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{{Infobox Person
{{Infobox Person
|type1            =White
|type1            =Machine
|type2            =Machine
|type2            =Black
|name            =Akira Watanabe
|name            =Akira Watanabe
|image            =Test Image.png
|image            =Akira Watanabe profile.png
|occupation      =Art director, special effects director
|occupation      =Art director, special effects director
|birthday        =May 13, 1908
|birthday        =May 13, [[1908]]
|death            =1999
|birthplace      =Fukui, [[Japan]]<ref name="EncyclopediaOfG">{{cite book|title=[[Encyclopedia of Godzilla]]|date=1 January 1990|publisher=Gakken|page=101}}</ref>
|death            =[[1999]]
|first            =''The War at Sea from<br>Hawaii to Malaya'' (1942)
|first            =''The War at Sea from<br>Hawaii to Malaya'' (1942)
|notable          =''[[Godzilla (1954 film)|Godzilla]]'' (1954)
|imdb            =https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0910742/
|imdb            =https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0910742/
|wikipedia        =https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/渡辺明_(美術監督)
|wikipedia        =https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akira_Watanabe_(art_director)
}}
}}
'''Akira Watanabe''' {{Nihongo|渡辺明|Watanabe Akira}}, nicknamed '''Mr. Nabe''' {{Nihongo|ナベさん|Nabe-san}}, was a [[Japan]]ese artist and art director who worked frequently on [[Toho]]'s [[tokusatsu]] [[:Category:Kaiju Films|films]] during the [[Showa era]]. He is notable for finalizing the designs of popular monsters such as [[King Ghidorah/Showa|King Ghidorah]], [[Baragon]], and [[Godzilla/1954|Godzilla]] himself. Away from Toho, Watanabe directed the special effects in [[Nikkatsu Corporation|Nikkatsu]]'s sole Showa kaiju movie, ''[[Gappa (film)|Gappa]].
'''Akira Watanabe''' {{Nihongo|渡辺 明|Watanabe Akira}}, nicknamed '''Mr. Nabe''' {{Nihongo|ナベさん|Nabe-san}}, was a [[Japan]]ese special effects art director who worked frequently on [[Toho]]'s [[tokusatsu]] [[:Category:Kaiju Films|films]] during the [[Showa era]]. He is notable for approving and finalizing the designs of popular monsters such as [[King Ghidorah (Showa)|King Ghidorah]], [[Baragon]], and [[Godzilla (First Generation)|Godzilla]] himself. Watanabe worked for [[:Category:Shochiku|Shochiku]] beginning in 1929, but transferred to [[Toho]] in 1941 at the recommendation of [[Eiji Tsuburaya]], working on his first film with the company the following year. He departed from Toho in 1966 after serving as Tsuburaya's art director on ''[[Invasion of Astro-Monster]]''. He co-founded Japanese Special Effects Productions, later renamed Japanese Special Effects Film Co., Ltd, with which he directed the special effects for [[Nikkatsu]]'s sole Showa kaiju movie ''[[Gappa (film)|Gappa]]'', and the Japanese-American co-production ''[[wikipedia:The Green Slime|The Green Slime]]''.
{{TOC}}
{{TOC}}
==Selected Filmography==
==Selected filmography==
===Art Director===
===Special effects art director===
*[[Godzilla (1954 film)|''Godzilla'' (1954)]] - Assistant art director
*[[Godzilla (1954 film)|''Godzilla'']] (1954)<ref group="lower-alpha">Special effects staff members' positions did not begin to be credited individually until ''[[The Mysterians]]'' in 1957. As such, Watanabe was credited for "special technology" alongside [[Eiji Tsuburaya]], [[Hiroshi Mukoyama]], and [[Kuichiro Kishida]].</ref>
*''[[The Legend of the White Serpent]]'' (1956) - Assistant art director
