Haruo Nakajima
Encyclopedia
is a famous Japanese
actor
. He is best known for playing Godzilla
and is considered by many to be the best suit actor in the long history of the franchise. At the time, Toho's visual effects director, Eiji Tsuburaya
considered Nakajima completely invaluable, and was employed to essay the roles of most of the kaiju
(Japanese monsters) during his reign as the King of the Monsters (1954-1972). After 23 years, Nakajima retired from suit acting upon completion of Godzilla vs. Gigan
(1972), when the studio cycled him out of their contract actor system, after Toho had been split into several subsidiaries in 1970. Nakajima was still employed by Toho for several years, and was transferred to a job at Toho's bowling alley, located on the studio lot (now defunct).
Starting in the late 1990s, Nakajima made a series of personal appearances in Chicago
, New York City
, New Jersey
, and Hollywood (in 2000) at various Japanese monster-themed conventions. He is currently scheduled to appear at the Monsterpalooza convention in Burbank
, California
on April 8-10, 2011. His Japanese-language autobiography, 『怪獣人生 元祖ゴジラ俳優・中島春雄』(Monster Life: Haruo Nakajima, The Original Godzilla Actor), published by Yosensha, was released on July 17, 2010.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
. He is best known for playing Godzilla
Godzilla
is a daikaijū, a Japanese movie monster, first appearing in Ishirō Honda's 1954 film Godzilla. Since then, Godzilla has gone on to become a worldwide pop culture icon starring in 28 films produced by Toho Co., Ltd. The monster has appeared in numerous other media incarnations including video games,...
and is considered by many to be the best suit actor in the long history of the franchise. At the time, Toho's visual effects director, Eiji Tsuburaya
Eiji Tsuburaya
was the Japanese special effects director responsible for many Japanese science-fiction movies, including the Godzilla series...
considered Nakajima completely invaluable, and was employed to essay the roles of most of the kaiju
Kaiju
is a Japanese word that means "strange beast," but often translated in English as "monster". Specifically, it is used to refer to a genre of tokusatsu entertainment....
(Japanese monsters) during his reign as the King of the Monsters (1954-1972). After 23 years, Nakajima retired from suit acting upon completion of Godzilla vs. Gigan
Godzilla vs. Gigan
Godzilla vs. Gigan, released in Japan as and also known as Godzilla on Monster Island when first released to U.S. theaters, is a 1972 Science Fiction Kaiju film. The 12th of Toho Studio's Godzilla series, it was directed by Jun Fukuda with special effects by Teruyoshi Nakano. It is the fourth film...
(1972), when the studio cycled him out of their contract actor system, after Toho had been split into several subsidiaries in 1970. Nakajima was still employed by Toho for several years, and was transferred to a job at Toho's bowling alley, located on the studio lot (now defunct).
Starting in the late 1990s, Nakajima made a series of personal appearances in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, and Hollywood (in 2000) at various Japanese monster-themed conventions. He is currently scheduled to appear at the Monsterpalooza convention in Burbank
Burbank
Burbank is both a common placename in English-speaking countries and a common surname . The name Burbank is of English origin and means "lives on the castle's hill".- United States :* Burbank, California...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
on April 8-10, 2011. His Japanese-language autobiography, 『怪獣人生 元祖ゴジラ俳優・中島春雄』(Monster Life: Haruo Nakajima, The Original Godzilla Actor), published by Yosensha, was released on July 17, 2010.
Films (incomplete listing)
- 1952 - Sword For HireSword for Hire, literal English title: Vagabonds in a Country at War, is a 1952 black-and-white Japanese film directed by Hiroshi Inagaki.- External links : http://www.jmdb.ne.jp/1952/cb001070.htm...
- 1952 - The Woman Who Touched the Legs
- 1953 - Eagle of the PacificEagle of the Pacificaka Operation Kamikaze is a 1953 black-and-white Japanese film directed by Ishirō Honda....
- 1954 - Farewell RabaulFarewell Rabaulis a black-and-white 1954 Japanese film directed by Ishirō Honda.-External links: http://www.ishirohonda.com/works/195402-saraba/195402-saraba.shtml http://www.jmdb.ne.jp/1954/cd000430.htm...
