Throughout the 1900s, Britain and Japan enjoyed a close diplomatic relationship that was best exemplified by their alliance of twenty years (1903–1923). Cultural ties during this period though were more distant. Despite this complex relationship, British film distributors were active in Japan during the 1910s. However, their competiveness would weaken to the extent that they were eventually displaced by the Hollywood studios by the 1920s. Against this backdrop, Anglo-Japanese relations also became more distant following the end of World War I. The common perception is that the political situation related to the war had a significant impact on the decline of Europe’s film industries. This paper examines the factors behind the British film industry’s struggles in Japan that seem to correlate with the final chapter of the close political relationship in the late 1910s. It will show that actually the post-World War I political environment had little impact upon the decline of the British presence in the Japanese film market. Rather it was industrial factors ranging from changes in film distribution to the quality of films produced that limited the opportunities for British film companies. Such findings have important implications for Europe’s film industries today who are confronted by Hollywood’s dominance.

在整个1900年代，英日两国之间保持着密切的外交关系，这以二十年的同盟关系（1903至1923年）为最好。尽管这段时期的文化纽带距离较远。尽管存在这种复杂的关系，但在1910年代，英国电影发行商仍活跃于日本。但是，它们的竞争力会减弱到一定程度，最终在1920年代被好莱坞制片厂所取代。在这种背景下，第一次世界大战结束后，英日关系也变得越来越远。人们普遍认为，与战争有关的政治局势对欧洲电影业的衰落产生了重大影响。本文考察了英国电影业在日本奋斗的背后因素，这些因素似乎与1910年代后期紧密政治关系的最后一章有关。它表明，实际上，第一次世界大战后的政治环境对英国在日本电影市场中的影响力下降没有太大影响。恰恰是工业因素，从电影发行的变化到电影制作的质量不等，限制了英国电影公司的机会。这样的发现对于当今好莱坞所占主导地位的欧洲电影业具有重要意义。恰恰是工业因素，从电影发行的变化到电影制作的质量不等，限制了英国电影公司的机会。这样的发现对于当今好莱坞所占主导地位的欧洲电影业具有重要意义。恰恰是工业因素，从电影发行的变化到电影制作的质量不等，限制了英国电影公司的机会。这样的发现对于当今好莱坞所占主导地位的欧洲电影业具有重要意义。