Akira Tsuburaya (円谷 あきら, Tsuburaya Akira, born February 12, 1944) is a former Japanese film and television producer. The third son of special effects director Eiji Tsuburaya, he began his career at his father's company Tsuburaya Productions while at Tamagawa University in 1966.[2] Tsuburaya had an extremely prolific five-decade career in film and television, during which he worked on over 80 productions.

Akira Tsuburaya
円谷 粲
Tsuburaya, c. 1965
Born (1944-02-12) February 12, 1944 (age 80)
Tokyo, Japan[1]
Alma materTamagawa University[2]
Occupation(s)Film and television producer
Years active1965–2006
ChildrenYūko Tsuburaya [ja]
Parents
Japanese name
Kanji円谷 粲
Kanaつぶらや あきら[1]
Transcriptions
RomanizationTsuburaya Akira

Life and career

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Akira Tsuburaya was born on February 12, 1944[3] in Tokyo.[1] He was the third son of special effects pioneer Eiji Tsuburaya and his wife Masano Araki as well as their first child to be baptized.[3] While at Tamagawa University, Tsuburaya began his career working in film at his father's company Tsuburaya Productions on the domestically popular Ultra Q episode, "Kanegon's Cocoon" as an assistant director in 1965.[2] He subsequently returned to work as an assistant director on the Ultra Q episode "Challenge From the Year 2020" and the following year worked in the same position on Ultraman (TV 1966-1967). He later served as the chief assistant director of special effects on Ultraseven (TV 1967) and was also an assistant director on Operation: Mystery! (1968).[2]

Tsuburaya began working as a producer in 1970, receiving his first credit in that position on Chibira-kun in the same year.[1] He continued working at Tsuburaya Productions on productions such as Triple Fighter (1972), Fireman (1973) Army of the Apes, Pro-Wrestling Star Aztecaser Ultraman Leo (both 1974), Dinosaur War Izenborg (1977), and Star Wolf (1978)[4] until leaving the company in June 1989.[1]

In July 1989, a month after leaving, he established Tsuburaya Eizo.[1] He would serve as executive producer for many television shows by his company, including Babel II: Beyond Infinity (2001) and Genma Wars: Eve of Mythology (2002).[5] In February 2002, he rejoined Tsuburaya Productions and became the head of the production department as vice president. In May 2005, however, he left Tsuburaya Productions once again and was appointed director of Tsuburaya Dream Factory that June.[1]

Filmography

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Year Title Position Notes Ref(s)
1966 Ultra Q Assistant director Episodes "Kanegon's Cocoon" &
"Challenge From the Year 2020"
[2]
Ultraman Four episodes
1967 Ultraseven Of special effects
1968 Operation: Mystery!
1970 Chibira-kun Producer [1]
1972 Triple Fighter [4]
1973 Fireman
1974 Army of the Apes
Ultraman Leo
1976 Star of Pro-Wrestling Aztecaser
Kyoryu Tankentai Born Free
1977 Dinosaur War Izenborg
1978 Dinosaur Corps Koseidon
Star Wolf Executive producer
1979 White Hand, Beautiful Hand, Cursed Hand
1980 Bizarre! Golden-eyed Girl
Vengeful Spirit! Sneering Doll
Bokura Yakyu Tanteidan
1981 All Robots Who Can Feel Gather
1982 Princess Sakurako, the Evil Spirit
Cute Demon
Midare Karakuri
1983 In the Eye of the Devil
The Legendary Ghost Cat
Picture Book of Sweets
The Lost Honor of Natsuko Aizawa
Adventurous Trip to the End of the Universe
1984 Cursed Mannequin Doll
Popular Kaiju Parade
Two Women
1985 The Night I Died
Demon Within Producer
1986 The Samurai Executive producer
1987 Fear of 3:00 AM
1988 Sorry for the Wait! The Complete Works of Ultraman
Office Love
1989 Pursue the 7 Mysteries of Ultraman!
Decision! Best Ten of Ultraman
1990 Superman Detective Schwatch
Ultra Q The Movie: Legend of the Stars Producer
1991 Crystal Blue Shadow Executive producer
Yōka Mandragora's Counterattack
Skyscraper Hunting Planner
Mikadroid Producer
1993 Legendary Fairy Woman, Siren 1 Planner
1994 Legendary Fairy Woman, Siren 2
1995 Corporate Warrior Yamazaki
Prisoner Maria: The Movie Producer
Female Prisoner Executioner Maria 2
White Coat of Amazoness
Legendary Fairy Woman, Siren 3
1996 Heisei Shameless Academy Executive producer
Legendary Fairy Woman, Siren 4 Planner
1997 The Messiah from the Future
Devil Summoner Executive producer
1998 I Want to Play and Live for the Rest of My Life Planner/Acting role
Kachiri the Locksmith Executive producer
The Mysterious Transfer Student Planner
Neptune in Dotsuki Dotsukare
Women Who Slept with Bubbles Producer
Informant (Chikuri) Maru Backstory Investigation Executive producer
Rosetta: The Masked Angel
1999 Danger de mort Planner
The Man Who Shot Don
2000 Būba Sensei Executive producer
Chinpira Producer
2001 STAR BOWS Executive producer
Zombie Snake Planner
2002 Wild 7: another Executive producer
Barom-1
Genma Wars: Eve of Mythology
Beast Fighter
Demon Lord Dante
Got Mars
Babel II
Submarine Super 99
Gun Frontier
Cosmo Warrior Zero
Fortune Dogs
2004 Eko Eko Azarak Producer
Space Symphony Maetel
~Galaxy Express 999 Gaiden~
Mysterious Case Special Investigation Team
S.R.I Laughing Fire Daruma Man
Executive producer
2005 Kazuo Umezu's Horror Theater Planner Six-part film
2006 A Chain of Cursed Murders
Cat Eyed Boy [6]
2008 Bringing Godzilla Down to Size Interviewee [7]

References

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Citations

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h "円谷夢工房" [Profile Page]. Tsuburaya Dream Factory (in Japanese). Archived from the original on April 5, 2023. Retrieved April 5, 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d e Ragone 2014, p. 159.
  3. ^ a b Ragone 2014, p. 28.
  4. ^ a b "円谷粲の主な作品リスト" [List of major works by Akira Tsuburaya] (PDF). Tsuburaya Dream Factory. Archived from the original on April 5, 2023. Retrieved April 5, 2023.
  5. ^ "Akira Tsuburaya". Anime News Network. Retrieved April 6, 2023.
  6. ^ "猫目小僧" [Cat Eyed Boy]. Eiga.com. Archived from the original on April 6, 2023. Retrieved April 6, 2023.
  7. ^ "INTERVIEW: BRINGING GODZILLA DOWN TO SIZE- PART 1". SciFi Japan. Retrieved April 6, 2023.

Sources

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  • Ragone, August (May 6, 2014). Eiji Tsuburaya: Master of Monsters (paperback ed.). Chronicle Books. ISBN 978-1-4521-3539-7.
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