A facility dedicated to preserving and displaying materials related to the special effects used in science fiction films opened on Nov. 3 in Sukagawa, Fukushima Prefecture, drawing a throng of FX fans.
Sukagawa Tokusatsu Archive Center was set up in the city of Sukagawa, the home of Eiji Tsuburaya, a co-creator on the team that filmed the first "Godzilla" movie and the man behind the production company that made "Ultraman." A prolific director and producer, Tsuburaya is a titan in the tokusatsu, or special effects, world. The center is expected to become a key base for highlighting Japan's special effects culture.
On display at the center are about 1,000 items used in shooting scenes in science fiction films, including the masks of many special effects heroes such as those used in the "Ultraman" series, models of the Yamato battleship and miniature sets that reproduced townscapes. Visitors enjoyed viewing and photographing the displays.
The center was developed by the Sukagawa city government in cooperation with Anime Tokusatsu Archive Organization, a nonprofit group engaged in preserving special effects materials. The city government spent 248 million yen refurbishing a two-story building it owns. The total floor space is 1,128 square meters.
The opening ceremony was attended by about 50 officials, including Hideaki Anno, the chairman of the nonprofit organization who co-directed the film "Shin Godzilla."
"We want to preserve and hand down to future generations Japan's special effects culture through this facility," Sukagawa Mayor Katsuya Hashimoto said.
Admission is free. Open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Wednesday through Monday. (Closed on Tuesday.)
Read more from The Japan News at https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/
