Legendary Director Eiji Tsuburaya Tribute Honored at Eiji Tsuburaya Museum

Eiji Tsuburaya, known for ULTRA Q (1966) and ULTRAMAN (1966-67), has a special museum on the 5th floor of the Tette Cultural Exchange Center in Sukagawa, Fukushima.

On January 11, 2019, the Sukagawa Citizens Exchange Center tette building opened to hundreds in attendance. During the opening ceremony Mayor Katsuya Hashimoto said that the museum will “also honor special effects master, Eiji Tsuburaya.” Eiji was born in Sukagawa city and for his accomplishments he will be honored with the Eiji Tsuburaya Museum, a historical center that will showcase Japanese special effects to the world.

Tsuburaya was inspired by Merian C. Cooper’s KING KONG (1933) to make his own monster movies. He is the mastermind behind over 250 military and science fiction movies and TV programs with Toho Studios and Tsuburaya Productions. He created the first kaiju boom with the debut of ULTRA Q in 1966 and ULTRAMAN in 1966-67

All over the museum you can celebrate Tsuburaya’s universe of characters with its 5 floors of: classes, music rooms, event halls, libraries, and childcare spaces. The Tette Building also includes cultural meeting rooms, an Ultra FM radio station, stores, and Ultraman kaiju statues, while focusing on the director of special visual effects who utilized miniatures and suitmation thus co-inventing Japan’s most iconic monsters and heroes.

The Tsuburaya Museum is a fusion of more than 100 exhibits, models, displays, 1,200 plus books, dioramas, audio-visual zones, and a 14-minute Godzilla short film with the aforementioned 2-meter 1954 style Godzilla suit. The museum also has three photo free zones and “create your own kaiju” interactive screens.

The museum exists as a foundation to inspire children to dream as Tsuburaya did as he started off making model airplanes as a child, attended flight school in Haneda, and later launched a career in motion pictures. The Eiji Tsuburaya Museum in Sukagawa, Fukushima is also a welcoming environment for adults and parents to reminisce with their childhood memories of Godzilla, Ultraman, Mothra, Rodan, King Ghidorah, and Eiji’s other works.

Visit the ultra-cool life of Sukagawa and learn about the creative spirit with special visual effects director Eiji Tsuburaya at the Eiji Tsuburaya Museum on the 5th floor of the Tette Cultural Exchange Center in Sukagawa, Fukushima. Entrance is free. Museum hours are 9am – 5pm and are closed the 3rd Tuesday of each month. The museum is located at: 4-14-1 Nakamachi Sukagawa City, Fukushima 962-0845

Source: SciFi Japan