Why did Japan’s film industry convert to sound more slowly than the American film industry?

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Zazu Pitts, Gibson Gowland, and Hughie Mack in a dramatic scene from the silent film Greed (1924); Gowland stands center, supported by Pitts and Mack on either side. — Silent film era (From left) Zasu Pitts, Gibson Gowland, and Hughie Mack in the silent film *Greed* (1924), directed by Erich von Stroheim.

The Japanese film industry transitioned to sound more slowly than its American counterpart primarily due to the unique role of the benshi.1

In Japanese cinema, films had effectively "talked" since their inception through the benshi, a live commentator who stood beside the screen to narrate the action, drawing on traditions from Kabuki theater. These narrators were often major stars with significant box-office appeal, and they actively resisted the introduction of recorded sound, which threatened to render their profession obsolete.1

Consequently, while the American industry moved quickly to adopt sound technology, Japan continued to produce silent films in large numbers well into the 1930s; as late as 1932, only 45 out of 400 features were produced with sound, and silent production did not fully cease until 1937.1