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|type1        =Dark
|type1        =Dark
|type2        =Dragon
|type2        =Dragon
|header      ={{Toho}} {{Director}}
|image        =Koichi Kawakita.jpg
|image        =Koichi Kawakita.jpg
|caption      =Koichi Kawakita with the Oxygen Destroyer prop and a Godzilla maquette
|caption      =Koichi Kawakita with the Oxygen Destroyer prop and model of Godzilla
|name        =Koichi Kawakita
|name        =Koichi Kawakita
|occupation  =Optical Technician,<br>Special Effects Director,<br>Director, Actor
|occupation  =Director of special effects
|character    =SDF Officer, Businessman
|birthday    =December 5, [[1942]]
|birthday    =December 5, 1942
|death        =December 5, [[2014]] (aged 72)
|death        =December 5, 2014
|birthplace  =[[wikipedia:Nihonbashi|Nihonbashi]], [[wikipedia:Chūō, Tokyo|Chūō]], [[Tokyo]], [[Japan]]
|birthplace  =[[Tokyo]], [[Japan]]
|first        =''[[Gorath (film)|Gorath]]'' (1962)
|first        =''[[Gorath (film)|Gorath]]'' (1962)
|notable      =''[[Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah]]'' (1991)
|notable      =''[[Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah]]'' (1991)
|imdb        =http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0442811/
|imdb        =http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0442811/
|wikipedia   =https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koichi_Kawakita
|wikipedia-en =https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kōichi_Kawakita
|wikipedia-ja =https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/川北紘一
}}
}}
'''Koichi Kawakita''' {{Nihongo|川北紘一|Kawakita Kōichi}}, born December 5, 1942, was a [[Japan]]ese optical technician, special effects director, and director best known for his work on most of the [[Heisei era]] [[Godzilla (franchise)|Godzilla]] [[:Category:Godzilla Films|films]] and the [[Rebirth of Mothra|first]] [[Rebirth of Mothra II|two]] [[:Category:Rebirth of Mothra|''Rebirth of Mothra'' films]]. He also occasionally appeared in cameos in some of Toho's tokusastu productions. Kawakita passed away on December 5, 2014, his 72nd birthday.  
{{Need sources}}
'''Koichi Kawakita''' {{Nihongo|川北 紘一|Kawakita Kōichi}} was a [[Japan]]ese special effects director best known for creating the effects for every ''[[Godzilla (franchise)|Godzilla]]'' [[:Category:Godzilla Films|film]] from [[1989]] to [[1995]], as well as the [[Rebirth of Mothra|first]] [[Rebirth of Mothra 2|two]] [[:Category:Rebirth of Mothra|''Rebirth of Mothra'' films]]. He also occasionally appeared in cameos in some of [[Toho]]'s [[tokusatsu]] productions. Kawakita was Toho's fourth-ever special effects director, the last of them to have worked under tokusatsu pioneer [[Eiji Tsuburaya]], and the last person to receive the title "director of special effects" on a ''Godzilla'' film for over 20 years until [[Shinji Higuchi]] on [[2016]]'s ''[[Shin Godzilla]]''.
 
Kawakita joined Toho in [[1962]], getting his start as an assistant cameraman on that year's ''[[Gorath (film)|Gorath]]''. He eventually took up compositing and optical photography before graduating to assistant director. He made his debut as a special effects director not with Toho, however, but on episode 21 of [[Tsuburaya Productions]]' [[1972]] series ''[[wikia:w:c:ultra:Ultraman Ace (series)|Ultraman Ace]]''. He directed [[Godzilla]] for the first time [[1973|the following year]] on ''[[Zone Fighter (series)|Zone Fighter]]'' episode 4, and received his first directorial assignments for film in [[1976]]: uncredited on [[jawp:芸苑社|Geiensha]]'s ''[[wikipedia:The Barren Zone#1976 film|The Barren Zone]]'' and credited on [[TOHO Studios|Toho Pictures]]' ''[[jawp:大空のサムライ#映画|Zero Pilot]]''.
 
