Eiji Tsuburaya (1901–1970) was a Japanese special effects director and filmmaker who worked on roughly 250 films throughout his five-decade career.[1] Having pioneered and popularized the special effects sector of the Japanese film industry, he is popularly known as the "Father of Tokusatsu".[2][a] Tsuburaya started his career in the Japanese film industry as a cinematographer for several successful dramas and jidaigeki (Japanese historical drama) films in the early 1920s.[4] His directorial debut was the propaganda documentary film Three Thousand Miles Across the Equator, which he filmed in the Pacific Ocean on the Asama for most of 1935. Following the completion of photography on this film, he worked as the cinematographer and had his debut as special effects director on Princess Kaguya (1935). It was one of Japan's first major productions to feature special effects.[5][6] The next year, Tsuburaya made his dramatic directorial debut with the release of Folk Song Collection: Oichi of Torioi Village and had substantial success staging the special effects for Arnold Fanck's The Daughter of the Samurai (released 1937).[7]
Tsuburaya left his job in Kyoto and moved to Tokyo in order to form the newly established company Toho's special effects division in late 1937. The following year, he was assigned to create effects for The Abe Clan and directed and filmed the unreleased propaganda musical The Song of Major Nanjo; two years later, he directed and shot the documentary motion picture entitled The Imperial Way of Japan and shot the war filmNavy Bomber Squadron.[8] In 1942, Tsuburaya supervised the effects for the Kajirō Yamamoto-directed war epic The War at Sea from Hawaii to Malaya, which became the highest-grossing Japanese film in history.[9] His efforts were regarded as a significant factor in its major critical and commercial success and earned him the Technical Research Award from the Japan Motion Picture Cinematographers Association.[10][11] Tsuburaya was purged from employment at Toho by the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers in 1948.[12][8] He created his own independent effects company and worked on films by other major film companies, including Daiei Film's The Invisible Man Appears (1949), which was Japan's first science fiction film. Tsuburaya returned to Toho in 1950, and subsequently worked on their films Escape at Dawn (1950), The Lady of Musashino (1951), The Skin of the South, and The Man Who Came to Port (both 1952), Eagle of the Pacific (1953), and Farewell Rabaul (1954), with the latter four being his first collaborations with director Ishirō Honda.[13]
In 1954, Tsuburaya directed the special effects for Hiroshi Inagaki's jidaigeki epic Samurai I: Musashi Miyamoto and Honda's kaiju film Godzilla. For the latter major critically and commercially successful film, he achieved his first Japan Technical Award for Special Skill and attained international recognition.[14][15] Two years later, he directed the effects for Shirō Toyoda's The Legend of the White Serpent and Honda's Rodan,[16] with Rodan winning him his second Japan Technical Award.[14] In response to recent popular alien invasion science fiction films, Toho assigned Tsuburaya to direct the effects for Honda's big-budget epic The Mysterians (1956) and he won another Japan Technical Award for his work.[17] Three years later, Tsuburaya earned another Japan Technical Award for his effects on Inagaki's $1 million[18] epic The Three Treasures.