*''[[Godzilla Raids Again]]'' (1955)<ref group="lower-alpha">Credited for "special technology" alongside [[Hiroshi Mukoyama]] and Masao Shirota; see first note.</ref>
*''[[The Mysterians]]'' (1957) - Assistant art director
*''[[Half Human]]'' (1955)<ref group="lower-alpha" name="w/ Tsuburaya">Credited for "special technology" alongside [[Eiji Tsuburaya]], Masao Shirota and [[Hiroshi Mukoyama]]; see first note.</ref>
*''[[The Last War]]'' (1961) - Assistant art director
*''[[Rodan (film)|Rodan]]'' (1956)<ref group="lower-alpha" name="w/ Tsuburaya"/>
*''[[Gorath (film)|Gorath]]'' (1962) - Assistant art director
*''[[The Mysterians]]'' (1957)
*''[[King Kong vs. Godzilla]]'' (1962) - Assistant art director
*''[[The H-Man]]'' (1958)
*''[[Atragon (film)|Atragon]]'' (1963) - Assistant art director
*''[[Varan (film)|Varan]]'' (1958)
*''[[Mothra vs. Godzilla]]'' (1964) - Assistant art director
*''[[wikipedia:Monkey Sun|Monkey Sun]]'' (1959)
*''[[Frankenstein vs. Baragon]]'' (1965) - Assistant art director
*''[[The Three Treasures]]'' (1959)
*''[[The War of the Gargantuas]]'' (1966) - Art director
*''[[Battle in Outer Space]]'' (1959)
*''[[Ebirah, Horror of the Deep]]'' (1966) - Art director
*''[[The Secret of the Telegian]]'' (1960)
*''[[King Kong Escapes]]'' (1967) - Art director
*''[[The Human Vapor]]'' (1960)
*''[[Son of Godzilla]]'' (1967) - Art director
*''[[Mothra (film)|Mothra]]'' (1961)
*''[[Destroy All Monsters]]'' (1968) - Art director
*''[[The Last War]]'' (1961)
*''[[Latitude Zero]]'' (1969) - Art director
*''[[Gorath (film)|Gorath]]'' (1962)
*''[[Space Amoeba]]'' (1969) - Art director
*''[[King Kong vs. Godzilla]]'' (1962)
*''[[Godzilla vs. Hedorah]]'' (1971) - Art director
*''[[Matango (film)|Matango]]'' (1963)
*''[[Submersion of Japan]]'' (1973) - Art director
*''[[Atragon]]'' (1963)
*''[[Prophecies of Nostradamus]]'' (1974) - Art director
*''[[Mothra vs. Godzilla]]'' (1964)
*''[[The War in Space]]'' (1977) - Art director
*''[[Dogora (film)|Dogora]]'' (1964)
*''[[The Return of Godzilla]]'' (1984) - Art director
*''[[Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster]]'' (1964)
===Other===
*''[[Frankenstein vs. Baragon]]'' (1965)
*''[[Gappa (film)|Gappa]]'' (1967) - Planning, Director of Special Effects
*''[[Invasion of Astro-Monster]]'' (1965)
*''[[Gamera 2: Attack of the Legion]]'' (1996) - Miniatures
*''[[wikia:w:c:ultra:Ultra Q|Ultra Q]]'' (TV 1966) [episodes 6, 8, 27]
==External Links==
===Miscellaneous===
*[https://www.toho.co.jp/library/system/people/?2464 Akira Watanabe on Toho Official Website.]
*''[[Gappa (film)|Gappa]]'' (1967) - Original story / director of special effects<ref group="lower-alpha">Credited as storywriter and "associate" in the Japanese version; credited as special effects director in the American version.</ref>
*''[[wikipedia:The Green Slime|The Green Slime]]'' (1968) - Director of special effects [with [[Yukio Manoda]]]<ref group="lower-alpha">Only credited in the American cut; Japanese Special Effects Film Co., Ltd. is credited in the Japanese version.</ref>
==Gallery==
<gallery widths="120" position="center" captionalign="center" spacing="small">
File:Akira Watanabe and Keiko Sawai with P1.png|Akira Watanabe and Keiko Sawai with a model of the [[P-1]]
File:Akira Watanabe Lady from Hell.jpg|Akira Watanabe on the set of ''[[wikipedia:Lady from Hell|Lady from Hell]]''
</gallery>
==Notes==
{{Notelist|lower-alpha}}
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Real People}}
{{Real People}}
{{Comments}}
{{Era|REL}}
{{Era|REL}}
[[Category:Real people]]
[[Category:Real people]]
[[Category:Artists]]
[[Category:Artists]]