By [[1989]], Kawakita was chosen to replace [[Teruyoshi Nakano]] as special effects director of the ''Godzilla'' series, doing so on that year's ''[[Godzilla vs. Biollante]]'' and five subsequent movies. The first of these, [[1991]]'s ''[[Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah]]'', earned he and his staff a Special Technology Award at the [[1992]] [[wikipedia:Japan Academy Film Prize|Japanese Academy Awards]]. Kawakita departed from Toho in [[2002]], and [[2003|the next year]] established his own special effects company, [[Dream Planet Japan]], through which he took contract work for the remainder of his career. This notably included all three shows in the ''[[:Category:Ultra Star God Series|Ultra Star God]]'' franchise from 2003 to [[2006]], their [[2005]] [[Super Fleet Sazer-X the Movie|feature film]], and the [[2007]] puppet/[[suitmation]] hybrid series ''[[Kawaii! JeNny]]''. Kawakita passed away on December 5, [[2014]], his 72nd birthday.<ref>{{Cite web|title=平成ゴジラ特技監督、川北紘一さん死去|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191120111309/https://www.asahi.com/articles/ASGDC34MXGDCUCVL007.html}}</ref>
{{TOC}}
{{TOC}}
==Selected Filmography==
==Selected filmography==
{{Col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
===Director of special effects===
*''[[wikia:w:c:ultra:Ultraman Ace (series)|Ultraman Ace]]'' (TV 1972-1973) [episodes 21-22, 25-27, 30-31, 36-37, 40-41]
*''[[Zone Fighter (series)|Zone Fighter]]'' (TV 1973) [episodes 3-4, 8, 10, 14-16, 25]
*''[[wikia:w:c:ultra:Ultraman Taro (series)|Ultraman Taro]]'' (TV 1973-1974) [episodes 6-7]
*''[[Submersion of Japan: Television Series]]'' (TV 1974-1975) [episodes 4-5, 10, 14-15, 19-20]
*''[[The War in Space]]'' (1977) [2nd unit]
*''[[Megaloman (series)|Megaloman]]'' (TV 1979) [episode 7]
*''[[wikia:w:c:ultra:Ultraman 80 (series)|Ultraman 80]]'' (TV 1980-1981) [episodes 10, 13-14]
*''[[Tokyo Earthquake Magnitude 8.1]]'' (1980)
*''[[Bye-Bye Jupiter]]'' (1984)
*''[[Nineteen]]'' (1987)
*''[[jawp:ドン松五郎の大冒険|Don Matsugoro's Big Adventure]]'' (1987)
*''[[Gunhed]]'' (1989)
*''[[Godzilla vs. Biollante]]'' (1989)
*''[[Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah]]'' (1991)
*''[[Godzilla vs. Mothra]]'' (1992)
*''[[Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II]]'' (1993)
*''[[Orochi, the Eight-Headed Dragon]]'' (1994)
*''[[Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla]]'' (1994)
*''[[Godzilla vs. Destoroyah]]'' (1995)
*''[[Rebirth of Mothra]]'' (1996)
*''[[Rebirth of Mothra 2]]'' (1997)
*''[[The Gransazers]]'' (TV 2003-2004)
*''[[The Justirisers]]'' (TV 2004-2005)
*''[[Super Fleet Sazer-X]]'' (TV 2005-2006)
*''[[Super Fleet Sazer-X the Movie]]'' (2005)
*''[[Fuhito]]'' (2006) [pilot]
===Director===
===Director===
*''[[Gorath (film)|Gorath]]'' ([[1962]]) - Assistant Optical Technician
*''Making of Bye-Bye Jupiter'' (1985)
*''[[King Kong vs. Godzilla]]'' ([[1962]]) - Assistant Special Effects Cameraman
*''Making of The Return of Godzilla'' (1985)
*''[[w:c:ultra:Return of Ultraman|The Return of Ultraman]]'' (TV 1971-1972) - Assistant Director of Special Effects
*''[[Toho Unused Special Effects Complete Collection]]'' (1986)
*''[[Godzilla vs. Hedorah]]'' ([[1971]]) - Assistant Director of Special Effects
*''[[Monster Planet of Godzilla]]'' (1994)
*''[[Zone Fighter (Series)|Zone Fighter]]'' (TV 1973) - Director of Special Effects [episodes 3, 4, 8, 10, 14-16, and 25]
*''[[Kawaii! JeNny]]'' (TV 2007)
*''[[Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla]]'' ([[1974]]) - Assistant Director of Special Effects
*''[[Gunhed 2025]]'' (2013)<ref name="1/35">{{cite web|url=https://www.hlj.com/1-35-scale-gunhed-2025-special-edition-w-dvd-kbykp-274|title=1/35 Gunhed 2025 Special Edition w/DVD|work=HobbyLink Japan by Kotobukiya|accessdate=30 March 2022}}</ref><ref name="Amazon Blu">{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.co.jp/%E9%AB%98%E5%B6%8B%E6%94%BF%E5%AE%8F/dp/B09W9RJM9B|title= ガンヘッド Blu-ray 2枚組|date=30 March 2022|work=Amazon}}</ref>
*''[[w:c:ultra:Ultraman Leo (series)|Ultraman Leo]]'' (TV 1974-1975) - Special Effects Supervisor
*''[[Prophecies of Nostradamus]]'' ([[1974]]) - Assistant Director of Special Effects
