Eiji Tsuburaya

Personal Info

Known For Visual Effects

Gender Male

Birthday 1901-07-07

Deathday 1970-01-25 (68 years old)

Place of Birth 日本,京都府

Also Known As 特撮の神様, 쓰부라야 에이지, 圓谷英二, 円谷英一, Tsuburaya Eiji, Eiichi Tsumuraya, Tsumuraya Eiichi, 圓谷 英一, Eigi 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

Visual Effects

1977
Godzilla

as Visual Effects Director

1977
Godzilla

as Visual Effects

1970
Space Amoeba

as Special Effects Supervisor

1969
Crazy Big Explosion

as Visual Effects

1969
All Monsters Attack

as Special Effects Supervisor

1968
Destroy All Monsters

as Special Effects Supervisor

1967
Son of Godzilla

as Visual Effects

1967
King Kong Escapes

as Visual Effects

1967
King Kong Escapes

as Visual Effects Director

1966
Ebirah, Horror of the Deep

as Special Effects Supervisor

1966
Ebirah, Horror of the Deep

as Visual Effects

1966
The War of the Gargantuas

as Visual Effects

1965
Frankenstein Conquers the World

as Visual Effects Director

1965
Invasion of Astro-Monster

as Visual Effects

1965
Invasion of Astro-Monster

as Visual Effects Director

1964
Whirlwind

as Special Effects Supervisor

1964
Mothra vs. Godzilla

as Visual Effects Director

1964
Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster

as Visual Effects Director

1964
Dogora

as Special Effects Supervisor

1964
Mothra vs. Godzilla

as Visual Effects

1963
Matango

as Special Effects Supervisor

1963
King Kong vs. Godzilla

as Visual Effects

1963
King Kong vs. Godzilla

as Visual Effects Director

1963
Matango

as Visual Effects

1962
Varan the Unbelievable

as Visual Effects

1962
Gorath

as Visual Effects Director

1962
Gorath

as Visual Effects

1962
King Kong vs. Godzilla

as Visual Effects Director

1962
King Kong vs. Godzilla

as Visual Effects

1961
Daredevil in the Castle

as Special Effects Supervisor

1961
Mothra

as Visual Effects

1961
Mothra

as Visual Effects Director

1960
The Human Vapor

as Visual Effects

1960
The Human Vapor

as Visual Effects Director

1960
The Secret of the Telegian

as Visual Effects

1959
Battle in Outer Space

as Visual Effects Director

1959
The Adventures of Sun Wu Kung

as Special Effects Supervisor

1959
Gigantis, the Fire Monster

as Visual Effects

1959
Gigantis, the Fire Monster

as Visual Effects Director

1959
Submarine I-57 Will Not Surrender

as Special Effects Supervisor

1959
The Three Treasures

as Visual Effects

1959
Battle in Outer Space

as Visual Effects

1958
Varan

as Visual Effects

1958
The H-Man

as Visual Effects

1958
The Hidden Fortress

as Visual Effects

1958
1958
Varan

as Visual Effects Director

1958
Song for a Bride

as Visual Effects

1957
Rodan! The Flying Monster!

as Visual Effects

1957
1957
The Paradise Island Story

as Visual Effects

1957
Throne of Blood

as Visual Effects

1957
The Mysterians

as Visual Effects

1957
Tokyo 1960

as Visual Effects

1957
Tokyo 1960

as Visual Effects Director

1957
Rodan! The Flying Monster!

as Visual Effects Director

1957
The Mysterians

as Visual Effects Director

1956
Rodan

as Visual Effects

1956
The Legend of the White Serpent

as Special Effects Supervisor

1956
Godzilla, King of the Monsters!

as Visual Effects Director

1956
Rodan

as Visual Effects Director

1956
1955
Marital Relations

as Visual Effects

1955
Godzilla Raids Again

as Visual Effects Director

1955
Half Human

as Visual Effects Director

1955
Half Human

as Visual Effects

1955
Godzilla Raids Again

as Visual Effects

1954
Samurai I: Musashi Miyamoto

as Visual Effects

1954
Godzilla

as Visual Effects Director

1954
Invisible Man

as Visual Effects

1954
Godzilla

as Visual Effects

1954
Invisible Man

as Visual Effects Director

1953
Eagle of the Pacific

as Special Effects Supervisor

1953
Youth of Heiji Senigata

as Visual Effects

1951
The Lady of Musashino

as Visual Effects

1949
The Invisible Man Appears

as Visual Effects

1949
The Invisible Man Appears

as Special Effects Supervisor

1947
A Thousand and One Nights with Toho

as Special Effects Supervisor

1942
Bouquet of the South Seas

as VFX Director of Photography

1942
The War at Sea from Hawaii to Malaya

as Special Effects Supervisor

1942
Wings of Victory

as Special Effects Supervisor

1940
The Burning Sky

as Visual Effects

1940
Navy Bomb Squadron