- 1954 - Seven Samurai
- 1954 - GodzillaGodzilla (1954 film)is a 1954 Japanese science fiction film directed by Ishirō Honda and produced by Tomoyuki Tanaka. The film stars Akira Takarada, Momoko Kōchi, Akihiko Hirata and Takashi Shimura. The film tells the story of Godzilla, a giant monster mutated by nuclear radiation, who ravages Japan, bringing back the...
(GodzillaGodzillais a daikaijū, a Japanese movie monster, first appearing in Ishirō Honda's 1954 film Godzilla. Since then, Godzilla has gone on to become a worldwide pop culture icon starring in 28 films produced by Toho Co., Ltd. The monster has appeared in numerous other media incarnations including video games,...
) - 1954 - Tomei NingenTomei Ningenis a black-and-white Japanese action / horror film, originally released in 1954. Produced by the Toho studio, the film is a loose adaption of the science fiction novella entitled The Invisible Man, written by British author H.G. Wells in 1897...
- 1955 - Meoto zenzaiMeoto zenzaiis a 1955 black-and-white Japanese film drama directed by Shirō Toyoda. It is an adaptation of the 1939 novel of the same name by Sakunosuke Oda.- Cast :* Hisaya Morishige* Chikage Awashima* Youko Tsukasa* Chieko Naniwa* Haruo Tanaka* and others...
- 1955 - Godzilla Raids AgainGodzilla Raids Again, also known in the United States as Gigantis, the Fire Monster, is a 1955 Japanese black-and-white kaiju film directed by Motoyoshi Oda, written by Shigeru Koyama, Shigeaki Hidaka and Takeo Murata, and produced by Toho....
(Godzilla) - 1956 - Madame Whitesnake
- 1956 - RodanRodan (film)Rodan, released in Japan as , is a 1956 Kaiju film produced by Toho Studios. It was the studio's first Kaiju movie filmed in color...
(RodanRodanis a fictional Japanese mutated pterosaur introduced in Rodan, a 1956 release from Toho Studios, the company responsible for the Godzilla series. Like Godzilla and Anguirus, he is designed after a type of prehistoric reptile...
, MeganulonMegaguirusare fictional characters that were Paleozoic giant insects reanimated by mining operations in Kitamatsu village, Kumamoto Prefecture, in the 1956 kaiju eiga Rodan. The Meganulon made a return in the film Godzilla vs...
) - 1957 - The MysteriansThe MysteriansThe Mysterians, released in Japan as , is a tokusatsu science fiction film produced and released by Toho Studios in 1957. It was directed by the "Golden Duo" of Ishirō Honda and Eiji Tsuburaya . It is notable for being the first tokusatsu filmed in TohoScope and the first Toho film to use...
(MogeraMogeraMogera is a genus of mammal in the Talpidae family.It contains the following species:* Echigo Mole * Small Japanese Mole Mogera is a genus of mammal in the Talpidae family.It contains the following species:* Echigo Mole (Mogera etigo)* Small Japanese Mole Mogera is a genus of mammal in the Talpidae...
) - 1958 - Varan the UnbelievableVaran the UnbelievableVaran the Unbelievable, released in Japan as , is a 1958 Kaiju film directed by Ishirō Honda and Eiji Tsuburaya , and their last black-and-white monster film. The title character Varan is one of Toho Studios' least-famed creations. Although shown in Japanese-language theaters in the USA, the film...
(VaranVaranis a kaiju that first appeared in Varan the Unbelievable . Physically, Varan resembles a giant reptile with skin membranes between his arms and legs, allowing him to glide much like a flying dragon or flying squirrel; he also has a horned head....
) - 1958 - The H-ManThe H-ManThe H-Man, known in Japan as , is a tokusatsu film produced and released by Toho Studios in 1958. The film was made by Toho's legendary Godzilla directing/special effects/producing team of Ishirō Honda, Eiji Tsuburaya, and Tomoyuki Tanaka, and is considered part of Toho's "mutant trilogy," along...
- 1958 - The Hidden FortressThe Hidden Fortressis a 1958 jidai-geki film directed by Akira Kurosawa and starring Toshirō Mifune as General and Misa Uehara as Princess Yuki. A literal translation of the Japanese title is The Three Villains of the Hidden Fortress.-Plot:...