*''The Mighty Peking Man'' (1977) - Assistant Director of Special Effects
*''[[The War in Space]]'' ([[1977]]) - Assistant Director of Special Effects
*''[[Megaloman (Series)|Megaloman]]'' (TV 1979) - Director of Special Effects
*''[[w:c:ultra:Ultraman 80 (series)|Ultraman 80]]'' (TV 1980-1981) - Special Effects Supervisor
*''[[Bye-Bye Jupiter]]'' ([[1984]]) - Director of Special Effects
*''[[Gunhed]]'' ([[1989]]) - Director of Special Effects
*''[[Godzilla vs. Biollante]]'' ([[1989]]) - Director of Special Effects
*''[[Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah]]'' ([[1991]]) - Director of Special Effects
*''[[Godzilla vs. Mothra]]'' ([[1992]]) - Director of Special Effects
*''[[Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II]]'' ([[1993]]) - Director of Special Effects
*''[[Yamato Takeru (film)|Yamato Takeru]]'' ([[1994]]) - Director of Special Effects
*''[[Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla]]'' ([[1994]]) - Director of Special Effects
*''[[Godzilla vs. Destoroyah]]'' ([[1995]]) - Director of Special Effects
*''[[Rebirth of Mothra]]'' ([[1996]]) - Director of Special Effects
*''[[Rebirth of Mothra II]]'' ([[1997]]) - Director of Special Effects
*''[[The Gransazers]]'' (TV 2003-2004) - Director of Special Effects
*''[[The Justirisers]]'' (TV 2004-2005) - Director of Special Effects
*''[[Super Fleet Sazer-X]]'' (TV 2005-2006) - Director of Special Effects
*''[[Super Fleet Sazer-X the Movie: Fight! Star Soldiers]]'' ([[2005]]) - Director of Special Effects
*''[[CR Godzilla 3S-T Battle]]'' (Video Game 2006) - Director [cutscenes]
*''[[Kawaii! JeNny]]'' (TV 2007) - Director
*''[[The God of Clay]]'' (2011) - Director (with Nobuaki Sugimoto)
===Actor===
===Actor===
*''[[Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II]]'' (1993) as [[Rodan]] [hand puppet]
*''[[Godzilla vs. Hedorah]]'' (1971) as bar patron [uncredited]
*''[[Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack]]'' (2001) as [[JSDF]] Officer
*''[[Submersion of Japan: Television Series]]'' (TV 1974-1975) as man listening to prime minister's speech [episode 23; uncredited]
*''[[The Justirisers]]'' (TV 2004-2005) as Businessman
*''[[Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah]]'' (1991) as underground shopping center patron [uncredited]
*''[[Super Fleet Sazer-X]]'' (TV 2005-2006) as Businessman
*''[[Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II]]'' (1993) as [[Rodan]] [hand puppet; uncredited]
*''Miraculous Survivals! Narrow Escapes from Death Special'' (TV 1996-2003) as himself ["Celebrity Special Edition: Godzilla"]  
*''[[Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack]]'' (2001) as [[JSDF]] officer
*''[[The Gransazers]]'' (TV 2003-2004) as secretary of defense [episode 49; uncredited]
*''[[The Justirisers]]'' (TV 2004-2005) as office worker [episode 1; uncredited]
*''[[The Dawn of Kaiju Eiga]]'' (2019) as himself, interviewee
{{col-2}}
===Assistant special effects cinematographer===
*''[[Gorath (film)|Gorath]]'' (1962) [uncredited]
*''{{wp|sd=ko|대심청전|The Great Story of Shim Jeong}}'' (1962) [uncredited]
*''[[King Kong vs. Godzilla]]'' (1962) [uncredited]
*''[[Matango (film)|Matango]]'' (1963) [uncredited]
*''[[wikipedia:The Lost World of Sinbad|Samurai Pirate]]'' (1963) [uncredited]
*''[[Atragon]]'' (1963) [uncredited]
*''[[Mothra vs. Godzilla]]'' (1964) [uncredited]
*''[[Dogora (film)|Dogora]]'' (1964) [uncredited]
*''[[Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster]]'' (1964) [uncredited]
*''[[Ebirah, Horror of the Deep]]'' (1966) [uncredited]
===Optical photographer===
*''[[Frankenstein vs. Baragon]]'' (1965) [uncredited]
*''[[Invasion of Astro-Monster]]'' (1965) [uncredited]
*''[[The War of the Gargantuas]]'' (1966) [uncredited]
*''[[Ebirah, Horror of the Deep]]'' (1966) [uncredited]
*''[[King Kong Escapes]]'' (1967) [uncredited]
*''[[Son of Godzilla]]'' (1967) [uncredited]
*''[[Destroy All Monsters]]'' (1968) [uncredited]
*''[[Latitude Zero]]'' (1969) [uncredited]
*''[[All Monsters Attack]]'' (1969) [uncredited]
*''[[Space Amoeba]]'' (1970) [uncredited]<!--
*''[[wikipedia:Horror Theater Unbalance|The Unbalance Zone]]'' (TV 1973) [episodes TBA]-->
===Compositor===
