Ishiro Honda
Encyclopedia
Ishirō Honda sometimes miscredited in foreign releases as "Inoshiro Honda", (May 7, 1911, in Yamagata Prefecture
– February 28, 1993) was a Japanese
film director
. His early film career included working as an assistant under the famed director Akira Kurosawa
.
Alongside his film duties, he was drafted into the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II in China and was a prisoner there when the war ended.
films including several entries in the Godzilla
series. He directed the original Godzilla
along with King Kong vs. Godzilla
(1962), Mothra vs. Godzilla
(1964), All Monsters Attack
(1969), and many others until 1975. He also directed such tokusatsu
films such as Rodan
and Mothra
. His last feature film was Terror of Mechagodzilla
(1975).
The following years were spent directing various science fiction TV shows. The superhero
shows Return of Ultraman
, Mirrorman
, and Zone Fighter
were also his. In addition, he directed the cult film
Matango
.
At the end of his career, he returned to working as an assistant director for his old friend Akira Kurosawa. Allegedly one segment of the Kurosawa film Dreams was actually directed by Honda following Kurosawa's detailed storyboards.
His most memorable quotation: "Monsters are born too tall, too strong, too heavy—that is their tragedy," when he spoke of his film Rodan. This statement alone would give fans the impression that his intent was to give all kaiju
a distinct personality instead of just being a monster-on-the-loose
.
Yamagata Prefecture
-Fruit:Yamagata Prefecture is the largest producer of cherries and pears in Japan. A large quantity of other kinds of fruits such as grapes, apples, peaches, melons, persimmons and watermelons are also produced.- Demographics :...
– February 28, 1993) was a Japanese
Japanese people
The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
film director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
. His early film career included working as an assistant under the famed director Akira Kurosawa
Akira Kurosawa
was a Japanese film director, producer, screenwriter and editor. Regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers in the history of cinema, Kurosawa directed 30 filmsIn 1946, Kurosawa co-directed, with Hideo Sekigawa and Kajiro Yamamoto, the feature Those Who Make Tomorrow ;...
.
Alongside his film duties, he was drafted into the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II in China and was a prisoner there when the war ended.
Life
He is probably best known for his tokusatsuTokusatsu
is a Japanese term that applies to any live-action film or television drama that usually features superheroes and makes considerable use of special effects ....
films including several entries in the 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,...
series. He directed the original Godzilla
Godzilla (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...
along with King Kong vs. Godzilla
King Kong vs. Godzilla
is 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...
(1962), Mothra vs. Godzilla
Mothra vs. Godzilla
is 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...
(1964), All Monsters Attack
All Monsters Attack
All 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...
(1969), and many others until 1975. He also directed such tokusatsu
Tokusatsu
is a Japanese term that applies to any live-action film or television drama that usually features superheroes and makes considerable use of special effects ....
films such as Rodan
Rodan
is 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...
and Mothra
Mothra
is 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...
. His last feature film was Terror of Mechagodzilla
Terror of Mechagodzilla
Terror of Mechagodzilla, released in Japan as , is a 1975 science fiction kaiju film. The film was titled The Terror of Godzilla in its original American theatrical release. The 15th film in Toho's Godzilla series, it was directed by Ishirō Honda with special effects by Teruyoshi Nakano...
(1975).
The following years were spent directing various science fiction TV shows. The superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
shows Return of Ultraman
Return of Ultraman
is a tokusatsu SF/kaiju/superhero TV series, and is the 4th Ultra Series.Eiji Tsuburaya had originally intended for the Ultra Series to end with the 1967 series Ultra Seven , but Ultraman proved to be too popular a character to keep down...
, Mirrorman
Mirrorman (TV series)
is the title superhero of a tokusatsu SF/kaiju/superhero TV series, Mirrorman. Produced by Tsuburaya Productions, the series aired on Fuji TV from December 5, 1971 to November 26, 1972, with a total of 51 episodes. This was Tsuburaya Productions' first non-Ultra superhero...
, and Zone Fighter
Zone Fighter
Zone Fighter, known in Japan as , is a tokusatsu science fiction superhero television series. Produced by Toho Company Ltd., the show aired on Nippon Television from April 2 to September 24, 1973, with a total of 26 episodes, it was cancelled due to the oil crisis of 1973...
were also his. In addition, he directed the cult film
Cult film
A cult film, also commonly referred to as a cult classic, is a film that has acquired a highly devoted but specific group of fans. Often, cult movies have failed to achieve fame outside the small fanbases; however, there have been exceptions that have managed to gain fame among mainstream audiences...
Matango
Matango
, 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...
.
At the end of his career, he returned to working as an assistant director for his old friend Akira Kurosawa. Allegedly one segment of the Kurosawa film Dreams was actually directed by Honda following Kurosawa's detailed storyboards.
His most memorable quotation: "Monsters are born too tall, too strong, too heavy—that is their tragedy," when he spoke of his film Rodan. This statement alone would give fans the impression that his intent was to give all 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....
a distinct personality instead of just being a monster-on-the-loose
Creature Features
Creature Features was a generic title for a genre of horror TV format shows broadcast on local U.S. television stations throughout the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s...
.
Filmography
- A Story of a Co-Op (1949)
- Ise Island (1950)
- The Blue PearlThe Blue Pearlis a 1951 Japanese film directed by Ishirō Honda....
(1951) - The Skin of the SouthThe Skin of the Southis a 1952 black-and-white Japanese film directed by Ishirō Honda.The film crew includes Akira Watanabe as art director, Kentaro Kondo as lightning technician, sound recordist Yoshio Nishikawa and director of photography Kiyoe Kawamura.-Cast:* Hajime Izu...
