The Origins of Anime Posted Aug 12, 2025

When did the first anime appear?

The date of creation of Japanese animation is considered to be 1917. These were short anime films, lasting from one to five minutes. Usually, artists worked alone to create them, trying to replicate the practice of Western animation.

On January 1, 1917, one of the first official Japanese animated films, Dekotena Shimokawa's New Sketch Album, was released. A month later, the artist created a new film, New Sketch Album: The Failure of a Great Plan.

Shimokawa was not the only one who contributed to the development of animation. In May of the same year, Seitaro Kityama released his first animated work, “How the Crab Revenge the Monkey.” The plot was based on a Japanese folk tale of the same name. A year later, Kityama created Momotaro, based on a folk tale about the adventures of a hero.

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Unfortunately, none of the artists' experiments have survived to this day.

How did anime develop in the 1920s?

The maximum length of an animation increased to 15 minutes, but despite this, the working conditions for artists were difficult.

At first, anime was created by lone animators in small studios.

In exchange for funding, they gave the distribution rights to film companies.

As a result, animators did not receive a percentage of the profits. This led to artists prioritizing quantity over quality in order to earn money.

Animators usually turned to Western stories and Japanese and Chinese folk tales. The animation style could be either European or traditional Japanese.

The key animators of this period are considered to be Dekoten Shimokawa, Sanae Yamamoto, Zuniti Koti, Seitaro Kichiyama, Yasuji Murata, and Noboru Ofuji.

The latter artist distinguished himself by using an innovative technique called “silhouette animation” to create his animations. Subsequently, Noboru's name became synonymous with the method of cutting characters out of paper.

The oldest anime that has survived to this day

For a long time, Sanae Yamamoto's “The Mountain Where Old Women Were Left to Die” (1925) was recognized as the oldest.

However, in May 2024, according to NHK WORLD-JAPAN, a short animated film called “Healthy Teeth” was found in the personal collection of a deceased film enthusiast.

The anime was made in 1923. The 8.5-minute educational film showed how to properly care for children's teeth to prevent cavities. The film was sponsored by Lion, a company specializing in the sale of oral hygiene products, household chemicals, and cosmetics.