Eiji Tsuburaya
Visual Effects
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.
Known for
Visual Effects64
movieGodzilla
1977
Visual Effects Director, Visual Effects
movieSpace Amoeba
1970
Special Effects Supervisor
movieAll Monsters Attack
1969
Special Effects Supervisor
movieCrazy Big Explosion
1969
Visual Effects
movieDestroy All Monsters
1968
Special Effects Supervisor
movieSon of Godzilla
1967
Special Effects Supervisor, Visual Effects Supervisor
movieKing Kong Escapes
1967
Visual Effects, Visual Effects Director
movieEbirah, Horror of the Deep
1966
Special Effects Supervisor, Visual Effects
movieThe War of the Gargantuas
1966
Visual Effects, Visual Effects Director
movieInvasion of Astro-Monster
1965
Visual Effects, Visual Effects Director
movieFrankenstein Conquers the World
1965
Visual Effects Director
movieGhidorah, the Three-Headed Monster
1964
Visual Effects, Visual Effects Director
movieDogora
1964
Visual Effects, Visual Effects Director
movieMothra vs. Godzilla
1964
Visual Effects Director, Visual Effects
movieWhirlwind
1964
Special Effects Supervisor
movieMatango
1963
Visual Effects, Visual Effects Director
movieKing Kong vs. Godzilla
1963
Visual Effects, Visual Effects Director
movieSiege of Fort Bismarck
1963
Visual Effects, Visual Effects Director
movieVaran the Unbelievable
1962
Visual Effects
movieKing Kong vs. Godzilla
1962
Visual Effects Director, Visual Effects
movieGorath
1962
Visual Effects Director, Visual Effects
movieThe Last War
1961
Visual Effects, Visual Effects Director
movieMothra
1961
Visual Effects, Visual Effects Director
movieDaredevil in the Castle
1961
Special Effects Supervisor
movieThe Human Vapor
1960
Visual Effects, Visual Effects Director
movieThe Storm of the Pacific
1960
Visual Effects, Visual Effects Director
movieThe Secret of the Telegian
1960
Visual Effects, Visual Effects Director
movieBattle in Outer Space
1959
Visual Effects Director, Visual Effects
movieThe Three Treasures
1959
Visual Effects
movieSubmarine I-57 Will Not Surrender
1959
Special Effects Supervisor
movieGigantis, the Fire Monster
1959
Visual Effects, Visual Effects Director
movieThe Adventures of Sun Wu Kung
1959
Special Effects Supervisor
movieThe Hidden Fortress
1958
Visual Effects
movieVaran
1958
Visual Effects, Visual Effects Director
movieThe Tale of the White Serpent
1958
Visual Effects
movieThe H-Man
1958
Visual Effects
movieSong for a Bride
1958
Visual Effects
movieThe Mysterians
1957
Visual Effects, Visual Effects Director
movieTokyo 1960
1957
Visual Effects, Visual Effects Director
movieRodan! The Flying Monster
1957
Visual Effects Director
movieHalf Human: The Story of the Abominable Snowman
1957
Visual Effects, Visual Effects Director
movieGodzilla, the Monster of the Pacific Ocean
1957
Visual Effects, Visual Effects Director
movieThe Paradise Island Story
1957
Visual Effects
movieThrone of Blood
1957
Visual Effects
movieRodan
1956
Visual Effects, Visual Effects Director
movieThe Legend of the White Serpent
1956
Visual Effects, Visual Effects Director
movieGodzilla, King of the Monsters!
1956
Visual Effects Director, Visual Effects
movieMarital Relations
1955
Visual Effects
movieBeast Man Snow Man
1955
Visual Effects Director, Visual Effects
movieGodzilla Raids Again
1955
Visual Effects Director, Visual Effects
movieInvisible Man
1954
Visual Effects Director
movieGodzilla
1954
Visual Effects Director, Visual Effects
movieSamurai I: Musashi Miyamoto
1954
Visual Effects
movieThe Eagle of the Pacific
1953
Visual Effects, Visual Effects Director
movieYouth of Heiji Senigata
1953
Visual Effects
movieThe Lady of Musashino
1951
Visual Effects
movieThe Invisible Man Appears
1949
Visual Effects, Visual Effects Director
movieA Thousand and One Nights with Toho
1947
Special Effects Supervisor
movieColonel Kato's Falcon Squadron
1944
Visual Effects, Visual Effects Director
movieThe War at Sea from Hawaii to Malaya
1942
Visual Effects, Visual Effects Director
movieWings of Victory
1942
Visual Effects, Visual Effects Director
movieBouquet of the South Seas
1942
VFX Director of Photography
Navy Bomb Squadron
1940
Visual Effects
movieThe Burning Sky
1940
Visual Effects, Visual Effects Director
Crew91
tvNeo Ultra Q
2013
Creator
movieBloodthirsty Hawk
1977
Special Effects
movieGodzilla
1977
Special Effects
movieSpace Amoeba
1970
Special Effects
movieAll Monsters Attack
1969
Special Effects
movieLatitude Zero
1969
Special Effects
movieCrazy Big Explosion
1969
Special Effects
tvMighty Jack
1968
Creator
movieSon of Godzilla
1967
Special Effects
movieKing Kong Escapes
1967
Special Effects
movieDo Your Best! Godzilla
1967
Special Effects
movieEbirah, Horror of the Deep
1966
Special Effects