- 1959 - Boss of the Underworld
- 1959 - Submarine I-57 Will Not SurrenderSubmarine I-57 Will Not Surrenderis a 1959 Japanese war film directed by Shūe Matsubayashi.Special effects were made by Eiji Tsuburaya.-Cast:* Ryō Ikebe* Tatsuya Mihashi* Akihiko Hirata* Akira Kubo* Susumu Fujita* Minoru Takada* Maria Laurenti* Andrew Hughes* Hisaya Ito- See also :...
- 1959 - Desperado Outpost
- 1959 - The Last Gunfight
- 1960 - Secret of the TelegianSecret of the TelegianThe Secret of the Telegian, released in Japan as , is a 1960 tokusatsu sci-fi/horror/mystery film. Produced by Toho Company, Ltd., the film was directed by Jun Fukuda , and written by Shinichi Sekizawa, with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya and some scenes by Teruyoshi Nakano...
- 1960 - Storm Over the PacificStorm Over the Pacificis a 1960 color Japanese film directed by Shūe Matsubayashi.It is the first color widescreen war film from Toho Studios...
- 1960 - Westward Desperado
- 1960 - The Human VaporThe Human VaporThe Human Vapor, known in Japan as , is a tokusatsu film produced and released by Toho Studios in 1960. The film was made by Toho's legendary Godzilla directing/special effects/producing team of Ishirō Honda, Eiji Tsuburaya, and Tomoyuki Tanaka...
- 1961 - YojimboYojimbois a Japanese word for bouncer, or bodyguard. The term may also refer to:* Yojimbo , a 1961 film by Akira Kurosawa, starring Toshiro Mifune* Yojimbo , an information organizer for Mac OS X* Yo-Jin-Bo, a visual novel about three yojinbo...
- 1961 - Daredevil in the Castle
- 1961 - MothraMothra (film)is a 1961 Kaiju film from Toho Studios, directed by genre regular Ishirō Honda with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. It is the kaiju eiga debut of screenwriter Shinichi Sekizawa, whose approach to the genre grew to prominence during the 1960s...
(MothraMothrais a kaiju, a type of fictional monster who first appeared in the serialized novel The Luminous Fairies and Mothra by Takehiko Fukunaga, Shinichiro Nakamura, and Yoshie Hotta...
) - 1961 - The Last WarThe Last WarThe Last War may refer to one of the following:* The Last War , a 1961 film, known in Japan as Sekai Daisenso directed by Shūe Matsubayashi from a script by Toshio Yasumi and Takeshi Kimura....
- 1962 - GorathGorathGorath, released in Japan as , is a Japanese science fiction tokusatsu film produced by Toho in 1962. The story for Gorath was by Jojiro Okami.-Synopsis:...
(Maguma) - 1962 - King Kong vs. GodzillaKing Kong vs. Godzillais a 1962 Japanese science fiction kaiju film produced by Toho Studios. Directed by Ishirō Honda with visual effects by Eiji Tsuburaya, the film starred Tadao Takashima, Kenji Sahara, and Mie Hama. It was the third installment in the Japanese series of films featuring the monster Godzilla...
(GodzillaGodzillais a daikaijū, a Japanese movie monster, first appearing in Ishirō Honda's 1954 film Godzilla. Since then, Godzilla has gone on to become a worldwide pop culture icon starring in 28 films produced by Toho Co., Ltd. The monster has appeared in numerous other media incarnations including video games,...
) - 1962 - Chushingura: Hana no Maki, Yuki no Maki
- 1963 - Wings Over the Pacific
- 1963 - Sengoku YaroSengoku Yarois a 1963 Japanese jidaigeki period black comedy adventure film directed by Kihachi Okamoto, co-written by Shinichi Sekizawa and starring Yūzō Kayama. Masaru Satō composed the music for the film...
- 1963 - MatangoMatango, also known as Matango, Fungus of Terror and Attack of the Mushroom People, is a 1963 Japanese tokusatsu movie. It was directed by Ishirō Honda, written by Takeshi Kimura based on the story "The Voice in the Night" by William Hope Hodgson , and had special...
