Akira Ifukube
Encyclopedia
was a Japan
ese composer of classical music and film scores, perhaps best known for his work on the soundtracks of the Godzilla
movies by Toho
.
on the Japanese island of Hokkaidō
, the third son of a Shinto
priest
. Much of his childhood was spent in areas with a mixed Japanese and Ainu
population
, and his father, unusually for the time, socialised with Ainu. Ifukube was strongly influenced by the traditional music of both peoples, and studied the violin
and the shamisen
. His first encounter with classical music occurred when attending secondary school in Hokkaidō's capital, Sapporo. Legend has it that Ifukube decided to become a composer at the age of 14 after hearing a radio performance of Igor Stravinsky
's ballet, The Rite of Spring
. He also cited the music of Manuel de Falla
as a major influence.
Ifukube went on to study forestry
at Hokkaido University
and composing in his spare time, which prefigured a line of self-taught Japanese composers such as Tōru Takemitsu
and Takashi Yoshimatsu
. His first piece was the piano
solo, Piano Suite (later the title was changed to Japan Suite, arranged for orchestra). This piece was dedicated to the pianist George Copeland
who was then living in Spain. Atsushi Miura, musicologist and Ifukube's friend in university, sent a fan letter to Copeland. Copeland replied, "It is wonderful that you listen my disc in spite of you living in Japan, the opposite side of the earth. I imagine you may compose music. Send me some piano pieces." Then Miura, who was not a composer, presented Ifukube and this piece to Copeland. Copeland promised to interpret it, but the correspondence was unfortunately stopped because of the Spanish Civil War
. Ifukube's big break came in 1935, when his first orchestral piece, Japanese Rhapsody, won the first prize in an international contest
for young composers promoted by Alexander Tcherepnin
. The judges of that contest—Albert Roussel
, Jacques Ibert
, Arthur Honegger
, Alexandre Tansman
, Tibor Harsányi
, Pierre-Octave Ferroud
, and Henri Gil-Marchex—were unanimous in their selection of Ifukube as the winner. The next year, Ifukube studied modern Western composition while Tcherepnin was visiting Japan, and in 1938 his Piano Suite obtained an honourable mention at the I.C.S.M. festival in Venice
. In the late 1930s his music, especially Japanese Rhapsody, was performed in Europe on a number of occasions.
On completing University, he worked as a forestry
officer and lumber
processor, and towards the end of the Second World War was appointed by the Japanese Imperial Army
to study the elasticity
and vibratory strength
of wood. He suffered radiation
exposure after carrying out x-rays without protection, a consequence of the wartime lead
shortage. Thus, he had to abandon forestry work and became a professional composer and teacher. Ifukube spent some time in hospital due to the radiation exposure, and was startled one day to hear one of his own marches being played over the radio when General Douglas MacArthur
arrived to formalize the Japanese surrender.
From 1946 to 1953, he taught at the Nihon University College of Art, during which period he composed his first film score
for The End of the Silver Mountains, released in 1947. Over the next fifty years, he would compose more than 250 film scores, the high point of which was his 1954 music for Ishirō Honda
's Toho
movie, Godzilla
. Ifukube also created Godzilla's trademark roar
– produced by rubbing a resin-covered leather glove
along the loosened strings of a double bass
– and its footsteps, created by striking an amplifier
box (in which he discovered stepping it on accident while composing another music).
Despite his financial success as a film composer, Ifukube's first love had always been his general classical work as a composer. In 1974, he returned to teaching at the Tokyo College of Music
, becoming president of the college the following year, and in 1987 retired to become president of the College's ethnomusicology
department. He trained the younger generation composer such as Toshiro Mayuzumi
, Yasushi Akutagawa
and Kaoru Wada
, Yssimal Motoji.Imai Satoshi. He also published Orchestration, a 1,000-page book on theory.
He died in Tokyo
at the Meguro-ku
Hospital of multiple organ dysfunction syndrome
on February 8, 2006 at the age of 91.
.
Subsequently, he was awarded the Order of the Sacred Treasure, Third Class
.
In addition, his work was used in Godzilla vs. Biollante
, Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla
, Godzilla 2000
, Godzilla vs. Megaguirus
, Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack
, and Godzilla: Final Wars
.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese composer of classical music and film scores, perhaps best known for his work on the soundtracks of the Godzilla
Godzilla
is a daikaijū, a Japanese movie monster, first appearing in Ishirō Honda's 1954 film Godzilla. Since then, Godzilla has gone on to become a worldwide pop culture icon starring in 28 films produced by Toho Co., Ltd. The monster has appeared in numerous other media incarnations including video games,...
movies by Toho
Toho
is a Japanese film, theater production, and distribution company. It is headquartered in Yūrakuchō, Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group...
.
Biography
Akira Ifukube was born on May 31, 1914 in KushiroKushiro, Hokkaido
is a city located in Kushiro Subprefecture, Hokkaidō, Japan. It is the capital city of Kushiro Subprefecture, as well as the most populous city in eastern Hokkaidō....
on the Japanese island of Hokkaidō
Hokkaido
, formerly known as Ezo, Yezo, Yeso, or Yesso, is Japan's second largest island; it is also the largest and northernmost of Japan's 47 prefectural-level subdivisions. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaido from Honshu, although the two islands are connected by the underwater railway Seikan Tunnel...
