Kaiju Productions

48 YEARS SINCE 1974: GODZILLA FINALLY RETURNS TO OKINAWA Announcing the opening of "Godzilla vs. Okinawa," the first official Godzilla event in Okinawa! "Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla" was the 20th anniversary Godzilla movie, the 14th entry of the long-running series, released on March 21, 1974. During these celebratory events, you will visit the Gyokusendo Caves at Okinawa World, Cape Manzamo, the ruins at Nakagusuku Castle, and experience Godzilla on Naha City's main street, K...okusai-dori (International Road). Starting January 8th, the first highlight of this event will be the opening of "Tokyo Godzilla Museum" (entrance fee required). Experience Godzilla with the latest XR, immersive experience, technology that comes to Okinawa for the first time! And then see the unveiling of a shuttle bus completely wrapped with our "Godzilla vs. Okinawa" motif, which will bring you to all of the event locations. Please take this opportunity to come aboard! Starting January 22nd, a Stamp Rally will be held along Kokusai-dori where you can participate at ten shops (at no additional cost). But, if you spend 1,000 yen or more at these participating shops, where a Godzilla standee appears, you will receive a special Godzilla postcard made of Okinawan shell ginger paper! This very rare postcard can only be obtained during this event! Also, customers who patronized all ten shops will receive a special shopping bag designed with our precious kaiju, Godzilla, Mechagodzilla, and King Shisa (while supplies last). Then, at the Gyokusendo Caves at Okinawa World, the rare Mechagodzilla suit used in "Terror of Mechagodzilla" (1975) will be on display - this is not to be missed! There will also be plenty of special exhibits and merchandise for sale at all the destinations! Godzilla and King Shisa standees will welcome you at Nakagusuku Castle and Cape Manzamo, respectively, where you can get a commemorative visitation stamp (at no additional cost). Godzilla, King of the Monsters, re-lands in Okinawa! We look forward to welcoming you to the many "Godzilla vs. Okinawa" events that will be held for the first time ever in Okinawa! The events run through March 27, 2022. (Text from the official website translated by August Ragone.) Official website (Japanese only): https://www.littlemonsters.co.jp/godzillavsokinawa.html

"SHIN ULTRAMAN" NEW RELEASE DATE & TEASER TRAILER! Shinji Higuchi and Hideaki Anno's long anticipated (and pushed back) feature film will bow in Japanese cinemas on Friday, May 13, 2022! Watch here: http://youtu.be/puH63Z62OO8

THE MAN WHO CREATED ULTRAMAN'S "BALTANS" HAS PASSED September 3, 1932 - October 17, 2021 Toshihiro Iijima, a former TBS (Tokyo Broadcasting System) TV network employee, producer and screenwriter, passed of aspiration pneumonia at a Yokohama hospital on October 17th. He was 89 years old. TBS announced his passing on the 18th. A funeral service held by close relatives. His wife, Hiroko Iijima, was the chief mourner.... Mr. Iijima joined Radio Tokyo (currently TBS) in 1957. He is also known for creating the characters and the name of the alien Baltans in 1966, when he was a writer and director on the ULTRAMAN series. He went on to become a producer of the Film Production Department at TBS in 1969. He was the producer of the hit 1980s drama, "To the Friday Wives" (Kinyobi-no Tsumata-tachi-e). There have been rumors that the name of the Baltans was taken from the Balkan Peninsula, which at the time was considered a volatile region of Europe, and inspired by French singer Sylvie Vartan. Mr. Iijima told Sports Hochi in 2011, "Both are correct. I based the name on the Balkan Peninsula, but a TBS ad man said, "Please take it from Sylvie," as she was so popular, and I thought it might be a better way to promote [ULTRAMAN]. I wasn't that invested, so I said, "That's sounds alright." (Translated from the notice appearing in Hochi Shimbun.)

