Does a rash of theater closings in Tokyo spell doom for American cinema?

There’s always been a degree of mythmaking when it comes to just how far Japan is ahead of us, technologically and culturally speaking. When I was a kid, eagerly awaiting the release of Super Mario Brothers 3, word around the schoolyard was that kids in Tokyo were already playing Super Mario Brothers 5. Of course, they were ahead of us, even if it wasn’t quite that far in front.