Eiji Tsuburaya
Eiji Tsuburaya ranks alongside Willis H. O'Brien and Ray Harryhausen as one of the great visionary SFX masters of twentieth-century fantasy cinema. Best remembered as the amazing special effects genius behind the "Godzilla" series of monster films commencing in 1954, he also contributed effects to a host of other Japanese monster / fantasy / science fiction / drama / propaganda films for over four decades. Eiji Tsuburaya had a keen interest in the cinema from a young age, and legend has it that he acquired a second-hand movie projector when he was only ten years old, and pulled it apart and put it back together with relative ease. He began work as a cinematographer in Kyoto around 1919 and then enhanced his skills to include camera work throughout the 1920s, at which time his eye for detail was in high demand from many studios. Around 1938, he became head of Special Visual Techniques at Toho Studios, and during the Second World War, he was involved in the production of several Japanese propaganda films. He went freelance after the war, and in 1954 he collaborated with director Ishirô Honda on the monster epic Gojira (1954) (aka "Godzilla"). The film was an enormous hit in Japan, and additional scenes were filmed with US actor Raymond Burr and then inserted strategically to give the movie western appeal. "Godzilla, King Of The Monsters" was then released in the USA to strong box office takings, and Godzilla has since appeared in over two dozen films spanning over fifty years, becoming a key cult icon of Japanese culture!! The incredibly talented Tsuburaya went on to be the SFX director behind dozens of Japanese monster & science fiction classics including Sora no daikiju Radon (1956) (aka "Rodan"), Bijo to ekitai ningen (1958) (aka "The H-Man"), Densô ningen (1960) (aka "The Telegian"), Mosura (1961) (aka "Mothra"), Kingu Kongu tai Gojira (1962) (aka "King Kong versus Godzilla"), Varan the Unbelievable (1962), Matango (1963), Furankenshutain tai chitei kaiju Baragon (1965) (aka "Frankenstein Conquers the World"), and Kaiju soshingeki (1968) (aka "Destroy All Monsters" ). Tsuburaya had also established his own production company in 1963 (Tsuburaya Productions), creators of the highly popular "Ultraman" character, and subsequent TV shows and films. On January 25, 1970, while vacationing in Shizuoka Prefecture, Tsuburaya suffered a sudden, fatal heart attack. His incredible film & SFX production company is still active today under the guidance of his grandson, Kazuo Tsuburaya.
Marital Relations
(Visual Effects)
Samurai I: Musashi Miyamoto
(Visual Effects)
Rodan
(Visual Effects)
The Tale of the White Serpent
(Visual Effects)
Varan
(Visual Effects)
Varan the Unbelievable
(Visual Effects)
Half Human: The Story of the Abominable Snowman
(Visual Effects)
The H-Man
(Visual Effects)
The Hidden Fortress
(Visual Effects)
Atragon
(Special Effects Coordinator)
Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster
(Special Effects)
Latitude Zero
(Production Manager)
The Last War
(Special Effects Coordinator)
White-haired Demon
(Special Effects)
Hanakurabe tanuki-den
(Special Effects)
The Invisible Man Appears
(Visual Effects)
Dragon Force: So Long Ultraman
(Original Concept)
Dragon Force: Rise of Ultraman
(Original Concept)
Reimei izen
(Cinematography)
The Human Vapor
(Special Effects)
Bouquet of the South Seas
(VFX Director of Photography)
Five Tokyo Men
(Special Effects)
Lord for a Night
(Special Effects)
Half Human
(Special Effects)
Mothra vs. Godzilla
(Special Effects)
Invasion of Astro-Monster
(Special Effects)
Daigoro vs. Goliath
(Producer)
Hot Wind
(Special Effects)
Gorath
(Special Effects)
A Thousand and One Nights with Toho
(Special Effects Supervisor)
Ebirah, Horror of the Deep
(Special Effects)
Colonel Kato's Falcon Squadron
(Special Effects)
Sound of the Mountain
(Special Effects)
The War at Sea from Hawaii to Malaya
(Special Effects Supervisor)
Godzilla
(Story)
Godzilla, King of the Monsters!