movieThe War of the Gargantuas
1966
Special Effects
movieZero Fighter
1966
Special Effects
movieThe Sword of Doom
1966
Special Effects
movieInvasion of Astro-Monster
1965
Special Effects
movieThe Crazy Adventure
1965
Special Effects
movieFrankenstein Conquers the World
1965
Special Effects
movieThe Retreat from Kiska
1965
Special Effects
movieSinbad, Alibaba and Aladdin
1965
Special Effects
movieGhidorah, the Three-Headed Monster
1964
Special Effects
movieDogora
1964
Special Effects
movieMothra vs. Godzilla
1964
Special Effects
movieTiger Flight
1964
Special Effects
movieAtragon
1963
Special Effects Coordinator
movieMatango
1963
Special Effects
movieKing Kong vs. Godzilla
1963
Special Effects
movieSiege of Fort Bismarck
1963
Special Effects
movieVaran the Unbelievable
1962
Special Effects
movieChûshingura
1962
Special Effects
movieKing Kong vs. Godzilla
1962
Special Effects
movieGorath
1962
Special Effects
movieValley of the Dragons
1961
Special Effects
movieThe Last War
1961
Special Effects
movieBlood on the Sea
1961
Special Effects
movieMothra
1961
Special Effects
movieThe Human Vapor
1960
Special Effects
movieThe Storm of the Pacific
1960
Special Effects
movieThe Secret of the Telegian
1960
Special Effects
movieBattle in Outer Space
1959
Special Effects
movieThe Three Treasures
1959
Special Effects
movieGigantis, the Fire Monster
1959
Special Effects
movieVaran
1958
Special Effects
movieSong for a Bride
1958
Special Effects
movieThe Mysterians
1957
Special Effects
movieTokyo 1960
1957
Special Effects
movieRodan! The Flying Monster
1957
Special Effects
movieHalf Human: The Story of the Abominable Snowman
1957
Special Effects
movieGodzilla, the Monster of the Pacific Ocean
1957
Special Effects
movieRodan
1956
Special Effects
moviePure Love
1956
Special Effects Technician
movieThe Legend of the White Serpent
1956
Special Effects
movieGodzilla, King of the Monsters!
1956
Special Effects
movieBeast Man Snow Man
1955
Special Effects
movieGodzilla Raids Again
1955
Special Effects
movieSilver Wheel
1955
Special Effects
movieInvisible Man
1954
Special Effects
movieGodzilla
1954
Special Effects
movieFarewell Rabaul
1954
Special Effects
movieSound of the Mountain
1954
Special Effects
movieThe Lovers
1953
Special Effects
movieThe Eagle of the Pacific
1953
Special Effects
movieAnatahan
1953
Special Effects
movieThe Man Who Came to Port
1952
Special Effects
movieThe Skin of the South
1952
Special Effects
movieEscape at Dawn
1950
Special Effects
movieThe Invisible Man Appears
1949
Special Effects
movieHanakurabe tanuki-den
1949
Special Effects
movieWhite-haired Demon
1949
Special Effects
movieLord for a Night
1946
Special Effects
movieA Descendant of Urashima Taro
1946
Special Effects
movieFive Tokyo Men
1945
Special Effects
movieUntil Victory Day
1945
Special Effects
movieColonel Kato's Falcon Squadron
1944
Special Effects
movieSearing Wind
1943
Special Effects
movieWorld of Love
1943
Special Effects
movieHyoroku's Dream Tale
1943
Special Effects
movie音楽大進軍
1943
Special Effects
The Opium War
1943
Special Effects
movieThe War at Sea from Hawaii to Malaya
1942
Special Effects
movieWings of Victory
1942
Special Effects
movieRamayana
1942
Special Effects
movieThe Burning Sky
1940
Special Effects
Across the Equator
1936
Cinematography
movieReimei izen
1931
Cinematography
Yôma kitan
1929
Cinematography
Writing12
tvUltraman Teo
2026
Original Concept
movieShin Ultraman
2022
Original Story
movieMonster SeaFood Wars
2020
Original Story
movieDragon Force: Rise of Ultraman
2019
Original Concept
movieDragon Force: So Long Ultraman
2017
Original Concept
movieUltraman - The Alien Invasion
1993
Original Story
movieGodzilla
1977
Story
movieTokyo 1960
1957
Story
movieGodzilla
1954
Story
movieRamayana
1942
Screenplay
Production9
movieUltraman: Terror on Route 87
1989
Producer, Production Supervisor
movieAkio Jissoji's Ultraman
1979
Executive Producer
movieDaigoro vs. Goliath
1972
Producer
movieUltraman, Ultraseven: Great Violent Monster Fight
1969
Producer, Production Supervisor
tvOperation: Mystery
1968
Producer, Production Supervisor
tvUltraseven
1967
Production Supervisor, Producer
movieUltraman: Monster Movie Feature
1967
Production Supervisor, Producer
tvUltraman
1966
Production Supervisor, Producer
tvUltra Q
1966
Production Supervisor, Producer
Camera5
movieInvisible Man
1954
Director of Photography
movieKaguya Hime
1935
Director of Photography
movieChorus of a Million People
1935
Director of Photography
movieCastle of Wind and Clouds
1928
Director of Photography
movieA Page of Madness
1926
Assistant Camera
Directing2
Acting1
Creator1
tvUltraman R/B
2018
Creator
Editing1
movieAll Monsters Attack
1969
Editorial Consultant