Eiji Tsuburaya
Eiji Tsuburaya
Biography
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
Personal Info
Known For
Visual Effects
Known Credits
238
Gender
Male
Birthday
1901-07-07 (123 years old)
Place of Birth
日本,京都府
Acting

1966

The Father of Ultra Q as Not available
Crew

2022

Shin Ultraman Original Story

2022

Ultraman Decker Creator

2020

Monster SeaFood Wars Original Story

2020

Ultraman Z Creator

2019

Dragon Force: Rise of Ultraman Original Concept

2019

Ultraman Taiga Creator

2018

Ultraman R/B Creator

2017

Dragon Force: So Long Ultraman Original Concept

2017

Kaiju Club Creator

2017

Ultraman Geed Creator

2016

Ultraman Orb Creator

2015

Ultraman X Creator

2013

Neo Ultra Q Creator

2013

Neo Ultra Q Creator

2006

Bio Planet WoO Creator

2004

Ultraman Nexus Creator

2000

Ultraman Neos Creator

1999

Ultraman Nice Creator

1997

Ultraman Dyna Creator

1996

Ultraman Tiga Creator

1993

Ultraman - The Alien Invasion Original Story

1993

Ultraman vs. Kamen Rider Original Series Creator

1990

Ultraman Great Creator

1980

Ultraman 80 Creator

1979

Akio Jissoji's Ultraman Executive Producer

1979

The☆Ultraman Creator

1977

Godzilla Visual Effects Director

1977

Godzilla Special Effects

1977

Godzilla Story

1977

Godzilla Visual Effects

1974

Ultraman Leo Creator

1973

Ultraman Taro Creator

1972

Daigoro vs. Goliath Producer

1972

Ultraman Ace Creator

1971

Return of Ultraman Creator

1970

Space Amoeba Special Effects

1970

Space Amoeba Special Effects Supervisor

1969

Latitude Zero Production Manager

1969

Crazy Big Explosion Special Effects

1969

Crazy Big Explosion Visual Effects

1969

All Monsters Attack Special Effects Supervisor

1969

All Monsters Attack Special Effects

1969

All Monsters Attack Editorial Consultant

1968

Destroy All Monsters Special Effects Supervisor

1968

Mighty Jack Creator

1967

Son of Godzilla Visual Effects

1967

King Kong Escapes Visual Effects

1967

King Kong Escapes Special Effects

1967

King Kong Escapes Visual Effects Director

1967

Ultraman: Monster Movie Feature Production Supervisor

1967

Ultraseven Creator

1966

Ebirah, Horror of the Deep Special Effects

1966

Ebirah, Horror of the Deep Special Effects Supervisor

1966

Ebirah, Horror of the Deep Visual Effects

1966

Zero Fighter Special Effects

1966

The War of the Gargantuas Visual Effects

1966

The War of the Gargantuas Visual Effects Director

1966

The War of the Gargantuas Special Effects

1966

Ultraman Production Supervisor

1966

Ultraman Producer

1966

Ultra Q Production Supervisor

1966

Ultra Q Producer

1966

Ultra Q Creator

1966

Ultraman Creator

1965

Invasion of Astro-Monster Special Effects

1965

Frankenstein Conquers the World Special Effects

1965

Frankenstein Conquers the World Visual Effects Director

1965

The Crazy Adventure Special Effects

1965

The Retreat from Kiska Special Effects

1965

Invasion of Astro-Monster Visual Effects

1965

Invasion of Astro-Monster Visual Effects Director

1964

Mothra vs. Godzilla Special Effects

1964

Whirlwind Special Effects Supervisor

1964

Mothra vs. Godzilla Visual Effects Director

1964

Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster Visual Effects Director