(Story)
The Invisible Man Appears
(Special Effects Supervisor)
The Mysterians
(Special Effects)
Frankenstein Conquers the World
(Special Effects)
The Legend of the White Serpent
(Special Effects Supervisor)
Matango
(Special Effects Supervisor)
The Lovers
(Special Effects)
Godzilla, the Monster of the Pacific Ocean
(Visual Effects)
Gorath
(Visual Effects Director)
Ultraman - The Alien Invasion
(Original Story)
Shin Ultraman
(Original Story)
Rodan! The Flying Monster!
(Visual Effects)
Chorus of a Million People
(Director of Photography)
Farewell Rabaul
(Special Effects)
Matango
(Special Effects)
Frankenstein Conquers the World
(Visual Effects Director)
Gorath
(Visual Effects)
Battle in Outer Space
(Special Effects)
Battle in Outer Space
(Visual Effects Director)
Godzilla, the Monster of the Pacific Ocean
(Visual Effects Director)
Godzilla
(Visual Effects Director)
Godzilla, King of the Monsters!
(Visual Effects Director)
Godzilla
(Visual Effects Director)
Akio Jissoji's Ultraman
(Executive Producer)
The Adventures of Sun Wu Kung
(Special Effects Supervisor)
Daredevil in the Castle
(Special Effects Supervisor)
Yôma kitan
(Cinematography)
The Crazy Adventure
(Special Effects)
Godzilla, King of the Monsters!
(Special Effects)
Whirlwind
(Special Effects Supervisor)
Military Song of the Morning Mist
(Special Effects)
Accross the Equator
(Director)
The Skin of the South
(Special Effects)
Godzilla, the Monster of the Pacific Ocean
(Story)
Wings of Victory
(Special Effects Supervisor)
The Three Treasures
(Special Effects)
Godzilla, the Monster of the Pacific Ocean
(Special Effects)
Godzilla
(Special Effects)
Ramayana
(Screenplay)
Gigantis, the Fire Monster
(Visual Effects)
Gigantis, the Fire Monster
(Special Effects)
Ebirah, Horror of the Deep
(Special Effects Supervisor)
Ebirah, Horror of the Deep
(Visual Effects)
Varan
(Special Effects)
Varan the Unbelievable
(Special Effects)
King Kong vs. Godzilla
(Special Effects)
King Kong vs. Godzilla
(Special Effects)
King Kong vs. Godzilla
(Visual Effects)
Anatahan
(Special Effects)
Half Human: The Story of the Abominable Snowman
(Special Effects)
Godzilla Raids Again
(Special Effects)
Godzilla Raids Again
(Visual Effects Director)
Mothra vs. Godzilla
(Visual Effects Director)
King Kong vs. Godzilla
(Visual Effects Director)
Varan
(Visual Effects Director)
King Kong vs. Godzilla
(Visual Effects Director)
Rodan
(Visual Effects Director)
Rodan
(Special Effects)
Gigantis, the Fire Monster
(Visual Effects Director)
The Retreat from Kiska
(Special Effects)
Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster
(Visual Effects Director)
Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster
(Visual Effects)
A Descendant of Urashima Taro
(Special Effects)
Space Amoeba
(Special Effects Supervisor)
Space Amoeba
(Special Effects)
Half Human
(Visual Effects Director)
Half Human: The Story of the Abominable Snowman
(Visual Effects Director)
Submarine I-57 Will Not Surrender
(Special Effects Supervisor)
Ultraman: Monster Movie Feature
(Director)
Ultraman vs. Kamen Rider
(Original Series Creator)
A Page of Madness
(Assistant Camera)
Kaguya Hime
(Director of Photography)
音楽大進軍
(Special Effects)
The War of the Gargantuas
(Special Effects Manager)
The Man Who Came to Port
(Special Effects)
Song for a Bride
(Special Effects)
47 Ronin
(Special Effects)
Blood on the Sea
(Special Effects)
Castle of Wind and Clouds
(Director of Photography)
Monster SeaFood Wars
(Original Story)
The Opium War
(Special Effects)
Tiger Flight
(Special Effects)
Destroy All Monsters
(Special Effects Supervisor)
Zero Fighter
(Special Effects)
The Burning Sky
(Visual Effects)
Crazy Big Explosion
(Special Effects)
Godzilla
(Visual Effects)
King Kong vs. Godzilla
(Visual Effects)
Son of Godzilla
(Visual Effects)
The Paradise Island Story
(Visual Effects)
Throne of Blood
(Visual Effects)
Navy Bomb Squadron
(Visual Effects)
Song for a Bride
(Visual Effects)
King Kong Escapes
(Visual Effects)
Crazy Big Explosion
(Visual Effects)
Godzilla
(Special Effects)
Godzilla Raids Again
(Visual Effects)
Invisible Man
(Visual Effects)
Half Human
(Visual Effects)
The Three Treasures
(Visual Effects)
The Mysterians
(Visual Effects)
Godzilla, King of the Monsters!
