Tsuburaya Eiji was a Japanese special effects director, film director, camera operator, and inventor born in Sukagawa Town, Fukushima Prefecture. He was the first president of the company Tsuburaya Special Skills Productions.

He was the leading expert in special effects technology in the Showa era and is called the god of special effects because he made great achievements in the special effects movie world with his unique technology

In November 1916, while his family was very opposed, he dreamed of being a pilot and was introduced to enroll as a first-year student at the Japan Flight School, which was just opened in August by Tokyo Air Transport Company. He later dropped out.

1919, after graduating from electrical school, his new toys "automatic skating" and "toy phone" were a hit, and a large patent fee was entered. He was recognized by Edamasa Yoshiro of the movie company Tennenshoku Katsu Photo Co., Ltd., and he joined the company to become a cameraman.

In 1921, he served in the military at the age of 20 and became a member of the communication team in the Aizuwakamatsu Infantry Regiment.

In 1928 at 27 years old he officially joined the Shochiku Kyoto Shitakamo Studio.

In 1934, at the invitation of Osawa Yoshio, who paid attention to Tsuburaya's special technology, he moved to JO Torquay, the predecessor of Toho, as the chief of the Photography Technology Research Institute.

In September of 1940, he was in charge of special effects for "Moyuru Ozora" and received the "Japan Photographers Association Special Technology Award".

On December 8th, 1942, "Hawaii Murray Oki Kaisen" was released, which was a big hit. He won the "Japanese Society of Cinematographers Technology Research Award" for this work, and was appointed as Chief of Special Technology Section and Special Shooting Chief of Production Department.

On November 3rd, 1954 "Godzilla" was released and became an unprecedented blockbuster. It became the first Japanese movie to be released in the United States. Tsuburaya won the "Japan Film Technology Award" for this work.

In 1959, when he was 58 years old, he completed the first domestically produced synthesizer for color cinema "Toho Versatile Process" with a budget of 62 million yen, and used it for the first time in Japan in "Nihon Tanjo". He won the "Japan Film Technology Award" and was commended for special achievements on Film Day.

On January 25, 1970, at the age of 68, he died of angina pectoris associated with a bronchial asthma attack. On January 30, the Japanese government awarded him with the Order of the Sacred Treasure. Toho Pictures came to an end with his death.

In 2021, Sukagawa City, his hometown, decided to give him the "Honorary Citizenship". Edit Biography