Hajime Tsuburaya

Hajime Tsuburaya Born April 28, 1931 Tokyo, Japan Died February 9, 1973 (aged 41) Occupation Cinematographer, director, producer, lyricist, president of Tsuburaya Productions First work Godzilla (1954) Notable work Ultraman (TV 1966-1967)

Hajime Tsuburaya (円谷 一,   Tsuburaya Hajime), writing under the pseudonym Kyoichi Azuma (東 京一,   Azuma Kyōichi), was a Japanese cinematographer, director, producer and lyricist. The eldest son of Eiji Tsuburaya, he got his start on the 1954 film, Godzilla and its sequel, Godzilla Raids Again as an assistant special effects cinematographer. Tsuburaya worked as a director for his father's company, Tsuburaya Productions, during the 1960s, including on numerous episodes of the first three entries in the Ultra series. He also wrote lyrics for many songs used in the company's television series. Following his father's death in 1970, Tsuburaya became president of Tsuburaya Productions and continued to produce and supervise the company's shows and movies until his own untimely death on February 9, 1973, at age 41.

Selected filmography

Assistant special effects cinematographer

• Godzilla (1954) [with Sadamasa Arikawa, Motoyoshi Tomioka, Yoichi Manoda, Sachio Kabayama, Masakatsu Asai]
• Godzilla Raids Again (1955) [with Sadamasa Arikawa, Motoyoshi Tomioka, Yoichi Manoda, Koichi Takano]

Executive producer

• Ultra Q (TV 1966)
• Ultra Fight (TV 1970-1971)
• Daigoro vs. Goliath (1972)

Director

• Ultra Q (TV 1966) [episodes 1-3, 9, 13, 17, 28]
• Ultraman (TV 1966-1967) [episodes 1, 8, 12-13, 26-27, 38-39]
• Ultraman (1967) [compilation film]
• Ultraseven (TV 1967-1968) [episodes 1, 5, 17-18]
• Operation: Mystery (TV 1968-1969) [episodes 2, 6, 8]

Lyricist

• Ultra Q (TV 1966) - "Giant Monster Song" / "Ultra March" [as Kyoichi Azuma]
• Ultraman (TV 1966-1967) - "Song of Ultraman" / "Special Search-Party Song" / "Go Forth! Ultraman" [as Kyoichi Azuma]
• Ultraseven (TV 1967-1968) - "Song of Ultraseven" / "Ultra Guard" / "ULTRA SEVEN" / "Ultra Boy Song" [as Kyoichi Azuma]
• Mighty Jack (TV 1968) - "Song of MJ" [as Kyoichi Azuma]
• Return of Ultraman (TV 1971-1972) - "Return of Ultraman" / "Kaiju Ondo" [as Kyoichi Azuma]
• Mirrorman (TV 1971-1972) - "Song of Mirrorman" / "Song of SGM" / "Fight! Mirrorman" [as Kyoichi Azuma]
• Ultraman Ace (TV 1972-1973) - "Ultraman Ace" / "Song of TAC" [as Kyoichi Azuma]
• Emergency Directive 10-4 10-10 - "Emergency Directive 10-4 10-10" [as Kyoichi Azuma]
• Triple Fighter (TV 1972-1973) - "Song of Triple Fighter" [as Kyoichi Azuma]
• Fireman (TV 1973) - "Burn Like a Flame" [as Kyoichi Azuma]

Director of special effects

• Ultraman (TV 1966-1967) [episodes 12-13]

Producer

• Return of Ultraman (TV 1971-1972) [with Susumu Saito, Yoji Hashimoto]
• Return of Ultraman (1971) [compilation film; with Susumu Saito, Yoji Hashimoto]
• Mirrorman (TV 1971-1972)
• Return of Ultraman: Terror of the Tornado Monsters (1971) [compilation film; with Susumu Saito, Yoji Hashimoto]
• Return of Ultraman: Jiro Rides a Monster (1972) [compilation film; with Yoji Hashimoto]

Supervisor

• Return of Ultraman (TV 1971-1972)
• Mirrorman (TV 1971-1972)
• Ultraman Ace (TV 1972-1973)

Family tree

Sei Tsumuraya

Isamu Tsumuraya

Shuzaburo Araki

Masano Tsuburaya

Eiji Tsuburaya

Noboru Tsuburaya

Hajime Tsuburaya

Akira Tsuburaya

Kazuo Tsuburaya

Masahiro Tsuburaya

Hideaki Tsuburaya

Yuko Tsuburaya

Hiroshi Tsuburaya

Hitomi Tsuburaya

Gallery

• 

  Hajime Tsuburaya (right) on the set of Ultraman

External links

• Hajime Tsuburaya at Ultra Wiki

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