AND NOW, AN ALL-NEW, "SINKING" SERIES STARTS IN OCTOBER! SUBMERSION OF JAPAN: PERSON OF HOPE is a retelling of the Sakyo Komatsu novel, adapted four previous times (as two feature films in 1973 and 2006, a 1974 teleseries, and a 2020 Netflix animated mini-series), featuring all-new characters in a different setting than previous versions. Starting off with behind-the-scenes political cloak-and-dagger - with the underlying theme of the series is, if such a disaster occurs, wh...o will step up as a leader to offer the people of Japan "hope." Here's the story synopsis: "2023, Tokyo. Prime Minister Eiichi Higashiyama attends the World Environmental Conference. Higashiyama has announced the promotion of 'COMS,' a system that liquefies pollutants and stores them in the gaps of the seafloor strata. With an eye on Japan in the future, the Japan Future Promotion Council was established, which gathers top young bureaucrats from every government ministry and agency. Keiji Amami of the Ministry of the Environment and Koichi Tokiwa of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry were also elected as members of the conference. Then, a news magazine article by Yusuke Tadokoro, sounding a warning to the sinking of the Kanto region, becomes the starting point for some groups to demonstrate. Tenkai faces Tadokoro during a public demonstration, but is given an ominous prophecy that, 'an island off the coast of Izu will sink in the near future. But, I fear that this is but a precursor to the sinking of the entire Kanto region." Soon afterward, Tenkai is informed by Minari Shiina, a news magazine reporter, that the Ministry of the Environment is suspicious of collusion with an environmental corporation known as 'D Plans.' Feeling some anxiety over these revelations, Tenkai goes scuba diving with Tokiwa, and encounters a shocking event..." The cast features Shun Oguri (Godzilla vs. Kong), Kenichi Matsuyama (Gantz), An (Yokai Ningen Bem), Eiji Wentz (Kamen Rider The First), Anne Nakamura (A.I. Love You), Jun Fubuki (Gamera, Guardian of the Universe), Jun Kunimura (Shin Godzilla), Renji Ishibashi (Great Yokai Wars: Guardians), and Toru "Tall" Nakamura (Dangerous Cops). Preceded by a half-hour special introducing the new series, this hour-long drama produced by the TBS network premieres October 10th at 9:00 pm (Japan Time). The number of episodes has not yet been announced. Check out the trailer: https://youtu.be/NLXitUDhxOM

REQUIESCAT IN PACE: MASANORI "MASANARI" NIHEI (1940-2021) Wanting to become an entertainer, Nihei joined Toho Studios in 1960. His tall, Eurasian appearance (his biological father was German), landed him in unusual roles, including his screen debut as "Assassin B" in Kihachi Okamoto's BLUEPRINT OF MURDER (1961). The early '60s saw him in bit and featured parts, including a Constable and an Infant Islander in Ishiro Honda's MOTHRA. He even played a street thug in MOTHRA's come...dy co-feature AWAMORI FOR HIRE, directed by Kengo Furusawa. The following year, he was cast as one of the Space Pilots in Honda's GORATH. Nihei gave a memorable performance as the goofy Chuha in Senkichi Taniguchi's SAMURAI PIRATE (1963), starring Toshiro Mifune (released in the US as THE LOST WORLD OF SINBAD). He also became a regular in both of Toho's "Young Guy" and "Crazy Cats" comedy film series. In 1966, Nihei became well-known for his role as Science Patrol Officer Ide ("Ito" in the English dubbed version) in the smash-hit teleseries ULTRAMAN. He appeared in many more such roles in feature films and television productions through 2008. In 1972, he married photographer Akiko Fukushima, a union that produced two children. His hobbies included Chigiri-e (colored paper collage) and firearms. On August 21, 2021, Nihei succumbed to aspiration pneumonia. His memorial was attended by close relatives. Masanori Nihei was 80 years old. (2016 photo courtesy of @profondorosso75)