(Matango) - 1963 - AtragonAtragonAtragon, released in Japan as , is a 1963 Toho tokusatsu film based on a series of juvenile adventure novels under the banner Kaitei Gunkan by Shunrō Oshikawa and the illustrated story Kaitei Okoku by illustrator Shigeru Komatsuzaki, serialized in a monthly magazine for boys...
- 1964 - Mothra vs. GodzillaMothra vs. Godzillais a 1964 science fiction kaiju film directed by Ishirō Honda. It was the fourth film to be released in the Godzilla series, produced by Toho Company Ltd...
(GodzillaGodzillais a daikaijū, a Japanese movie monster, first appearing in Ishirō Honda's 1954 film Godzilla. Since then, Godzilla has gone on to become a worldwide pop culture icon starring in 28 films produced by Toho Co., Ltd. The monster has appeared in numerous other media incarnations including video games,...
) - 1964 - Dogora, the Space Monster
- 1964 - Ghidorah, the Three-Headed MonsterGhidorah, the Three-Headed MonsterGhidorah, the Three-Headed Monster, released in Japan as and originally released in the US as Ghidrah, the Three-Headed Monster, is a 1964 science fiction kaiju film, and is the 5th film in Toho's Godzilla series...
(Godzilla) - 1965 - Retreat from Kiska
- 1965 - Frankenstein vs. BaragonFrankenstein Conquers the WorldFrankenstein Conquers the World, released in Japan as , with Toho's official English title being Frankenstein vs. Baragon, is a kaiju film produced in 1965 by Toho Company Ltd...
(BaragonBaragonis a fictional Kaiju that was first featured in the 1965 Toho-produced film, Frankenstein Conquers the World. Baragon is a four-legged dinosaur with a horn on his head and large ears. His main weapon is a heat ray that he can fire from his mouth...
) - 1965 - Invasion of the Astro-MonsterInvasion of Astro-MonsterInvasion of Astro-Monster is a Science Fiction kaiju film released in 1965 as a direct sequel to Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster...
(Godzilla) - 1966 - The War of the GargantuasWar of the GargantuasThe War of the Gargantuas, released in Japan as , is a 1966 Kaiju film, sequel to Frankenstein vs. Baragon.It introduces two giant, hairy humanoids called Gargantuas, which spawned from the discarded cells of Frankenstein's monster from the previous film and are described as brothers...
(Gaira) - 1966 - Godzilla vs. the Sea MonsterGodzilla vs. the Sea MonsterGodzilla vs. the Sea Monster, released in Japan as and known internationally as Ebirah, Horror of the Deep, is a 1966 science fiction kaiju film directed by Jun Fukuda and written by Shinichi Sekizawa. This is the first film in the series with special effects directed by Sadamasa Arikawa...
(Godzilla) - 1967 - Son of GodzillaSon of GodzillaSon of Godzilla, released in Japan as , is a 1967 science fiction kaiju film. The eighth part of the Toho studio's Godzilla series, it was directed by Jun Fukuda with special effects by Sadamasa Arikawa It is the first film to feature Kamacuras, Kumonga, and Minilla.-Plot:A team of scientists are...
(Godzilla; water scenes only) - 1967 - King Kong EscapesKing Kong EscapesKing Kong Escapes, released in Japan as , is a 1967 Kaiju film. A Japanese/American co-production from Toho and Rankin/Bass . Directed by Ishiro Honda and featuring special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya, the film starred both American actors alongside Japanese actors...
(King KongKing KongKing Kong is a fictional character, a giant movie monster resembling a gorilla, that has appeared in several movies since 1933. These include the groundbreaking 1933 movie, the film remakes of 1976 and 2005, as well as various sequels of the first two films...
) - 1968 - Destroy All MonstersDestroy All MonstersDestroy All Monsters, released in Japan as , is a 1968 Japanese horror Science fiction Kaiju film. The ninth in Toho Studios' Godzilla series, it was directed by Ishirō Honda with special effects by Sadamasa Arikawa This is the fifth film to feature Mothra, third to feature King Ghidorah, fourth...