as Visual Effects

Crew

2013
Neo Ultra Q

as Creator

1977
Godzilla

as Special Effects

1970
Space Amoeba

as Special Effects

1969
Crazy Big Explosion

as Special Effects

1969
All Monsters Attack

as Special Effects

1967
King Kong Escapes

as Special Effects

1966
Ebirah, Horror of the Deep

as Special Effects

1966
The War of the Gargantuas

as Special Effects Manager

1966
Zero Fighter

as Special Effects

1966
1965
Invasion of Astro-Monster

as Special Effects

1965
1965
The Crazy Adventure

as Special Effects

1965
The Retreat from Kiska

as Special Effects

1964
1964
Mothra vs. Godzilla

as Special Effects

1964
Tiger Flight

as Special Effects

1963
Atragon

as Special Effects Coordinator

1963
Matango

as Special Effects

1963
King Kong vs. Godzilla

as Special Effects

1962
Gorath

as Special Effects

1962
Varan the Unbelievable

as Special Effects

1962
King Kong vs. Godzilla

as Special Effects

1962
47 Ronin

as Special Effects

1961
The Last War

as Special Effects Coordinator

1961
Blood on the Sea

as Special Effects

1961
Valley of the Dragons

as Special Effects

1961
Mothra

as Special Effects

1960
The Human Vapor

as Special Effects

1959
Battle in Outer Space

as Special Effects

1959
The Three Treasures

as Special Effects

1959
Gigantis, the Fire Monster

as Special Effects

1958
Varan

as Special Effects

1958
Song for a Bride

as Special Effects

1957
The Mysterians

as Special Effects

1957
Tokyo 1960

as Special Effects

1957
Rodan! The Flying Monster!

as Special Effects

1956
1956
Rodan

as Special Effects

1955
Half Human

as Special Effects

1955
Godzilla Raids Again

as Special Effects

1954
Sound of the Mountain

as Special Effects

1954
Farewell Rabaul

as Special Effects

1954
Godzilla

as Special Effects

1954
Invisible Man

as Special Effects

1953
The Lovers

as Special Effects

1953
Anatahan

as Special Effects

1952
The Skin of the South

as Special Effects

1952
The Man Who Came to Port

as Special Effects

1949
Hanakurabe tanuki-den

as Special Effects

1949
White-haired Demon

as Special Effects

1946
Lord for a Night

as Special Effects

1946
1945
Five Tokyo Men

as Special Effects

1944
1943
Hot Wind

as Special Effects

1943
1943
音楽大進軍

as Special Effects

1943
The Opium War

as Special Effects

1943
Hyoroku's Dream Tale

as Special Effects

1943
World of Love

as Special Effects

1942
Ramayana

as Special Effects

1931
Reimei izen

as Cinematography

1929
Yôma kitan

as Cinematography

Creator

2024
Ultraman Arc

as Creator

2023
Ultraman Blazar

as Creator

2022
2022
Ultraman Decker

as Creator

2022
Shin Ultra Fight

as Creator

2020
Ultraman Z

as Creator

2019
Ultraman Taiga

as Creator

2018
Ultraman R/B

as Creator

2017
Kaiju Club

as Creator

2017
Ultraman Geed

as Creator

2016
Ultraman Orb

as Creator

2015
Ultraman X

as Creator

2013
Neo Ultra Q

as Creator

2013
2004
Ultraman Nexus

as Creator

2000
Ultraman Neos

as Creator

1997
Ultraman Dyna

as Creator

1996
Ultraman Tiga

as Creator

1980
Ultraman 80

as Creator

1979
The☆Ultraman

as Creator

1974
Ultraman Leo

as Creator

1973
Ultraman Taro

as Creator

1972
Ultraman Ace

as Creator

1971
1968
Mighty Jack

as Creator

1967
Ultraseven

as Creator

1966
Ultra Q

as Creator

1966
Ultraman

as Creator

Writer

2022
Shin Ultraman

as Original Story

2020
Monster SeaFood Wars

as Original Story

2019
Dragon Force: Rise of Ultraman

as Original Concept

2017
Dragon Force: So Long Ultraman

as Original Concept

1993
1993
Ultraman vs. Kamen Rider

as Original Series Creator

1977
Godzilla

as Story

1957
Tokyo 1960

as Story

1954
Godzilla

as Story

1942
Ramayana

as Screenplay

Producer

1979
Akio Jissoji's Ultraman

as Executive Producer

1972
1969
Latitude Zero

as Production Manager

1967
Ultraman: Monster Movie Feature

as Production Supervisor

1966
Ultraman

as Production Supervisor

1966
Ultraman

as Producer

1966
Ultra Q

as Production Supervisor

1966
Ultra Q

as Producer

Camera

1954
Invisible Man

as Director of Photography

1935
Chorus of a Million People

as Director of Photography

1935
Kaguya Hime

as Director of Photography

1928
Castle of Wind and Clouds

as Director of Photography

1926
A Page of Madness

as Assistant Camera

Director

Editor

1969
All Monsters Attack

as Editorial Consultant