(Visual Effects)
Mothra
(Visual Effects)
The War of the Gargantuas
(Visual Effects)
Mothra vs. Godzilla
(Visual Effects)
Matango
(Visual Effects)
Youth of Heiji Senigata
(Visual Effects)
The Lady of Musashino
(Visual Effects)
Valley of the Dragons
(Special Effects)
The Birth of Ultraman
(Creator)
Invasion of Astro-Monster
(Visual Effects Director)
Invasion of Astro-Monster
(Visual Effects)
The Human Vapor
(Visual Effects Director)
The Human Vapor
(Visual Effects)
Hyoroku's Dream Tale
(Special Effects)
Ramayana
(Special Effects)
World of Love
(Special Effects)
The Secret of the Telegian
(Visual Effects)
Battle in Outer Space
(Visual Effects)
Tokyo 1960
(Story)
Tokyo 1960
(Special Effects)
Tokyo 1960
(Visual Effects)
Tokyo 1960
(Visual Effects Director)
Invisible Man
(Director of Photography)
Invisible Man
(Special Effects)
Invisible Man
(Visual Effects Director)
All Monsters Attack
(Special Effects Supervisor)
All Monsters Attack
(Special Effects)
Mothra
(Visual Effects Director)
Mothra
(Special Effects)
Rodan! The Flying Monster!
(Special Effects)
Rodan! The Flying Monster!
(Visual Effects Director)
King Kong Escapes
(Special Effects)
King Kong Escapes
(Visual Effects Director)
The Mysterians
(Visual Effects Director)
Godzilla
(Story)
Godzilla
(Visual Effects)
Ultraman: Monster Movie Feature
(Production Supervisor)
Ultraman: Monster Movie Feature
(Producer)
Ultraman: Monster Movie Feature
(Creator)
All Monsters Attack
(Editorial Consultant)
Dogora
(Special Effects)
Dogora
(Visual Effects)
Dogora
(Visual Effects Director)
The Eagle of the Pacific
(Special Effects)
The Eagle of the Pacific
(Visual Effects)
The Eagle of the Pacific
(Visual Effects Director)
The Storm of the Pacific
(Special Effects)
The Storm of the Pacific
(Visual Effects)
The Storm of the Pacific
(Visual Effects Director)
Neo Ultra Q
(Creator)
Ultraman
(Production Supervisor)
Ultraman
(Producer)
Ultra Q
(Production Supervisor)
Ultra Q
(Producer)
Ultraman Neos
(Creator)
Kaiju Club
(Creator)
Ultraseven
(Creator)
Ultraman Geed
(Creator)
Ultraman R/B
(Creator)
Ultraman Orb: The Origin Saga
(Creator)
Ultraman Orb
(Creator)
Ultraman X
(Creator)
Ultraman: Towards the Future
(Creator)
Ultraman: The Ultimate Hero
(Creator)
Ultra Q
(Creator)
Return of Ultraman
(Creator)
Ultraman Ace
(Creator)
Ultraman Taro
(Creator)
Ultraman Leo
(Creator)
Ultraman 80
(Creator)
The☆Ultraman
(Creator)
Ultraman Taiga
(Creator)
Ultraman Nexus
(Creator)
Ultraman Chronicle: ZERO & GEED
(Creator)
Ultraman Z
(Creator)
Neo Ultra Q
(Creator)
Mighty Jack
(Creator)
Ultraman Trigger: New Generation Tiga
(Creator)
Ultraman
(Creator)
Ultraman Chronicle D
(Creator)
Ultraman Chronicle Z: Heroes' Odyssey
(Creator)
New Ultraman Retsuden
(Creator)
Ultraman Decker
(Creator)
Ultraman New Generation Stars
(Creator)
Ultraman Tiga
(Creator)
Ultraman Blazar
(Creator)
Shin Ultra Fight
(Creator)
Ultra Galaxy Fight: The Destined Crossroad
(Creator)
Ultraman Dyna
(Creator)
Ultraman Arc
(Creator)