Man'ei grew out of the Southern Manchurian Railway's Photographic Division, which was initially charged with producing industrial and educational films about Manchukuo for Japanese audiences. Promotional materials from the studios boasted that Man'ei had the most state-of-the art facilities in all of Asia at that time. Negishi Kan'ichi was recruited from Nikkatsu's Tamagawa Studios to oversee feature film productions.
Man'ei emerged as a result of the Southern Manchurian Railway's Photographic Division, initially tasked with creating industrial and educational films about Manchukuo for Japanese viewers. The studios proudly claimed that Man'ei possessed the most advanced facilities in Asia at the time. Negishi Kan'ichi was brought on board from Nikkatsu's Tamagawa Studios to oversee feature film projects.