1964

Tiger Flight Special Effects

1964

Mothra vs. Godzilla Visual Effects

1964

Dogora Special Effects

1964

Dogora Visual Effects

1964

Dogora Visual Effects Director

1963

Atragon Special Effects Coordinator

1963

Matango Special Effects Supervisor

1963

Matango Special Effects

1963

King Kong vs. Godzilla Special Effects

1963

King Kong vs. Godzilla Visual Effects

1963

King Kong vs. Godzilla Visual Effects Director

1963

Matango Visual Effects

1963

Siege of Fort Bismarck Special Effects

1963

Siege of Fort Bismarck Visual Effects

1963

Siege of Fort Bismarck Visual Effects Director

1962

Varan the Unbelievable Visual Effects

1962

Gorath Special Effects

1962

Gorath Visual Effects Director

1962

Gorath Visual Effects

1962

Varan the Unbelievable Special Effects

1962

King Kong vs. Godzilla Special Effects

1962

King Kong vs. Godzilla Visual Effects Director

1962

Chûshingura Special Effects

1962

King Kong vs. Godzilla Visual Effects

1961

The Last War Special Effects Coordinator

1961

Daredevil in the Castle Special Effects Supervisor

1961

Blood on the Sea Special Effects

1961

Mothra Visual Effects

1961

Valley of the Dragons Special Effects

1961

Mothra Visual Effects Director

1961

Mothra Special Effects

1960

The Human Vapor Special Effects

1960

The Human Vapor Visual Effects

1960

The Human Vapor Visual Effects Director

1960

The Secret of the Telegian Visual Effects

1960

The Storm of the Pacific Special Effects

1960

The Storm of the Pacific Visual Effects

1960

The Storm of the Pacific Visual Effects Director

1960

The Secret of the Telegian Visual Effects Director

1960

The Secret of the Telegian Special Effects

1959

Battle in Outer Space Special Effects

1959

Battle in Outer Space Visual Effects Director

1959

The Adventures of Sun Wu Kung Special Effects Supervisor

1959

The Three Treasures Special Effects

1959

Gigantis, the Fire Monster Special Effects

1959

Gigantis, the Fire Monster Visual Effects

1959

Gigantis, the Fire Monster Visual Effects Director

1959

Submarine I-57 Will Not Surrender Special Effects Supervisor

1959

The Three Treasures Visual Effects

1959

Battle in Outer Space Visual Effects

1958

The Tale of the White Serpent Visual Effects

1958

The H-Man Visual Effects

1958

Varan Visual Effects

1958

The Hidden Fortress Visual Effects

1958

Varan Special Effects

1958

Varan Visual Effects Director

1958

Song for a Bride Special Effects

1958

Song for a Bride Visual Effects

1957

The Mysterians Special Effects

1957

Godzilla, the Monster of the Pacific Ocean Visual Effects Director

1957

Throne of Blood Visual Effects

1957

The Paradise Island Story Visual Effects

1957

The Mysterians Visual Effects

1957

Tokyo 1960 Story

1957

Tokyo 1960 Special Effects

1957

Tokyo 1960 Visual Effects

1957

Tokyo 1960 Visual Effects Director

1957

The Mysterians Visual Effects Director

1957

Rodan! The Flying Monster! Special Effects

1957

Rodan! The Flying Monster! Visual Effects Director

1956

Rodan Visual Effects

1956

Godzilla, King of the Monsters! Visual Effects Director

1956

Godzilla, King of the Monsters! Special Effects

1956

Rodan Visual Effects Director

1956

Rodan Special Effects

1956

The Legend of the White Serpent Special Effects

1956

The Legend of the White Serpent Visual Effects Director

1955

Marital Relations Visual Effects

1955

Half Human Special Effects

1955

Godzilla Raids Again Visual Effects Director

1955

Godzilla Raids Again Special Effects

1955

Half Human Visual Effects Director

1955

Godzilla Raids Again Visual Effects

1955

Half Human Visual Effects

1954

Samurai I: Musashi Miyamoto Visual Effects

1954

Sound of the Mountain Special Effects

1954

Godzilla Story

1954

Farewell Rabaul Special Effects

1954

Godzilla Visual Effects Director

1954

Godzilla Visual Effects

1954

Godzilla Special Effects

1954

Invisible Man Visual Effects

1954

Invisible Man Director of Photography

1954

Invisible Man Special Effects

1954

Invisible Man Visual Effects Director

1953

The Lovers Special Effects

1953

Anatahan Special Effects

1953

Youth of Heiji Senigata Visual Effects

1953

The Eagle of the Pacific Special Effects

1953

The Eagle of the Pacific Visual Effects

1953

The Eagle of the Pacific Visual Effects Director

1952

The Skin of the South Special Effects

1952

The Man Who Came to Port Special Effects

1951

The Lady of Musashino Visual Effects

1949

White-haired Demon Special Effects

1949

Hanakurabe tanuki-den Special Effects

1949

The Invisible Man Appears Visual Effects

1949

The Invisible Man Appears Special Effects

1949

The Invisible Man Appears Visual Effects Director

1947

A Thousand and One Nights with Toho Special Effects Supervisor

1946

Lord for a Night Special Effects

1946

A Descendant of Urashima Taro Special Effects

1945

Five Tokyo Men Special Effects

1944

Colonel Kato's Falcon Squadron Special Effects

1944

Colonel Kato's Falcon Squadron Visual Effects

1944

Colonel Kato's Falcon Squadron Visual Effects Director

1943

Hot Wind Special Effects

1943

音楽大進軍 Special Effects

1943

The Opium War Special Effects

1943

Hyoroku's Dream Tale Special Effects

1943

World of Love Special Effects

1942

Bouquet of the South Seas VFX Director of Photography

1942

Ramayana Screenplay

1942

Ramayana Special Effects

1942

The War at Sea from Hawaii to Malaya Visual Effects Director

1942

Wings of Victory Special Effects

1942

Wings of Victory Visual Effects

1942

Wings of Victory Visual Effects Director

1940

The Burning Sky Visual Effects

1940

Navy Bomb Squadron Visual Effects

1940

The Burning Sky Special Effects

1940

The Burning Sky Visual Effects Director

1936

Across the Equator Director

1936

Across the Equator Cinematography

1935

Chorus of a Million People Director of Photography

1935

Kaguya Hime Director of Photography

1931

Reimei izen Cinematography

1929

Yôma kitan Cinematography

1928

Castle of Wind and Clouds Director of Photography

1926

A Page of Madness Assistant Camera