[14] Later, he worked on the tremendously successful tokusatsu films: Mothra, The Last War (both 1961), King Kong vs. Godzilla, and Chūshingura: Hana no Maki, Yuki no Maki (both 1962). In 1963, he earned the Japan Technical Award for his special effects work on The Lost World of Sinbad;[14] the following year he made the effects for Honda's Mothra vs. Godzilla, often regarded as his best kaiju film.[19] Also that year, he began preproduction on his recently founded company's first series that aired on Japanese television in 1966, under the title Ultra Q, and created the special effects for Frank Sinatra's war epic None but the Brave.[20] His efforts on the 1965 war film Retreat from Kiska [ja] won him another Japan Technical Award for Special Skill and he gained the same award the following year for the same position in Honda's Invasion of Astro-Monster (also 1965).[14]
Because Ultra Q was a tremendous success during its release, Tsuburaya moved on to develop and supervise a follow-up titled Ultraman.[21]Ultraman was broadcast from 1966 to 1967 and was even more successful than its predecessor. These programs spanned a franchise that is still majorly popular and ongoing today.[20] After working on Honda's influential kaiju film The War of the Gargantuas (1966),[22] he began being credited as the "special effects supervisor" on the Godzilla films and continued receiving this credit until Destroy All Monsters (1968).[23] His final official theatrical film credit, the Seiji Maruyama-directed war epic Battle of the Japan Sea, was released in August 1969 and became the second-highest-grossing Japanese film of 1969;[24] he received a ceremonial title as effects director on Honda's All Monsters Attack later that year. In December of the same year, he completed work on Birth of the Japanese Islands [ja], an audiovisual exhibit for the Expo '70.[25] Tsuburaya planned to work on Space Amoeba, Japan Airplane Guy, and Princess Kaguya, but died in Itō, Shizuoka on January 25, 1970, a day before his scheduled return to Tokyo to begin work on the projects.[26][2]
Film
Television
Notes
^特撮の父, Tokusatsu no Chichi, lit.'Father of special effects'.[3]
^哀の曲, Awaremi no Kyoku
^島の塚, Shima no Tsuka
^延命院の傴僂男, Enmei'in no Semushi Otoko
^狂った一頁, Kurutta Ichipēji
^稚児の剱法, Chingo no Kenpō
^蝙蝠草紙, Komori Zoshi
^月下の狂刃, Gekka no Kyōba
^天保悲剣録, Tenpo Hiken-roku
^怪盗沙弥麿, Kaitou Sayamaro
^明暗, Meian
^妖魔綺譚, Youma Kitan
^野狐三次, Nogitsune Sanji
^吹雪に叫ぶ狼, Fubuki-ni Sakebu Okami
^猛襲高田の馬場, Mōshū Takada nobaba
^怪談 ゆうなぎ草紙, Kaidan Yuunagi Zoshi
^祇園しぐれ, Gion Shigure
^浅太郎赤城颪, Asataro Akagi Oroshi
^荒木又右衛門 天下の伊賀越, Araki Fusaemon Tenka no Iga Goe
^百万人の合唱, Hakku-Man'nin no Gassho
^かぐや姫, Kaguya-hime
^赤道越えて, Sekidō Koete lit.'Across the Equator'
^小唄磯鳥追お市, Koutareki Torioi Oichi
^新しき土, Atarashiki Tsuchi lit.'The New Earth'. German: Die Tochter des Samurai
^阿部一族, Abe Ichizoku
^嗚呼南郷少佐, Aa Nangō Shōsa lit.'Ah, Major Nangō'
^皇道日本, Kodo Nippon
^海軍爆撃隊, Kaigun Bakugeki-tai
^燃ゆる大空, Moyuru ōzora
^孫悟空 lit.'Son Wukong'
^上海の月, Shanghai no tsuki
^南海の花束, Nankai no Hanabata
^小春狂言, Koharu kyōgen
^翼の凱歌, Tsubasa no Gaika
^ハワイ・マレー沖海戦, Hawai Marē Oki Kaisen
^ラーマーヤナ, Rāmāyana
^阿片戦争, Ahen sensō
^愛の世界 山猫とみの話, Ai no Sekai Yamaneko Tomi no Hanashi
^音楽大進軍, Ongaku Daishingun
^兵六夢物語, Heiroku Yume Monogatari
^望楼の決死隊, Bōrō no Kesshi-tai
^あさぎり軍歌, Asagiri gunka
^男, Otoko
^決戦の大空へ, Kessen no ōzora he
^少年漂流記, Shōnen hyōryū-ki
^熱風, Nepū
^進め独立旗, Susume dokuritsu hata
^浪曲忠臣蔵, Rōkyoku Chūshingura
^あの旗を撃て, Ano hata o ute
^加藤隼戦闘隊, Katō Hayabusa sentōtai
^四つの結婚, Yottsu no kekkon
^雷撃隊出動, Raigeki-tai Shutsudō
^勝利の日まで, Shōri no Himade
^北の三人, Kita no San'nin
^東京五人男, Tōkyō go-ri Otoko
^浦島太郎の後裔, Urashima Tarō no kōei
^民衆の敵, Minshū no teki
^或る夜の殿様, Aru yoru no Tonosama
^東宝千一夜, Toho senichi-ya
