Overview 1930 to 1934

(1) Teikoku Kinema and Shiko Kinema

In this period, the Top 10 Movies includes two Teikoku Kinema production and one Shinko Kinema production: 
Teikoku : "Nani ga kanojo o sô saseta ka" and "Senpû jidai" (both in 1930); and
Shinko : "Nani ga kanojo o korishita ka" (in 1931).

Teikoku was the predecessor of Shinko. Teikoku was reorganized to Shinko in 1931. 

Teikoku was established in 1920 in Kansai Area (Osaka), and produced movies in its studios located in Kansai. In 1923, the Great Kanto Earthquake occurred, which damaged severely the rival movies companies (Nikkatsu and Shochiku) that produced movies in Kanto Area (Tokyo). Teikoku, which was not damaged by the earthquake, developed steadily. From 1924 on, Teikoku produced more than 100 movies every year. However, competition intensified after Nikkatsu and Shochiku had recovered from the damages of the earthquake. When the business situation worsened, Teikoku decided to co-operate with Shochiku. Shochiku enhanced its influence on Teikoku. In 1931, Teikoku is reorganized to Shinko Kinema, several months after its best-equipped and largest studio had been destroyed by a suspicious fire. Teikoku could not recover  from the severe damage of the fire without the help of Shochiku. Thus, Shochiku acquired Teikoku. The fire occurred at the best timing for Shochiku. What a stroke of luck!

Shinko was substantially a subsidiary of Shochiku. 

(2) Chiezô Production and other independent productions

In this period (1930 to 1934), five independent productions were found in the Top_10_Movies list. They were all established by star actors/actress:
Chiezô Production (by Chiezô Kataoka);
Arashi Kanjurô Production (by Kanjurô Arashi);
Bandô Tsumasaburô Production (by Tsumasaburô Bandô);
Tsukigata Production (by Ryûnosuke Tsukigata); and
Irie Production (by Takako Irie).

The four actors (Kataoka, Arashi, Bandô and Tsukigata) had become a star while belonging to Makino Production. However, the movies they produced were never distributed by Makino which had a small distribution network. Thus, Makino declined. What a pity!

(3) Transition to talkie 
In this period, transition to talkie progressed. Shichiku succeeded in the transition. Most of Shochiku production in the Top_10_Movies list were talkies, except for ones of Yasujirō Ozu, who, for a certain reason, rejected the sound recording system then employed by Shochiku.

In contrast, the progress was so slow for Nikkatsu that was in severe financial difficulties then. Nikkatsu once decided to use a rental studio equipped with sound recording system, which had been built by P.C.L. (Photo Chemical Laboratory). However, Nikkatsu broke co-operation with P.C.L. after several productions had been completed. P.C.L. was at a loss, which had already begun to expand the studio, expecting that Nikkatsu would produce more and more talkie movies with P.C.L.

P.C.L. finally decided to use its studio to produce its own productions (i.e., decided to enter the movie production business). This decision appears to be reckless, because this business requires large capital. However, the founders of P.C.L. and their acquaintances/relatives  included many influential persons of Japanese business world, who supported the challenge of P.C.L.

Several years later, P.C.L. would develop into Toho Co., one of (and probably the most successful one of) the Japanese major movie companies.