CELEBRATING THE 120th BIRTHDAY OF EIJI "OYAJI" TSUBURAYA! According to the family register, the "Father of Japanese Special Visual Effects" was born on July 10, 1901 as Eiichi Tsumuraya in Sukagawa, Fukushima. As with his life, even his date of birth is steeped in legend - official sources list that Eiji Tsuburaya was born on July 7th - a date of fortune in the tradition of Tanabata (meaning "Seven Evenings"), a Japanese star festival derived from the celebration of ancestors..., known as Obon. Celebrated on July 7th or August 7th, Tanabata commemorates the meeting of Orihime (Vega) and Hikoboshi (Altair). Originating from the Chinese Festival to Plead for Skills (Oi Xi), which came to Japan in the Heian Period (795-1192), and spread to the public during the Edo Period (1603-1867), where it was then combined with Obon traditions. Starting during the the Edo Period, girls wished for better sewing and craftsmanship skills, while boys wished for better calligraphy skills, by writing wishes on strips of tanzaku paper, which were hung on bamboo trees. This tradition is still practiced today. A Japanese claiming they were born on the Tanabata, was akin to an American saying they were born on Independence Day. So, even if Eiji Tsuburaya did not come into the world on July 7th, the myth of Tanabata certainly was apt, as Tsuburaya would become famous for his multiple artistic and practical skills, which he had in spades. Eventually, the name Tsuburaya would become world-renown with the production of GODZILLA (1954) and has yet to fade.

DAIMAJIN STRIKES IN MIIKE'S "GREAT YOKAI WAR: GUARDIANS"! Brand-new images, poster, and a 90-second trailer for the follow-up to Takashi Miike's 2005 fantasy film, just dropped - which reveal the return of Daimajin, who appeared in a trilogy of legendary films from Daiei Studios in 1966. Miike was originally scheduled to helm a Daimajin solo film, after the success of his first YOKAI WAR flick, which never materialized. Now, the big stone idol is featured large and in-charge in this highly-anticipated follow-up from Miike opening nationwide in Japan on August 13th! Check out the trailer, here: https://youtu.be/kMYdCNhlCgc Official Website: https://movies.kadokawa.co.jp/yokai/

MILL CREEK ENTERTAINMENT TO RELEASE "GRIDMAN" SERIES! According to this listing on the DeepDiscount.com website, Tsuburaya Production's 1993 live action series, GRIDMAN, THE HYPER AGENT (as it is titled for the foreign market) will be dropping in a four-disc Blu-ray box set this coming August 17th. This set, like lion's share of Mill Creek's Ultra Series releases, will be in Japanese language with English Subtitles. Thanks to Jeff Hubbard for the heads up! Deep Discount link: deepdiscount.com/gridman-the-hyper-agent/683904635457

SNEAK PEEK OF THE "MOTHRA VS. GODZILLA" RESTORATION Nippon Eiga Senmon Channel just ran the 2K downscale of the 4K restoration of Ishiro Honda's MOTHRA VS. GODZILLA (1964), and here are a few images of the scene where the Big G emerges from the typhoon wreckage. It's important to note that these are not "screen shots," but rather, these are photos shot off of a monitor with a smart phone. Imagine how good it really looks, and this is the 2K downscale! Hopefully, this will result in a near future Ultra HD 4K Blu-ray release of the film by Toho Video, similar to the version of KING KONG VS. GODZILLA just released this week. As you can see, this remaster leans towards blue, as previous home video iterations of the 1960s Toho films were skewed towards green - this is a marked improvement. Images courtesy of Twitter user @pasinpasin

HERE'S YOUR MOVIE POSTER FOR "PRINCE OF SPACE: 2021"! The latest Minoru Kawasaki joint opens in select Japanese cinemas starting in August - could that be the Phantom Mission (Krankor) in the upper left? Also, check out the teaser trailer over on the official website or the direct YouTube link! Official website: yousayouji2021.pal-ep.com/ Teaser trailer: youtu.be/xuIyQ7g6LTw