^天の夕顔, Ten no yūgao
^肉体の門, Nikutai no mon
^颱風圏の女, Taifuunken no Onna
^月光城の盗賊, Gekkō-jō no Tōzoku
^白髪鬼, Shiraga oni
^花くらべ狸御殿, Hana Kurabe Tanuki Goten
^虹男, Niji Otoko
^幽霊列車, Yūrei Ressha
^わたしの名は情婦, Watashi no Na wa Jōfu
^透明人間現わる, Tōmei Ningen Arawaru
^暁の脱走, Akatsuki no Dassō
^日本戦歿学生の手記 きけ、わだつみの声, Nippon senbotsu gakusei no shuki: Kike wadatsumi no koe lit.'Notes from Fallen Japanese Student Soldiers: Listen to the Voices from the Sea'
^佐々木小次郎(第一部), Sasaki Kojirō (Dai'ichibu)
^愛と憎しみの彼方へ, Ai to Nikushimi no Kanata-e
^海賊船, Kaizoku-sen
^武蔵野夫人, Musashino fujin
^南国の肌, Nangoku no hada
^箱根風雲録, Hakone Fūunroku
^港へ来た男, Minato e Kita Otoko
^ひめゆりの塔, Himeyuri no Tō
^飛び出した日曜日, Tobidashita Nichiyōbi
^雲ながるる果てに, Kumo nagaruru hate-ni
^アナタハン
^君の名は, Kimi no na wa
^太平洋の鷲, Taiheiyo no washi
^君の名は 第二部, Kimi no na wa Dainibu
^さらばラバウル, Saraba Rabauru
^君の名は 第三部, Kimi no na wa Daisanbu
^かくて自由の鐘は鳴る, Kakute jiyū no kane wa naru
^宮本武蔵, Miyamoto Musashi
^ゴジラ, Gojira
^透明人間, Tomei Ningen lit.'The Invisible Man'
^ゴジラの逆襲, Gojira no Gyakushū lit.'Godzilla's Counterattack'
^獣人雪男, Jūjin Yuki Otoko lit.'Beast-Man Snow-Man'
^銀輪 lit.'Silver Ring'
^乱菊物語, Rangiku Monogatari lit.'A Tale of Rangiku'
^白夫人の妖恋, Byaku fujin no yōren lit.'The Love of Madame White'
^殉愛, Jun'ai
^空の大怪獣 ラドン, Sora no Daikaijū Radon lit.'Giant Monster of the Sky: Radon'
^蜘蛛巣城, Kumonosu-jō lit.'The Castle of Spider's Web'
^極楽島物語, Gokuraku-tō Monogatari
^地球防衛軍, Chikyū Bōeigun lit.'Earth Defense Force'
^美女と液体人間, Bijo to Ekitai-ningen lit.'Beauty and the Liquid People'
^大怪獣バラン, Daikaijū Baran lit.'Giant Monster Varan'
^隠し砦の三悪人, Kakushi Toride no San Akunin lit.'The Three Villains of the Hidden Fortress'
^Bolton, Doug (July 7, 2015). "Godzilla creator Eiji Tsuburaya celebrated in Google Doodle". The Independent. Archived from the original on July 14, 2022. Retrieved September 17, 2021.
^ a b"The Founder – Eiji Tsuburaya". Tsuburaya Productions. Archived from the original on February 28, 2023. Retrieved September 17, 2021.
^"《特撮の父》―その黎明から開花へ" ["Father of Tokusatsu" – From Dawn to Bloom] (PDF). National Film Archive of Japan (in Japanese). August 17, 2021. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 3, 2023. Retrieved July 22, 2023.
^Ragone 2014, pp. 22–23.
^Ryfle 1998, p. 45.
^Ragone 2014, p. 26.
^Ragone 2014, p. 27.
^ a bMatsuda 2001, pp. 14–15.
^Matsuda 2001, pp. 20–21.
^Ryfle & Godziszewski 2017, p. 30.
^Tanaka 1983, p. 541.
^Iwabatake 1994, pp. 52–53.
^Yosensha 2010, pp. 300–303.
^ a b c d e"日本映画技術賞 受賞一覧 – 一般社団法人 日本映画テレビ技術協会" [Japan Motion Picture Technology Award Winner List – Motion Picture and Television Engineering Association of Japan]. mpte.jp (in Japanese). Motion Picture And Television Engineering Society Of Japan Inc. Archived from the original on March 22, 2023. Retrieved March 22, 2023.
^Ragone 2014, p. 14.
^Ragone 2014, p. 50.
^Ragone 2014, p. 53.
^Motion Picture Herald 1959, p. 32.
^Ragone 2014, p. 78.
^ a bRyfle & Godziszewski 2017, p. 229.
^ a bRagone 2007, p. 114.
^ a bGalbraith IV 2008, p. 231.
^Ryfle & Godziszewski 2017, p. 245.
^Nakamura et al. 2014, p. 124.
^ a bRyfle & Godziszewski 2017, p. 255.
^Ryfle & Godziszewski 2017, p. 260.
^Ragone 2014, p. 21.
^"延命院の傴僂男" [The Hunchback of Enmei'in Temple]. Japanese Movie Database (in Japanese). Archived from the original on March 18, 2016. Retrieved July 14, 2022.
^ a bRagone 2014, p. 192.
^Ryfle 1998, p. 44.
^ a b c d e f g h iRagone 2014, p. 193.
^Galbraith IV 2008, p. 6.
^Galbraith IV 2008, p. 8.
^Ragone 2014, p. 26, 193.
^ a b c dRyfle 1998, p. 46.
^Galbraith IV 2008, p. 12.
^Galbraith IV 2008, p. 42.
^Takeuchi & Yamamoto 2001, p. 345.
^Galbraith IV 2008, p. 52.
