Kenji Sahara
Encyclopedia
Kenji Sahara (born 14 May 1932) is a Japan
ese actor
. He was born in Kawasaki City, Kanagawa. His real name is Masayoshi Kato (加藤 正好 Katō Masayoshi). Initially he used the name Tadashi Ishihara before changing it when he secured the lead role in Rodan
(1956).
or 'monster' films, often in a supporting role, including:
Sahara was also the lead in the first of the Ultra series, Ultra Q
. He also appeared in a number of subsequent Ultra series, including:
His latest appearance will be in the latest Ultraman movie, Superior Ultraman 8 Brothers.
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...
ese 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 was born in Kawasaki City, Kanagawa. His real name is Masayoshi Kato (加藤 正好 Katō Masayoshi). Initially he used the name Tadashi Ishihara before changing it when he secured the lead role in Rodan
Rodan (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).
Selected filmography
Sahara did a lot of work for the Toho Company, the studio that has so far has produced twenty-eight Godzilla movies. He has appeared in at least thirty kaijuKaiju
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....
or 'monster' films, often in a supporting role, including:
- 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) - Young Lover On The Sound - Yuki No Koi (1955) - (credited as Tadashi Ishihara)
- Seifuku No Otome Tachi (1955) - Hideya Fujiwara (credited as Tadashi Ishihara)
- Aoi Me (1956) - Jirô Hayashi (credited as Tadashi Ishihara)
- Street of ShameStreet of Shameis a 1956 black-and-white Japanese film directed by Kenji Mizoguchi, his last film.The film is based on the novel Susaki no Onna by Yoshiko Shibaki.-Cast:* Machiko Kyō as Mickey* Ayako Wakao as Yumeko* Aiko Mimasu as Yasumi* Michiyo Kogure as Hanae...
(1956) - Godzilla, King of the Monsters!Godzilla, King of the Monsters!Godzilla, King of the Monsters! is a 1956 Japanese/American black-and-white science fiction kaiju film. It is an "Americanized" version of the original Godzilla film, which had previously been shown subtitled in the United States in Japanese community theaters only, and was not known in Europe...
(1956) - Man on Boat - Norihei No Daigaku (1956) - (credited as Tadashi Ishihara)
- People of Tokyo, GoodbyePeople of Tokyo, Goodbyeis a 1956 Japanese film directed by Ishirō Honda....
(1956) - (credited as Tadashi Ishihara) - 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) - Shigeru Kawamura (credited as Kenji Sawara) - Yoru no kamome (1957)
- Meshiro Sanpei monogatari (1957) - Otsuka
- Zoku Sazae-san (1957)
- Hikage no musume (1957)
- Daigaku no samurai tachi (1957) - Yamada
- 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) - Joji Atsumi - 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 Badger PalaceThe Badger Palaceaka The Princess of Badger Palace is a 1958 color Japanese film directed by Kozo Saeki.Production designer was Kazuo Okawa, sound recordist was Kanji Nakano and lighting technician was Kazuo Shimomura.- Cast :* Hibari Misora...
(1958) - Kiuchi yasuto (1958)
- Anzukko (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) - Dr. Masada - The Young Beast (1958)
- Zokuzoku salaryman shussetai koki (1958)
- Josei S.O.S. (1958)
- Otona niwa wakaranai: Seishun hakusho (1958)
- Salaryman jikkai (1959)
- Onna gokoro (1959)
- Gokigen musume (1959)
- 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...
(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) - Attack of the Mushroom PeopleMatango, 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) - Godzilla vs. MothraMothra 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) - Ghidrah 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 Conquers the WorldFrankenstein 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) - 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) - 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...
(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) - Godzilla's RevengeAll 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) - 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) - Godzilla vs. The Cosmic MonsterGodzilla vs. Mechagodzilla, originally known in the United States as Godzilla vs. Bionic Monster and subsequently Godzilla vs. Cosmic Monster, is a 1974 science fiction kaiju film. This was the 14th of the Toho studio's Godzilla series , it was directed by Jun Fukuda with special effects by Teruyoshi Nakano and the...
(1974) - Karafuto 1945 Summer Hyosetsu no monKarafuto 1945 Summer Hyosetsu no monis a 1974 Japanese film based on the Soviet Union's military action on Karafuto during the Soviet–Japanese War near the ending of World War II. The movie is set in Maoka , at the time of a tragedy of the death of nine maidens who worked in the postal telegraph office in the city...
(1974) - 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) - Godzilla vs. King GhidorahGodzilla vs. King Ghidorah, alternatively spelled Godzilla vs. King Ghidora, is the 18th installment in the Godzilla series of films. This is the fifth film to feature King Ghidorah and the first film to feature Mecha-King Ghidorah, . The movie was released theatrically in Japan on December 14, 1991...
(1991) - Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla IIGodzilla vs. Mechagodzilla IIGodzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II, released in Japan as , is a 1993 science fiction kaiju film directed by Takao Okawara and written by Wataru Mimura. It was the twentieth film in Toho's Godzilla series and the first to feature BabyGodzilla. It is also the fifth film to feature Rodan and the third film...
(1993) - Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzillaGodzilla vs. SpaceGodzillais a 1994 science fiction kaiju film directed by Kensho Yamashita and written by Hiroshi Kashiwabara. It was the twenty-first film released in the Godzilla series and sixth in the Heisei series of films. It is the second film to feature the Moguera and Little Godzilla and also the seventh film to...
(1994) - Godzilla: Final WarsGodzilla: Final Warsis a 2004 Japanese science fiction-kaiju film directed by Ryuhei Kitamura, written by Wataru Mimura and Isao Kiriyama and produced by Shogo Tomiyama. It is the twenty-eighth film in the Godzilla film series, and the sixth in terms of the series' Millennium era...
(2004)
Sahara was also the lead in the first of the Ultra series, Ultra Q
Ultra Q
is 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...
. He also appeared in a number of subsequent Ultra series, including:
- 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...
(1966)- as Jun Manjoume - 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...
(1967–1968) - Ultraman 80Ultraman 80is a Japanese tokusatsu TV show produced by Tsuburaya Productions which aired on the Tokyo Broadcasting System channel from April 2, 1980 to March 25, 1981, lasting a total of 50 episodes. It was the ninth TV show in the Ultra Series and began a week after the conclusion of the anime series The...
(1980–1981) - Ultraman NexusUltraman Nexuswas produced by Tsuburaya Productions and Chubu-Nippon Broadcasting. It was the 20th entry in the Ultra Series. The series aired on Tokyo Broadcasting System, including TBS, CBC, MBS, etc. The show ran from October 2, 2004 until June 25, 2005, with a total of 37 broadcast episodes...
(2004–2005) - Ultraman MebiusUltraman Mebiusis a Japanese television series produced by Tsuburaya Productions and Chubu-Nippon Broadcasting. It is the 17th TV series and 40th anniversary production in the Ultra Series, which first began in 1966. It premiered on the Tokyo Broadcasting System on April 8, 2006...
(2006–2007)
His latest appearance will be in the latest Ultraman movie, Superior Ultraman 8 Brothers.
External links
- Biondi, Robert. Satoko Yoshimaru & Takahiko Mamiya (trans.) Winter 1997. "An Interview with Kenji Sahara: 40 Years of Keeping Godzilla at Bay", Kaiju Fan Online. Originally published in Kaiju Fan.