*''[[Frankenstein vs. Baragon]]'' (1965) [uncredited]
*''[[Invasion of Astro-Monster]]'' (1965) [uncredited]
*''[[wikia:w:c:ultra:Ultra Q|Ultra Q]]'' (TV 1966) [episode 12; uncredited]
*''[[The War of the Gargantuas]]'' (1966) [uncredited]
*''[[Ebirah, Horror of the Deep]]'' (1966) [uncredited]
*''[[wikia:w:c:ultra:Ultraman (series)|Ultraman]]'' (TV 1966-1967) [title sequence; uncredited]
===First assistant director of special effects===
*''[[wikia:w:c:ultra:Ultraman Ace (series)|Ultraman Ace]]'' (TV 1972-1973) [episodes 1-4, 7-8, 11-14, 17-18]
*''[[Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla]]'' (1974) [uncredited]
*''[[Prophecies of Nostradamus]]'' (1974)
*''[[The Mighty Peking Man]]'' (1977) [uncredited]
*''[[The War in Space]]'' (1977)
===Miscellaneous===
*''[[Godzilla vs. Hedorah]]'' (1971) - Assistant director [uncredited]
*''[[wikia:w:c:ultra:Return of Ultraman|Return of Ultraman]]'' (TV 1971-1972) - Assistant director [unknown number of episodes; uncredited]
*''[[Submersion of Japan]]'' (1973) - Assistant director of special effects [uncredited]
*''[[Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla]]'' (1974) - Compositing advisor [uncredited]
*''Making of Bye-Bye Jupiter'' (1985) - Writer
*''[[Toho Unused Special Effects Complete Collection]]'' (1986) - Writer
*''[[Kawaii! JeNny]]'' (TV 2007) - Planner [with Masamichi Fujiwara, Keita Sato]
*''[[The God of Clay]]'' (2011) - Supervisor
{{col-end}}
==Selected video games==
*''[[Super Godzilla]]'' (1993) - Special thanks
*''[[Godzilla Generations]]'' (1998) - Supervisor
*''[[Godzilla: Trading Battle]]'' (1998) - Supervisor of original monster design
*''[[CR Godzilla 3S-T Battle]]'' (2006) - Cutscene director
==Selected bibliography==
{{stub|section}}
*''[[Encyclopedia of Godzilla]]'' (1990) - Editor-in-chief
*''[[Godzilla Magazine]]'' #1 (1992) - Interviewee
*''[[Cinema Monstology]]'' (1993) - Special thanks
*''[[Special Graphix Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II]]'' (1993) - Interviewee
*''[[Godzilla Movie Chronicle 1954-1998: Godzilla Days]]'' (1998) - Section author
*''[[Godzilla 1954-1999 Super Complete Works]]'' (2000) - Interviewee
*''[[Heisei Godzilla Chronicle]]'' (2009) - Planner / supervisor
*''[[The Spirit of Tokusatsu: Toho Special Effects Battle Chronicle]]'' (2010) - Author
*''[["Mr. GODZILLA" Haruo Nakajima]]'' (2010) - Special thanks
*''[[Heisei Godzilla Perfection]]'' (2012) - Interviewee
*''[[First Godzilla Research Book]]'' (2014) - Interviewee
*''[[All Toho Mechanic Pictorial Book]]'' (2018) - Interviewee [posthumous]
==Gallery==
==Gallery==
<gallery widths='120' position='center' captionalign='center' spacing='small'>
<gallery widths='120' position='center' captionalign='center' spacing='small'>
Godzillabiollanteevent04.jpg|Koichi Kawakita with the [[Rodan/Heisei|Fire Rodan]], [[Mothra/Heisei|Mothra imago]], [[Godzilla Junior|BabyGodzilla]], [[Mechagodzilla/Heisei#Super Mechagodzilla|Super Mechagodzilla]], [[RadoGoji|Godzilla]] and [[King Ghidorah/Heisei|King Ghidorah]] suits and props
Koichi Kawakita Dream Planet Japan photo.jpg
GvMG2 - Production - 3.jpeg|Kawakita using the [[Rodan/Heisei|Rodan]] hand puppet
Godzillabiollanteevent04.jpg|Kawakita with the suits and props for [[Rodan (Heisei)|Fire Rodan]], [[Mothra (Godzilla vs. Mothra)|Mothra]], [[Godzilla Junior|BabyGodzilla]], [[Mechagodzilla (Heisei)#Super Mechagodzilla|Super Mechagodzilla]], [[RadoGoji|Godzilla]] and [[King Ghidorah (Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah)|King Ghidorah]]
Tristargodzilla9836.jpg|Kawakita, [[Roland Emmerich]] and Patrick Tatopoulos with the [[MogeGoji|DesuGoji]]
Koichi_Kawakita's_Monster_Suits.jpg
GvMG2 - Production - 3.jpeg|Kawakita using the [[Rodan (Heisei)|Rodan]] hand puppet
Tristargodzilla9836.jpg|Kawakita, [[Roland Emmerich]] and [[Patrick Tatopoulos]] with the [[MogeGoji|DesuGoji]]
Kawakita GMK.jpg|Kawakita's cameo in ''[[Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack]]''
Kawakita GMK.jpg|Kawakita's cameo in ''[[Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack]]''
Kawakita death anniversary ceremony.jpeg
Kawakita death anniversary ceremony.jpeg
</gallery>
</gallery>
 