(1952) - The Man Who Came to PortThe Man Who Came to Portis a 1952 Japanese film directed by Ishirō Honda....
(1952) - Adolescence Part IIAdolescence Part IIis a 1953 Japanese film directed by Ishirō Honda....
(1953) - Eagle of the PacificEagle of the Pacificaka Operation Kamikaze is a 1953 black-and-white Japanese film directed by Ishirō Honda....
(1953) - 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) - 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...
(1954) - Love MakeupLove Makeupis a 1955 Japanese film directed by Ishirō Honda....
(1955) - Cry-Baby (1955)
- Half HumanHalf HumanHalf Human, originally released in Japan as , is a tokusatsu film produced and released by Toho Film Productions Ltd. in 1955. The film was made by Toho's legendary Godzilla production team of Ishirō Honda, Eiji Tsuburaya, and Tomoyuki Tanaka. This was director Honda's second assignment in the...
(1955) - Night School
- Godzilla, King of the Monsters (1956)
- People of Tokyo, GoodbyePeople of Tokyo, Goodbyeis a 1956 Japanese film directed by Ishirō Honda....
(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...
(1956) - Young TreeYoung Tree (film)is a 1956 Japanese film directed by Ishirō Honda....
(1956) - A Teapicker's Song of GoodbyeA Teapicker's Song of Goodbyeis a 1957 Japanese film directed by Ishirō Honda....
(1957) - A Farewell to the Woman Called My SisterA Farewell to the Woman Called My Sisteris a 1957 black and white Japanese film directed by Ishirō Honda.Production designer was Iwao Akune, lighting technician was Yoshio Tanaka and sound technician was Sanya Yamamoto.-Cast:Actors include:* Akihiko Hirata* Machiko Kitagawa* Hiroshi Koizumi...
(1957) - A Rainbow Plays in My HeartA Rainbow Plays in My Heartis a 1957 black and white Japanese film directed by Ishirō Honda.-Cast:* Akira Takarada * Momoko Kōchi * Akemi Negishi * 上原謙* 高峰三枝子* 江原達怡* 杉葉子-External links:* わが胸に虹は消えず 第一部 http://www.jmdb.ne.jp/1957/cg002670.htm...
(1957) - Be Happy, These Two LoversBe Happy, These Two Loversis a 1957 Japanese film directed by Ishirō Honda....
(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...
(1957) - Song for a BrideSong for a Brideis a 1958 black-and-white Japanese film directed by Ishirō Honda.- Cast :* Mitsuko Kusabue* Akemi Negishi* Reiko Dan* Kenji Sahara* Hiroshi Koizumi* Yoshio Tsuchiya* Sachio Sakai* Fumiko Okamura* Daijirō Natsukawa* Toshiko Nakano* Yutaka Nakayama...
(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) - 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...
(1958) - Battle in Outer SpaceBattle in Outer SpaceBattle in Outer Space, released in Japan as is a tokusatsu film produced and released by Toho Studios in Japan in 1959, and distributed worldwide in 1960 by Columbia Pictures...
(1959) - 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...
(1960) - Mothra (1961)
- 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:...
(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...
(1962) - 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...
(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...
(1963) - 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...
(1964) - Dogora, the Space MonsterDogoraDogora may refer to:* Dogora , a Japanese film, 1964* Dogora: Ouvrons les yeux, a French film, 2004...
(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...
(1964) - 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...
(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...
(1965) - 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...
(1966) - 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...
(1967) - 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...
(1968) - 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...
(1969) - Latitude Zero (1969)
- 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...
(1970) - Terror of MechagodzillaTerror of MechagodzillaTerror of Mechagodzilla, released in Japan as , is a 1975 science fiction kaiju film. The film was titled The Terror of Godzilla in its original American theatrical release. The 15th film in Toho's Godzilla series, it was directed by Ishirō Honda with special effects by Teruyoshi Nakano...
(1975)
Collaborations with Akira Kurosawa
- Stray DogStray Dog (film)is a 1949 film noir police procedural directed by Akira Kurosawa and starring frequent collaborators Toshirō Mifune and Takashi Shimura.-Plot:Action takes place during a heatwave in a bombed-out, post-war Tokyo...
, (1949) - KagemushaKagemushais a 1980 film by Akira Kurosawa. The title is a term used for an impersonator. It is set in the Warring States era of Japanese history and tells the story of a lower-class criminal who is taught to impersonate a dying warlord in order to dissuade opposing lords from attacking the newly vulnerable...
(1980) - RanRan (film)is a 1985 Japanese-French jidaigeki film written and directed by Akira Kurosawa. The film starred Tatsuya Nakadai as Hidetora Ichimonji, an aging Sengoku-era warlord who decides to abdicate as ruler in favor of his three sons. It also stars Mieko Harada as the wife of Ichimonji's eldest son...
(1985) - DreamsDreams (1990 film)is a 1990 magical realism film based on actual dreams of the film's director, Akira Kurosawa at different stages of his life. The film is more imagery than dialogue. The alternative titles are a translation of the opening line of Ten Nights of Dreams, by Natsume Sōseki, which begins:...
(1990) - Rhapsody in AugustRhapsody in Augustis a 1991 Japanese film by Akira Kurosawa. The story centers on an elderly hibakusha, who lost her husband in the 1945 atomic bombing of Nagasaki, caring for her four grandchildren over the summer. She learns of a long-lost brother, Suzujiro, living in Hawaii who wants her to visit him before he dies...
(1991) - MadadayoMadadayois a 1993 Japanese film. It is the thirtieth and final film to be completed by Akira Kurosawa. It was screened out of competition at the 1993 Cannes Film Festival.-Plot:...
(1993)