ARGA LLC is a visual production company based in Yokohama, Japan, founded and led by Japanese cinematographer and Director of Photography Akira Otaguro.

With cinematography at the heart of its work, ARGA is involved in films, television dramas, commercials, short films, and other visual projects. Depending on the needs of each production, ARGA also provides visual production, cinematography consulting and technical support, as well as support for international co-productions.

At the core of ARGA is the place where Akira has spent much of his career: the set.

His experience in filmmaking spans television production, studying filmmaking abroad, casting for international films and co-productions, and working in camera departments for films, television dramas, and commercials.

Working across these different areas of production has shaped a philosophy that continues to guide his approach today.

Rather than allowing technology or equipment to determine the image, the process begins with listening — understanding the people behind the project and asking together:

What is this story trying to communicate?

To understand the world a director envisions.
To create a space in which actors can truly exist.
To use location, light, lenses, and cameras to discover images that belong uniquely to that story.

And to create a film while respecting the craft and expertise of every member of the crew.

That is what Cinematography means to ARGA.

ARGA is a small company built around a single cinematographer.

That scale allows us to remain flexible — bringing together the right crew, specialists, and collaborators for each project, and becoming involved wherever necessary, from early development and pre-production through shooting and final delivery.

Our work also extends beyond filmmaking.

The camera accessory brand dharmagear.tokyo grew from a simple thought that often occurs on set:

“It would be useful if something like this existed.”

That idea led to the development and production of tools created from the perspective of people who actually work on set.

To make images.
To make the tools used to create them.
To encounter new technologies and new people, and connect them with the filmmaking community.
And to return something born from visual culture to the next generation and to society.

ARGA’s activities may appear diverse, but they all begin in the same place:

the set.

To stay curious about new things.
To go and meet what we do not yet know.
If something we need does not exist, to try making it ourselves.
And above all, to value conversation and human connection.

ARGA is a company that aims to make filmmaking — and the culture surrounding it — a little more interesting.