SNEAK PEEK! "MOTHRA VS. GODZILLA" 4K UHD RESTORATION! Here are some shots - not screen shots - taken off a monitor with a digital camera of the preview trailer for the Nihon Eiga Senmon Channel's upcoming broadcast of Toho's 4K restoration of MOTHRA VS. GODZILLA (1964). Here's the catch, these images are from the 4K, but downscaled to 2K, as the channel does not broadcast in 4K, yet. Still, even with shots taken off a screen, we can see the marked improvement, as well as the ...obvious "before and after" comparisons. The restoration bows on Thursday, May 13th at 9:00 pm (Japan Time). With the pending release of the 4K Restoration of KING KONG VS. GODZILLA on UHD 4K Blu-ray this month, perhaps it won't be long before we will see MOTHRA VS. GODZILLA receive the same physical media treatment in true 4K UHD. Not to mention the other films in this broadcast series on the Nihon Eiga Senmon Channel, as well as the rest of the Godzilla catalog in the near future. Nor the previously-announced 4K Restoration of MOTHRA (1961) in select Japanese cinemas this December. Stay tuned... (Images courtesy of Twitter user @pasinpasin)

THE KING OF KAIJU ARTISTS' FIRST ENGLISH BOOK COMING! London-based Titan Books in collaboration with Yuji Kaida, the greatest living kaiju artist on earth, have announced the first English-language art book, jam-packed with 128-pages focusing on the King of the Monsters - which will be released on October 12, 2021 - and now available for pre-ordering! "Best known for his vivid illustrations of Godzilla and other popular Toho kaiju, some of Mr. Kaida's most beautiful work is p...resented here in this full-color flexicover volume, including a brand new piece showing Godzilla in London, created especially for this book," which also includes and interview with the artist by movie director Shinji Higuchi. $24.95. Having known Yuji since 1979, I say that it's high time that a much larger spotlight is shined on an amazing artist who has spent his life waist deep in kaiju and nearly a half-century of perfecting his craft. "Whether you are an admirer of this Japanese master's work or just a fan of monster movie art, this book is an essential purchase!" Amazon: amazon.com/dp/1789097908 Target: target.com/p/-/A-82864495

CELEBRATING THE ANNIVERSARY OF "MOTHRA VS. GODZILLA"! This standout production in the original series of kaiju eiga (monster films) directed by Ishiro Honda and Eiji Tsuburaya was unleashed upon Japanese moviegoers 57 years ago on Wednesday, April 29, 1964!

"GODZILLA" STOMPED INTO NEW YORK ON THIS DATE IN 1956! The Americanized version of Ishiro Honda's seminal Japanese monster movie, "Godzilla, King of the Monsters," besieged the 3,316-seat Lowe's State Theatre at 1540 Broadway in Times Square. It was the only theater screening the film in the United States that Friday and it ran for a successful 18 days - most genre films were in and out of theaters within a week - "Godzilla" was a smash hit. In those days, movies - even big H...ollywood productions - did not open all across the country on the same day. They moved from region to state and from town to city. From Manhattan, Godzilla marched into Vermont, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Tennessee, South Carolina, Florida, Ohio, Missouri, South Dakota, and Texas. "Godzilla" eventually crashed into Los Angeles in July. But, an odd thing happened... Godzilla kept stomping into theaters around the nation well into 1958, covering areas already demolished as well as cities and towns that the King of the Monsters missed the first time 'round, marching on to becoming a second feature and a special late-night presentation. Then, it received a boost when the Raymond Burr television series, "Perry Mason," became an overnight success, garnering "Godzilla" more theatrical dates. This continued up until its Monday through Friday television premiere on New York's WOR-9's "Million Dollar Movie" starting on October 13, 1958 at 7:30 and 10:30 pm. Such a ratings hit for WOR-9, "Godzilla," was broadcast three consecutive times that Saturday, October 18th, between 2:00 and 6:30 pm, and then the next night at 5:00 pm. Even still, as "Godzilla" came to stations across America, it was still being booked into movie theaters and drive-ins. Thus proving that Godzilla is truly the "King of the Monsters"! (This huge ad appeared in the Friday, April 27, 1956 edition of the New York Daily News.)