==Videos==
{{Videos|
{{vid|<youtube width="300" height="169">dluWHvqCEjA</youtube>|Kawakita playing his younger self in the Godzilla-themed episode of ''Narrow Escapes from Death Special''}}
}}
==Trivia==
==Trivia==
*Just before his death in December [[2014]], Koichi Kawakita acted as a consultant for the [[Godzilla (2014 video game)|PlayStation 3 ''Godzilla'' video game]].
*Koichi Kawakita's final credit was on the [[tokusatsu]] television miniseries ''[[wikia:w:c:tokusatsu:Gunbot (show)|Gunbot]]'', which he wrote and directed the effects for. Its fourth and final episode aired on the day of Kawakita's passing.
*On November 28, [[2015]], a special festival was held in [[Tokyo]] in honor of Koichi Kawakita. The films ''[[Godzilla vs. Mothra]]'', ''[[Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II]]'', ''[[Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla]]'', and ''[[Godzilla vs. Destoroyah]]'', for which Kawakita acted as the director of special effects, were screened at the festival.
*Shortly before his death, Kawakita gave an interview for ''Famitsu'' in which he was shown the [[Godzilla (2014 video game)|PlayStation 3 ''Godzilla'' video game]] prior to its release.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.famitsu.com/news/201412/18067653.html|title=【謹んでお悔み申し上げます。】平成ゴジラ特技監督、故・川北紘一氏インタビュー／『ゴジラ-GODZILLA-』発売にあたり|trans-title=(Our sincerest condolences) Late Heisei Godzilla special effects director interview, on the release of "''Godzilla''"|date=18 December 2014|work=Famitsu}}</ref>
==External Links==
*On November 28, [[2015]], the Shin-Bungeiza in [[Tokyo]] screened ''[[Godzilla vs. Mothra]]'', ''[[Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II]]'', ''[[Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla]]'', and ''[[Godzilla vs. Destoroyah]]'' in honor of Kawakita.<ref name="Shin">{{cite web|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151121050630/https://www.shin-bungeiza.com/allnight.html|title=All Night|work=Shin-Bungeiza|accessdate=5 August 2023|archivedate=21 November 2015}}</ref>
==External links==
*[http://www.davmil.org/www.kaijuconversations.com/kawakit.htm Interview by David Milner (December 1994)]
*[http://www.davmil.org/www.kaijuconversations.com/kawakit.htm Interview by David Milner (December 1994)]
*[http://www.davmil.org/www.kaijuconversations.com/kawakit2.htm Interview by David Milner (December 1995)]
*[http://www.davmil.org/www.kaijuconversations.com/kawakit2.htm Interview by David Milner (December 1995)]
{{Real People}}
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Real People|tab=Director}}
{{Comments}}
{{Era|REL}}
{{Era|REL}}
[[Category:The Real World]]
[[Category:The Real World]]
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[[Category:Actors]]
[[Category:Actors]]
[[Category:Directors]]
[[Category:Directors]]
[[Category:Godzilla special effects directors]]
[[Category:Japanese Actors]]

