Being Godzilla: An Interview with Nakajima Haruo, the Man Inside the Suit

Nakajima is often invited to overseas events for fans of the tokusatsu (lit. “special filming”) special effects genre pioneered by the 1954 film Godzilla, and he has traveled to the United States over 10 times. This photograph, taken at a June 2014 event in Florida, features Nakajima (right) along with the actor Takarada Akira from the original Godzilla film and an American fan. (Photograph courtesy of Nakajima Haruo.)

Nakajima reminisces about the creative duo behind Godzilla: Honda Ishirō, who directed the film Taiheiyō no washi (Eagles of the Pacific) that marked Nakajima’s screen debut, and the special-effects wizard Tsuburaya Eiji.

Even though the 1954 Godzilla was inspired by the nuclear fallout from H-bomb testing that contaminated the crew of the Lucky Dragon No. 5 Japanese fishing vessel earlier that year, Nakajima recalls that special-effects director Tsuburaya never talked politics on the set.

Nakajima’s only blooper in performing the role of Godzilla was when he knocked over Ginza’s famous clock tower in a manner too laconic for Tsuburaya’s liking.

Special-effects master Tsuburaya Eiji (center) took on directing duties for scenes involving monsters.