The Legend
of Ultraman
Japan’s giant hero from
outer space turns 40
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| ©1966 Tsuburaya Pro. Courtesy of The Taro Okamoto Museum of Art |
As Tokyoites search for a break from the dog days of summer, leave it to a superhero to save the day. Of course, Superman Returns is the latest American action figure to arrive in Tokyo theaters, but a new Ultraman exhibition at Kawasaki’s Taro Okamoto Museum offers a chance to delve into Japan’s original mighty morphing superhuman. Coinciding with the release of the new film Ultraman Mebius and Ultraman Brothers, the show explores the history, production and design of the giant silver-and-red-suited battler, from his initial appearance in 1966 to his most recent incarnations.
More than just an excuse to draw in the otaku hordes, the exhibition is a glimpse into the creative process of the designers of a different age. The opening hall features a number of the original costumes from the first 1966 Ultraman series. Staged in dramatic lighting, bizarre rubber visions with names like Antura, Pigumon and Yunijin have all the campy monster-movie spirit one could ask for. Although their insect- and lichen-inspired bodies may provoke silliness onscreen, seeing them here gives new appreciation for the craftsmanship and ingenuity that created them.
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©1966 Tsuburaya Pro. Courtesy of The Taro Okamoto Museum of Art |
Conceptual sketches, including the first surprisingly gruesome designs for Ultraman himself, line the walls along with maquettes and molds of the various characters. There is an overwhelming amount of detail (for the Japanese-literate) on all manner of “beta capsules,” “specium rays” and “jet beetles,” and it’s pure nostalgic sci-fi fun to ramble through the various stages of development in Ultraman’s lives, from initial idea to test screenings.
Beyond any interest one might have in character and set design, “The Legend of Ultraman” offers a lighthearted but important look inside the development of Japanese pop culture in the postwar era. The show was the first successful monster series on television, and one of the most successful outside of Japan. Ultraman, like Godzilla and Astroboy, has played a key and progenerative role in furthering the development of special effects and science fiction in Japan.
It’s fitting, then, that such an exhibition be held at the Taro Okamoto Museum, as the artist himself maintained a great affection for the imaginary and artistic possibilities of sci-fi. Okamoto’s own designs from the cult film Aliens Appear in Tokyo are added to the exhibition as a way of connecting Ultraman to Japan’s great eccentric and the art world at large.
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Taro Okamoto and the Paira Alien, from Aliens Appear in Tokyo by the Daiei Motion Picture Company
©1956 Kadokawa Herald Pictures Inc. Courtesy of The Taro Okamoto Museum of Art |
Another intriguing addition to the show is a room dedicated to the furniture and appliance design of the era. While no doubt a nostalgia trip for the Japanese, foreigners will be interested to see the effect that late-’60s science fiction, and of course science fact, had inside the home. Some objects, like a 1965 Toshiba vacuum cleaner, even seem like they might be unknown variants on the hero himself.
The last room of the exhibition is reserved exclusively for Ultraman and presents promotional materials detailing many of the nearly 50 versions of the series. Of course, several full-scale incarnations of the 40-year-old alien hero stand here in all their latex glory, ready as ever to be the world’s protector.
The Taro Okamoto Museum, until Sep 24. See exhibition listings (other areas) for details.
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