Latest revision as of 08:15, 14 January 2024

Koichi Kawakita
Koichi Kawakita with the Oxygen Destroyer prop and model of Godzilla
Born December 5, 1942
Nihonbashi, Chūō, Tokyo, Japan
Died December 5, 2014 (aged 72)
Occupation Director of special effects
First work Gorath (1962)
Notable work Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (1991)
Imdb.pngWp EN.pngWp JA.png
Godzilla.jp - Dead Kamoebas.jpg [citation(s) needed] — This article is missing references.
Please improve this article by including relevant citations.
As a reader, exercise caution when encountering unsourced statements.

Koichi Kawakita (川北 紘一,   Kawakita Kōichi) was a Japanese special effects director best known for creating the effects for every Godzilla film from 1989 to 1995, as well as the first two Rebirth of Mothra films. He also occasionally appeared in cameos in some of Toho's tokusatsu productions. Kawakita was Toho's fourth-ever special effects director, the last of them to have worked under tokusatsu pioneer Eiji Tsuburaya, and the last person to receive the title "director of special effects" on a Godzilla film for over 20 years until Shinji Higuchi on 2016's Shin Godzilla.

Kawakita joined Toho in 1962, getting his start as an assistant cameraman on that year's Gorath. He eventually took up compositing and optical photography before graduating to assistant director. He made his debut as a special effects director not with Toho, however, but on episode 21 of Tsuburaya Productions' 1972 series Ultraman Ace. He directed Godzilla for the first time the following year on Zone Fighter episode 4, and received his first directorial assignments for film in 1976: uncredited on Geiensha's The Barren Zone and credited on Toho Pictures' Zero Pilot.

By 1989, Kawakita was chosen to replace Teruyoshi Nakano as special effects director of the Godzilla series, doing so on that year's Godzilla vs. Biollante and five subsequent movies. The first of these, 1991's Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah, earned he and his staff a Special Technology Award at the 1992 Japanese Academy Awards. Kawakita departed from Toho in 2002, and the next year established his own special effects company, Dream Planet Japan, through which he took contract work for the remainder of his career. This notably included all three shows in the Ultra Star God franchise from 2003 to 2006, their 2005 feature film, and the 2007 puppet/suitmation hybrid series Kawaii! JeNny. Kawakita passed away on December 5, 2014, his 72nd birthday.[1]

Selected filmography

Director of special effects

Director

Actor

Assistant special effects cinematographer

Optical photographer

Compositor

First assistant director of special effects

Miscellaneous

Selected video games

Selected bibliography

Paper.gif This section is a stub. Please help out by adding information.

Gallery

Videos

Kawakita playing his younger self in the Godzilla-themed episode of Narrow Escapes from Death Special

Trivia

External links

References

This is a list of references for Koichi Kawakita. 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. ↑ "平成ゴジラ特技監督、川北紘一さん死去".
  2. ↑ "1/35 Gunhed 2025 Special Edition w/DVD". HobbyLink Japan by Kotobukiya. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
  3. ↑ "ガンヘッド Blu-ray 2枚組". Amazon. 30 March 2022.
  4. ↑ "【謹んでお悔み申し上げます。】平成ゴジラ特技監督、故・川北紘一氏インタビュー／『ゴジラ-GODZILLA-』発売にあたり" [(Our sincerest condolences) Late Heisei Godzilla special effects director interview, on the release of "Godzilla"]. Famitsu. 18 December 2014.
  5. ↑ "All Night". Shin-Bungeiza. Retrieved 5 August 2023.

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