
Dym, Jeffrey A. “Benshi and the Introduction of Motion Pictures to Japan.” Monumenta Nipponica, Vol. 55, No. 4 (Winter, 2000), pp. 509-536.
Fujiki, Hideaki. “Benshi as Stars: The Irony of the Popularity and Respectability of Voice Performers in Japanese Cinema.” Cinema Journal, Vol. 45, No. 2 (Winter, 2006), pp. 68-84.