(Godzilla, Military Adviser) - 1969 - Latitude Zero (Gryphon, Manbat, Giant Rat, Lion)
- 1969 - All Monsters AttackAll Monsters AttackAll Monsters Attack, released in Japan as , is a 1969 tokusatsu Kaiju film, also known as Godzilla's Revenge The 10th film in Toho Studio's Godzilla series, it was directed by Ishirō Honda, who also directed the special effects, assisted by Teruyoshi Nakano. This is the second film to feature...
(Godzilla) - 1970 - Space AmoebaSpace AmoebaSpace Amoeba, released in Japan as , is a 1970 Kaiju film produced and released by Toho Studios. This was one of director Ishirō Honda's last kaiju movies, and the first such movie made after the death of special-effects director Eiji Tsuburaya...
(Gezora, Ganime) - 1971 - Godzilla vs. HedorahGodzilla vs. Hedorah, also known as Godzilla vs. the Smog Monster, is a 1971 science fiction kaiju film. The eleventh film in Toho Co. Ltd.'s Godzilla series , it was directed by Yoshimitsu Banno with special effects by Teruyoshi Nakano. It was the first film to feature Hedorah. The score was composed by Riichiro Manabe...
(Godzilla) - 1972 - Godzilla vs. GiganGodzilla vs. GiganGodzilla vs. Gigan, released in Japan as and also known as Godzilla on Monster Island when first released to U.S. theaters, is a 1972 Science Fiction Kaiju film. The 12th of Toho Studio's Godzilla series, it was directed by Jun Fukuda with special effects by Teruyoshi Nakano. It is the fourth film...
(Godzilla, Comic Book Publisher, Defense Forces Officer) - 1973 - Japan SinksNihon Chinbotsu (1973 film)is a 1973 film directed by Shiro Moritani. It is based on the novel Japan Sinks by Sakyo Komatsu, published the same year. The film stars Lorne Greene, Keiju Kobayashi, Hiroshi Fujioka and Ayumi Ishida. A remake was released in 2006, Nihon Chinbotsu, loosely based on a second section of this...
(Prime Minister's Chauffeur)
TV (incomplete listing)
- 1966 - Ultra QUltra Qis a tokusatsu SF/kaiju series made in the tradition of Toho's many tokusatsu sci-fi/horror films.Produced in black and white by Tokyo Broadcasting System/Tsuburaya Productions, this is actually the first of the long-running Ultra Series, and was broadcast on Tokyo Broadcasting System from January...
(Gomess, Pagos) - 1966, 1967 - UltramanUltramanis Japanese television series that first aired in 1966. Ultraman, the first and best-known of the "Ultra-Crusaders," made his debut in the tokusatsu SF/kaiju/superhero TV series, , a follow-up to the television series Ultra Q...
(NerongaNerongais a fictional kaiju from the tokusatsu TV series, Ultraman. The kaiju was made from the 1965 Baragon.Subtitle: .-History:Hiding underneath an old well, Neronga awoke when two friends of the Science Patrol ran into his eye. Bellowing in hunger, the invisible monster emerged form underground, and...
, GaboraGaboraGabora was a monster from the television series Ultraman. The suit is a re-used Baragon with King Kong's roar from 1962 King Kong vs GodzillaSubtitle: .- Ultraman :...
, JirassJirassis a fictional kaiju from the tokusatsu TV series, Ultraman. The suit of the monster is actually a loosely disguised Godzilla suit, the same one used for the first Ultra Kaiju, Gomess...
, KiylaKiylais a fictional kaiju from the tokusatsu TV series, Ultraman. Kiyla appeared in Episodes 38.Subtitle: .- History :While searching the planet of Q for life, a robotic camera came upon a huge eye that released a bright light into the lens. The people watching were blinded for a few minutes and soon...
) - 1967, 1968 - Ultra SevenUltra Sevenis tokusatsu SF TV series that aired on Japanese TV in 1967. Created by Eiji Tsuburaya, this follow up to Ultraman went on to become one of Japan's greatest fantasy TV series...
(U-Tom)
External links
- Roberto, John Rocco. Shigeko Kojima (trans.) Winter 1999. "An Interview with Godzilla: Hauro Nakajima", Kaiju Fan Online. Originally published in Kaiju Fan.