Company Profile

ASIA Documentary Productions Company is an independent production in Japan. It was established in 1997 by Shohei SHIBATA. Making documentary films mainly for NHK golden time slot, feature length documentary for theaters, and recently making international co-production for worldwide channels.

Shohei SHIBATA, its representative and founder, graduated from University of Tokyo and joined NHK in 1988. After an initial three-year assignment as a TV director at the NHK Okinawa Station, he was transferred to the News Department at the NHK Broadcasting Center in Tokyo.
From 1992 to 1995, Shibata worked for the Center for Ethnological Visual Documentation. He then became an independent TV director.
In 1997, Shibata established ASIA Documentary Productions Company in Tokyo, serving as its president and as a producer and director.

Major Works & Awards

2021  "Ceramic Road "

Co-production with NHK, NED, Tencent Penguin Pictures(China).

2014  "DASHI & SHOYU, ESSENCE OF JAPAN "

Co-production with NHK, Point du Jour, ARTE France.

- 2015: won honorable mentions in the "Archaeology Channel International Film and Video Festival" in the categories of Best Film competition, Audience Favorite competition, Scripts, Music, Animation and Effects, Cinematography, Narration.

- 2015: Won the prestigious "Shizuo Tsuji Award of Gastronomy" in Japan

- 2015: Galaxy Awards for outstanding programs selected by the members of Japan Council for better Radio and Television in Japan

- 2014: 2nd Prize of the Japanese Documentary award at the 88th Kinema-Junpo (Famed Japanese film magazine) Movie Awards.

- 2014: "Outstanding Documentary of the Year" at the ATP Prize (Association of All Japan TV Program Production) and "Ministry of Communications Prize", Japan.

2012   "Grandma's Eternal Forest" (NHK)

Broadcast on ARTE 10 December 2013 at 18h10

- Best Anthropology Concern Award. SICHUAN TV FESTIVAL, China, 2013

- Gold Cameral, Documentary Programs: Environment, Ecology
　　US International Film & Video Festival, 2013

- Best Japanese Environmental Film, Japan Wildlife Film Festival, 2013

- Honorable Mention for Cinematography, CINE Film Festival 2012, Montana, U.S.A.

- Silver Prize of Documentary Category selected by Hoso Bunka Foundation (HBF) in 2012, Japan

2011   "Listen to the Mountain Sages" (NHK / Media Corp)

- New York Festivals 2011 Silver World Medal (Documentaries Category)

- New York Festivals 2011 Finalist Certificate (Direction)

- Best Cinematography for the Asian Television Awards in 2011

2010   "Mountains, Students and Sages"  (feature length documentary)

- Grand Prize of Film for Children and Youths 2011, selected by Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Government of Japan

- Invited by Oulu International Children's and Youth Film Festival, Finland

2007   " Finland -- Secrets of the Forest" (NHK)

- Intermedia-globe Silver Documentaries: Nature and Wildlife, World Media Festival 2008 - Hamburg, Germany

- Third Place , Environmental Issues Concerns, 41st US International Video and Film Festival, Los Angels , U.S.A

- Best Photography in category "Man and Nature", the Matsalu Film Festival 2010, Estonia

2007   "Himeyuri"  (Feature length documentary)

- Grand Prize of Documentary Film Category, Film Awards 2007 of the Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan

- The Best Documentary Film, 81st The Kinema-Junpo (Famed Japanese film magazine) Top Ten 2007

- Special Award, JCJ ( Japan Congress of Journalists) Award:

- Award for Directing, All Japan Network for the Appreciation of Films

- SIGNIS JAPAN Catholic Film Award

2005   "Silk Road 2005: Loulan -- The Sleeping Beauty of the Taklamakan" (NHK)

2005   "Silk Road 2005: Kuqa -- A Fallen Monk's Mission" (NHK)

- Gold World Medal Religious Programs, New York Festivals 2007

- Screened at International Festival of Cinema and Religion, Rome

1998   "Forest People: The Dong in China"(NHK)

- Galaxy Awards for outstanding programs selected by the members of Japan Council for better Radio and Television in Japan

- Prize of Association of All Japan TV Program Production Companies

1997   "Bridge of Winds: Life with the Lisu of Yunnan"(NHK)

- Galaxy Awards for programs highly recommended selected by the members of Japan Council for better Radio and Television in Japan

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Contact

ASIA Documentary Productions
2-7-13, Hoya-cho, Nishi-tokyo-shi,
Tokyo, 202-0015, JAPAN
Tel: +81-42-4976975
Fax: +81-42-4976976
e-mail: info@asia-documentary.com