Eiji Tsuburaya
Known For: Visual Effects
Gender: Male
Date of Birth: July 7, 1901
Day of Death: January 25, 1970 (69 years old)
Place of Birth: 日本,京都府
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.
2022
2020
2019
2017
1993
1979
1977
1972
1970
1969
1968
1967
Director
Ultraman: Monster Movie Feature
Visual Effects
Son of Godzilla
Visual Effects
King Kong Escapes
Special Effects
King Kong Escapes
Visual Effects Director
King Kong Escapes
Production Supervisor
Ultraman: Monster Movie Feature
Producer
Ultraman: Monster Movie Feature
Creator
Ultraman: Monster Movie Feature
1966
Actor
ウルトラマン前夜祭 ウルトラマン誕生
Actor
The Father of Ultra Q
Special Effects
Ebirah, Horror of the Deep
Special Effects Supervisor
Ebirah, Horror of the Deep
Visual Effects
Ebirah, Horror of the Deep
Special Effects
Zero Fighter
Visual Effects
The War of the Gargantuas
Creator
The Birth of Ultraman
Visual Effects Director
The War of the Gargantuas
Special Effects
The War of the Gargantuas
1965
1964
Special Effects
Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster
Special Effects
Mothra vs. Godzilla
Special Effects Supervisor
Whirlwind
Visual Effects Director
Mothra vs. Godzilla
Visual Effects
Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster
Visual Effects Director
Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster
Special Effects
Tiger Flight
Visual Effects
Mothra vs. Godzilla
Special Effects
Dogora
Visual Effects
Dogora
Visual Effects Director
Dogora
1963
1962
1961
1960
Special Effects
The Human Vapor
Visual Effects
The Human Vapor
Visual Effects Director
The Human Vapor
Visual Effects
The Secret of the Telegian
Special Effects
The Storm of the Pacific
Visual Effects
The Storm of the Pacific
Visual Effects Director
The Storm of the Pacific
Visual Effects Director
The Secret of the Telegian
Special Effects
The Secret of the Telegian
1959
Special Effects
Battle in Outer Space
Visual Effects Director
Battle in Outer Space
Special Effects Supervisor
The Adventures of Sun Wu Kung
Special Effects
The Three Treasures
Special Effects
Gigantis, the Fire Monster
Visual Effects
Gigantis, the Fire Monster
Visual Effects Director
Gigantis, the Fire Monster
Special Effects Supervisor
Submarine I-57 Will Not Surrender
Visual Effects
The Three Treasures
Visual Effects
Battle in Outer Space
1958
Visual Effects
Half Human: The Story of the Abominable Snowman
Visual Effects
The Tale of the White Serpent
Visual Effects
The H-Man
Visual Effects
Varan
Visual Effects
The Hidden Fortress
Special Effects
Varan
Special Effects
Half Human: The Story of the Abominable Snowman
Visual Effects Director
Varan
Visual Effects Director
Half Human: The Story of the Abominable Snowman
Special Effects
Song for a Bride
Visual Effects
Song for a Bride
1957
Special Effects
The Mysterians
Visual Effects
Godzilla, the Monster of the Pacific Ocean
Visual Effects Director
Godzilla, the Monster of the Pacific Ocean
Story
Godzilla, the Monster of the Pacific Ocean
Special Effects
Godzilla, the Monster of the Pacific Ocean
Visual Effects
Throne of Blood
Visual Effects
The Paradise Island Story
Visual Effects
The Mysterians
Story
Tokyo 1960
Special Effects
Tokyo 1960
Visual Effects
Tokyo 1960
Visual Effects Director
Tokyo 1960
Visual Effects Director
The Mysterians
Special Effects
Rodan! The Flying Monster!
Visual Effects Director
Rodan! The Flying Monster!
1956
Visual Effects
Rodan
Story
Godzilla, King of the Monsters!
Special Effects Supervisor
The Legend of the White Serpent
Visual Effects Director
Godzilla, King of the Monsters!
Special Effects
Godzilla, King of the Monsters!
Visual Effects Director
Rodan
Special Effects
Rodan
Visual Effects
Godzilla, King of the Monsters!
1955
1954
Visual Effects
Samurai I: Musashi Miyamoto
Special Effects
Sound of the Mountain
Story
Godzilla
Special Effects
Farewell Rabaul
Visual Effects Director
Godzilla
Visual Effects
Godzilla
Special Effects
Godzilla
Visual Effects
Invisible Man
Director of Photography
Invisible Man
Special Effects
Invisible Man
Visual Effects Director
Invisible Man
1953
1952
1951
1949
1947
1946
1945
1944
1943
1942
VFX Director of Photography
Bouquet of the South Seas
Screenplay
Ramayana
Special Effects
Ramayana
Special Effects
The War at Sea from Hawaii to Malaya
Visual Effects
The War at Sea from Hawaii to Malaya
Visual Effects Director
The War at Sea from Hawaii to Malaya
Special Effects
Wings of Victory
Visual Effects
Wings of Victory
Visual Effects Director
Wings of Victory