Latest revision as of 21:02, 9 July 2023

Akira Watanabe
Akira Watanabe
Born May 13, 1908
Fukui, Japan[1]
Died 1999
Occupation Art director, special effects director
First work The War at Sea from
Hawaii to Malaya (1942)
Notable work Godzilla (1954)
Imdb.pngWp.png

Akira Watanabe (渡辺 明,   Watanabe Akira), nicknamed Mr. Nabe (ナベさん,   Nabe-san), was a Japanese special effects art director who worked frequently on Toho's tokusatsu films during the Showa era. He is notable for approving and finalizing the designs of popular monsters such as King Ghidorah, Baragon, and Godzilla himself. Watanabe worked for Shochiku beginning in 1929, but transferred to Toho in 1941 at the recommendation of Eiji Tsuburaya, working on his first film with the company the following year. He departed from Toho in 1966 after serving as Tsuburaya's art director on Invasion of Astro-Monster. He co-founded Japanese Special Effects Productions, later renamed Japanese Special Effects Film Co., Ltd, with which he directed the special effects for Nikkatsu's sole Showa kaiju movie Gappa, and the Japanese-American co-production The Green Slime.

Selected filmography

Special effects art director

Miscellaneous

Gallery

  • Akira Watanabe and Keiko Sawai with a model of the P-1

    Akira Watanabe and Keiko Sawai with a model of the P-1

  • Akira Watanabe on the set of Lady from Hell

    Akira Watanabe on the set of Lady from Hell

Notes

  1. ↑ Special effects staff members' positions did not begin to be credited individually until The Mysterians in 1957. As such, Watanabe was credited for "special technology" alongside Eiji Tsuburaya, Hiroshi Mukoyama, and Kuichiro Kishida.
  2. ↑ Credited for "special technology" alongside Hiroshi Mukoyama and Masao Shirota; see first note.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Credited for "special technology" alongside Eiji Tsuburaya, Masao Shirota and Hiroshi Mukoyama; see first note.
  4. ↑ Credited as storywriter and "associate" in the Japanese version; credited as special effects director in the American version.
  5. ↑ Only credited in the American cut; Japanese Special Effects Film Co., Ltd. is credited in the Japanese version.

References

This is a list of references for Akira Watanabe. These citations are used to identify the reliable sources on which this article is based. These references appear inside articles in the form of superscript numbers, which look like this: [1]

  1. ↑ Encyclopedia of Godzilla. Gakken. 1 January 1990. p. 101.

Staff members
 
Directors
Drama directors
Adam Wingard • Daisuke Sato • Ernest Schoedsack • Eugène Lourié • Gareth Edwards • Hideaki Anno • Hirochika Muraishi • Hiroto Yokokawa • Hiroyuki Seshita • Ishiro Honda • John Guillermin • Jordan Vogt-Roberts • Jun Fukuda • Kazuhiro Nakagawa • Kazuki Omori • Kensho Yamashita • Kimiyoshi Yasuda • Kiyotaka Taguchi‎‎ • Kobun Shizuno • Koji Hashimoto • Kunio Miyoshi • Masaaki Hisamatsu • Masaaki Tezuka • Masaji Nonagase • Merian C. Cooper • Michael Dougherty • Minoru Kawasaki • Motoyoshi Oda • Noriaki Yuasa • Okihiro Yoneda • Peter Jackson • Roland Emmerich • Ryuhei Kitamura • Ryuichi Ichino • Shinji Higuchi • Shinpei Hayashiya • Shizuo Nakajima • Shusuke Kaneko • Takao Okawara • Takashi Miike • Takashi Yamazaki • Takeshi Yagi • Takuya Uenishi • Tomoo Haraguchi • Tokuzo Tanaka • Willis O'Brien • Yoshikazu Ishii • Yoshimitsu Banno • Yusuke Ishida
Effects directors
Assistant directors
 
Artists
Production designers
Illustrators
Propmakers

 
 
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