LEGENDARY MONSTER MAKER: KEIZO MURASE All-New Photobook On His Monstrous Career!

新発売！洋泉社の「怪獣秘蔵写真集 造形師 村瀬継蔵」


Cover for this must-own photobook on classic Japanese monsters!

One of the most prolific publishing houses of genre subjects in Japan today, Yonsensha, has formally announced the impending release of their third, monstrous "Treasured Photobook" related to great figures who worked during the golden age of Japanese visual effects films at Toho Studios. Previous volumes featured the living legend, monster suit actor Haruo "Mr. Godzilla" Nakajima, and the late visual effects director, Koichi Kawakita.

Now, while starting out as an upstart in the late 1950s, working in the fabrication department under visual effects wizard, Eiji Tsuburaya, Keizo Murase's legacy started as a part-timer at Toho, with his prolific career exceeding beyond his work for the great Tsuburaya, and which continues even today. As with the previous volumes, this is a photo-filled book, with page-after-page of photographs, but very minimal text (not counting a lengthy interview with the monster maker), most taken by Murase himself.

Here's the hyperbole from the book's obi (paper book band):

"King Kong and Godzilla Armatures, a Blue King Ghidorah, and the Inside Baragon's Head. Never-Before-Published Photographs Have Been Collected for This Wondrous Monster Photobook."

"An assistant fabricator at Toho who helped create Mothra, King Kong, King Ghidorah, Baragon, etc. Sculptor Keizo Murase eye-witnessed the very moment of many monsters were born. As a camera hobbyist during his youth, the tremendous amount of photographs Murase personally captured of the monster-making process are revealed for the very first time. A breakthrough discovery that turns the history of fabrication onto its head!!"

"Matango, Titanosaurus, Takora, Greenman. Gyaos, Viras, Daimajin. Booska, Belocron, Vaxim, Yongary to the Mighty Peking Man... They're all here in this shocking photo collection!!"

"Plus, Keizo Murase's life as a fabricator is documented in an exclusive 16,000-character interview!"

While that sums up no further need for details, this publication is likely to exceed the roughly 400 pages for the previous volumes on Nakajima and the late Kawakita, since the MSRP is just over ¥1,000 ($8.31) higher than the latter. Hitting Japanese bookshelves this September 9th, "Treasured Kaiju Photobook: Keizo Murase, Monster-Maker", was supervised by modern kaiju-builder, Shinichi Wakasa (Godzilla 2000), and famed collector and toy-maker, Yuji Nishimura (the founder of M-Ichigo).

It goes without saying that this is a must-own, even if you don't read Japanese, because based on the previous volumes, "Keizo Murase, Monster-Maker", should measure up to over 95% photos versus text — and will surely be the book hardcore fans will be talking about for years to come. I mean, aren't your curious why the original King Ghidorah was blue and not gold?

Click on the link below to pre-order:
TREASURED KAIJU PHOTOBOOK: KEIZO MURASE, MONSTER-MAKER
Format: 8.2 x 5.9 inches
ISBN-10: 4800307562
ISBN-13: 978-4800307569
Release Date: September 9, 2015
MSRP: ¥5184 ($43.10 USD)

Special thanks to Shinichi Wakasa and Yasushi Shiroi for info, and a big shout-out to Takao Yoshiba for providing the cover image.

KOICHI KAWAKITA: VISUAL EFFECTS DIRECTOR The Man Who Redefined Godzilla for the 1990s December 5, 1942 - December 5, 2014

訃報 川北紘一特撮監督



UPDATED 12/11: Toho's visual effects director who forged and shaped Godzilla's look for the 1990s, Koichi Kawakita, passed away from liver failure on December 5, 2014, with the family releasing the news today in Japan. Only next of kin are allowed at the funeral (chief mourner is his widow, Shigeko). There will be public a memorial service announced for a later date.

Kawakita graduated Nakano Broadcasting High School in 1960 and began his higher education at Kokusai Junior College. Intensely interested in movies, since seeing THE MYSTERIANS (1957), he began working a part-time position at Toho Studios that same year. Offered a full-time position at Toho, he dropped out of college in 1962.

Although headhunted for an Executive position, Kawakita expressed his desire to become a member of the Visual Effects Department, and was taken under the wing of Eiji Tsuburaya, the head of that division and the father of Tokusatsu (Japanese Visual Effects). Later, that same year, Kawakita became an assistant visual effects cameraman on GORATH (1962).

He was transferred to the flagging optical effects department in 1963, and became engaged in rendering the beams and other optical animation for Tsuburaya's films. In 1965, he assisted in the creation of composites and optical effects for Episode 12 of ULTRA Q, "I Saw a Bird!", which was his first work for a television production.

In 1966, he served as an assistant visual effects cinematographer for GODZILLA VS. THE SEA MONSTER (1966). After Tsuburaya's death, he was transferred to Toho's new "Visual Planning Department" in 1971. For GODZILLA VS. HEDORAH, both production units were consolidated into one, and Kawakita served as director Yoshimitsu Banno's 1st Assistant Director and on Optical Effects.

Kawakita served as Chief Assistant Visual Effects Director on all of the 1970s Godzilla films, save for GODZILLA VS. GIGAN (1972) and GODZILLA VS. MEGALON (1973), while he worked on the television series ULTRAMAN ACE (1972), ZONE FIGHTER (1973), and JAPAN SINKS (1974). In 1976, he made his impressive film debut as Visual Effects Director on SAMURAI IN THE SKY.

While Tsuburaya's 1st AD, Teruyoshi Nakano, was the head honcho, Kawakita was placed in charge of developing and directing the monumental miniature and visual effects for SAYONARA JUPITER (1983) and GUNHED (1989), both rivaling some US-produced effects techniques, before changing the way the world saw the Big G with GODZILLA VS. BIOLLANTE (1989).

Kawakita's re-imagining of the monster, a fiercer, more toothsome creature, which set a standard that sits to this day, remains Toho's de facto design of choice. During the 1990s, as head of Toho's Visual Effects Department, his tenure yielded a number of films, television productions, non-film projects and events before he retired from Toho in 2002.

One of his dreams was to produce a remake of his favorite Toho visual effects film, THE MYSTERIANS, proposed in 1990, which never came to fruition. As a free agent, Kawakita formed the independent Tokusatsu and VFX company, Dream Planet Japan in 2003. His last production was the miniseries GUNBOT: THE ARMORED ROBOT (2014), which began broadcast in November.

Director Kawakita was 72 years old.

GODZILLA WELCOMES YOU TO TOHO STUDIOS! Giant 60th Anniversary Mural Nears Completion

ゴジラ壁画は60周年のための東宝スタジオの門を守る！


The Big G now looms large over the front gates of Toho Studios...

Joining the ranks of large scale murals of Akira Kurosawa's SEVEN SAMURAI (1954) and Ishiro Honda's MOTHRA (1961) emblazoned across the studio walls of Toho, Godzilla now reigns supreme as it's face — combing forces with his 6'+ counterpart statue holding guard at the gates (also a representation of the popular 1990s-style Big G). Thanks to special effects artist, Kakusei Fujiwara for the image.