^Asano, Eiko (February 18, 2020). "太平洋戦争中の特撮人形劇映画、制作現場の写真見つかる 人形は浅野孟府作" [Special effects puppet movie during the Pacific War, photos of the production site can be found. Puppets made by Mōfu Asano]. Voice of Nara (in Japanese). Archived from the original on February 7, 2023. Retrieved March 8, 2023.
^Galbraith IV 2008, p. 53.
^Galbraith IV 2008, p. 54.
^ a bGalbraith IV 2008, p. 55.
^ a bGalbraith IV 2008, p. 56.
^ a b c d e f g hRagone 2014, p. 194.
^ a bMatsuda 2001, p. 22.
^Matsuda 2001, p. 24.
^ a bTakeuchi & Yamamoto 2001, p. 348.
^Yosensha 2010, p. 301.
^ a bRagone 2014, p. 195.
^ a b cRyfle & Godziszewski 2017, p. 135.
^Galbraith IV 2008, p. 96.
^Galbraith IV 2008, p. 99.
^Takeuchi & Yamamoto 2001, p. 332.
^ a bTakeuchi & Yamamoto 2001, p. 91.
^"Godzilla". The Criterion Collection. Archived from the original on May 27, 2023. Retrieved April 14, 2022.
^Galbraith IV 2008, p. 107.
^"Godzilla Raids Again". The Criterion Collection. Archived from the original on July 14, 2022. Retrieved July 14, 2022.
^Galbraith IV 2008, p. 113.
^ a b cTakeuchi & Yamamoto 2001, p. 349.
^Galbraith IV 2008, p. 122.
^Kalat 2010, p. 41.
^ a b c d eRagone 2014, p. 196.
^Watson 2020, p. 93.
^Galbraith IV 2008, p. 140.
^Galbraith IV 2008, p. 146.
^Kalat 2010, p. 46.
^Ryfle & Godziszewski 2017, p. 156.
^Galbraith IV 2008, p. 155.
^Matsuda 1997, p. 96.
^Galbraith IV 2008, p. 161.
^Galbraith IV 2008, p. 162.
^Galbraith IV 2008, p. 168.
^Galbraith IV 2008, p. 176.
^Kalat 2010, p. 51.
^Galbraith IV 2008, p. 184.
^Galbraith IV 2008, p. 186.
^ a b cRagone 2014, p. 197.
^ a b"Eiji Tsuburaya". Turner Classic Movies. Archived from the original on July 14, 2022. Retrieved July 14, 2022.
^"ゴジラの円谷監督が特撮担当、幻の映画を"初上映"" [Director Tsuburaya of Godzilla is in charge of special effects, "premiere" of the fantasy movie]. ZAKZAK (in Japanese). October 24, 2005. Archived from the original on October 28, 2005. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
^"King Kong vs. Godzilla". The Criterion Collection. Archived from the original on July 14, 2022. Retrieved July 14, 2022.
^ a bTakeuchi & Yamamoto 2001, p. 336.
^Galbraith IV 2008, p. 196.
^Galbraith IV 2008, p. 198.
^Nishimoto, Yamada & Yamane 2004, p. 136.
^Qiū 2007, p. 188.
^Galbraith IV 2008, p. 203.
^Galbraith IV 2008, p. 205.
^Galbraith IV 2008, p. 206.
^Galbraith IV 2008, p. 207.
^"Mothra vs. Godzilla". The Criterion Collection. Archived from the original on April 2, 2023. Retrieved July 14, 2022.
^Galbraith IV 2008, p. 212.
^"Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster". The Criterion Collection. Archived from the original on April 19, 2020. Retrieved July 14, 2022.
^ a bRyfle 1998, p. 47.
^Galbraith IV 2008, p. 221.
^Galbraith IV 2008, p. 224.
^"Invasion of Astro-Monster". The Criterion Collection. Archived from the original on April 19, 2020. Retrieved July 14, 2022.
^ a b cRagone 2014, p. 198.
^ a bTakeuchi & Yamamoto 2001, p. 352.
^"Son of Godzilla". The Criterion Collection. Archived from the original on July 14, 2022. Retrieved July 14, 2022.
^"Destroy All Monsters". The Criterion Collection. Archived from the original on July 14, 2022. Retrieved July 14, 2022.
^Ryfle 1998, p. 157.
^Ryfle & Godziszewski 2017, p. 258.
^Ragone 2014, p. 52.
^Kodansha 2009, p. 30.
^"biography". IshiroHonda.com. Archived from the original on November 30, 2014. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
^Asahi Sonorama 1985, p. 255.
^Ragone 2007, p. 113.
^Takeuchi & Yamamoto 2001, p. 339.
^Takeuchi & Yamamoto 2001, p. 340.
^Asahi Sonorama 1985, p. 269.
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