, the third son of a Shinto
Shinto
or Shintoism, also kami-no-michi, is the indigenous spirituality of Japan and the Japanese people. It is a set of practices, to be carried out diligently, to establish a connection between present day Japan and its ancient past. Shinto practices were first recorded and codified in the written...
priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
. Much of his childhood was spent in areas with a mixed Japanese and Ainu
Ainu people
The , also called Aynu, Aino , and in historical texts Ezo , are indigenous people or groups in Japan and Russia. Historically they spoke the Ainu language and related varieties and lived in Hokkaidō, the Kuril Islands, and much of Sakhalin...
population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
, and his father, unusually for the time, socialised with Ainu. Ifukube was strongly influenced by the traditional music of both peoples, and studied the violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
and the shamisen
Shamisen
The , also called is a three-stringed, Japanese musical instrument played with a plectrum called a bachi. The Japanese pronunciation is usually "shamisen" but sometimes "jamisen" when used as a suffix . -Construction:The shamisen is a plucked stringed instrument...
. His first encounter with classical music occurred when attending secondary school in Hokkaidō's capital, Sapporo. Legend has it that Ifukube decided to become a composer at the age of 14 after hearing a radio performance of Igor Stravinsky
Igor Stravinsky
Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky ; 6 April 1971) was a Russian, later naturalized French, and then naturalized American composer, pianist, and conductor....
's ballet, The Rite of Spring
The Rite of Spring
The Rite of Spring, original French title Le sacre du printemps , is a ballet with music by Igor Stravinsky; choreography by Vaslav Nijinsky; and concept, set design and costumes by Nicholas Roerich...
. He also cited the music of Manuel de Falla
Manuel de Falla
Manuel de Falla y Matheu was a Spanish Andalusian composer of classical music. With Isaac Albéniz, Enrique Granados and Joaquín Turina he is one of Spain's most important musicians of the first half of the 20th century....
as a major influence.
Ifukube went on to study forestry
Forestry
Forestry is the interdisciplinary profession embracing the science, art, and craft of creating, managing, using, and conserving forests and associated resources in a sustainable manner to meet desired goals, needs, and values for human benefit. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands...
at Hokkaido University
Hokkaido University
Hokkaido University is one of the most prestigious universities in Japan. It can be seen in the several rankings such as shown below.-General Rankings:...
and composing in his spare time, which prefigured a line of self-taught Japanese composers such as Tōru Takemitsu
Toru Takemitsu
was a Japanese composer and writer on aesthetics and music theory. Largely self-taught, Takemitsu possessed consummate skill in the subtle manipulation of instrumental and orchestral timbre...
and Takashi Yoshimatsu
Takashi Yoshimatsu
is a contemporary Japanese composer of classical music. He is well known for composing the 2003 remake of Astro Boy.Takashi Yoshimatsu was born in Tokyo, Japan, and like Toru Takemitsu, the composer generally considered to be Japan's greatest in the western classical style, did not receive formal...
. His first piece was the piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
solo, Piano Suite (later the title was changed to Japan Suite, arranged for orchestra). This piece was dedicated to the pianist George Copeland
George Copeland
George Copeland was an American classical pianist known primarily for his championship of the French composer Claude Debussy in the early 20th century and his interpretations of modern Spanish piano works.-Career:...
who was then living in Spain. Atsushi Miura, musicologist and Ifukube's friend in university, sent a fan letter to Copeland. Copeland replied, "It is wonderful that you listen my disc in spite of you living in Japan, the opposite side of the earth. I imagine you may compose music. Send me some piano pieces." Then Miura, who was not a composer, presented Ifukube and this piece to Copeland. Copeland promised to interpret it, but the correspondence was unfortunately stopped because of the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
. Ifukube's big break came in 1935, when his first orchestral piece, Japanese Rhapsody, won the first prize in an international contest
Competition
Competition is a contest between individuals, groups, animals, etc. for territory, a niche, or a location of resources. It arises whenever two and only two strive for a goal which cannot be shared. Competition occurs naturally between living organisms which co-exist in the same environment. For...
for young composers promoted by Alexander Tcherepnin
Alexander Tcherepnin
Alexander Nikolayevich Tcherepnin was a Russian-born composer and pianist. His father, Nikolai Tcherepnin and his son, Ivan Tcherepnin were also composers, as are two of his grandsons, Sergei and Stefan. His son Serge was involved in the roots of electronic music and instruments...
. The judges of that contest—Albert Roussel
Albert Roussel
Albert Charles Paul Marie Roussel was a French composer. He spent seven years as a midshipman, turned to music as an adult, and became one of the most prominent French composers of the interwar period...
, Jacques Ibert
Jacques Ibert
Jacques François Antoine Ibert was a French composer. Having studied music from an early age, he studied at the Paris Conservatoire and won its top prize, the Prix de Rome at his first attempt, despite studies interrupted by his service in World War I.Ibert pursued a successful composing career,...
, Arthur Honegger
Arthur Honegger
Arthur Honegger was a Swiss composer, who was born in France and lived a large part of his life in Paris. He was a member of Les six. His most frequently performed work is probably the orchestral work Pacific 231, which is interpreted as imitating the sound of a steam locomotive.-Biography:Born...
, Alexandre Tansman
Alexandre Tansman
Alexandre Tansman was a Polish-born composer and virtuoso pianist. He spent his early years in his native Poland, but lived in France for most of his life...
, Tibor Harsányi
Tibor Harsanyi
Tibor Harsányi was a Hungarian-born composer and pianist.He studied at the Budapest Conservatory under Zoltán Kodály. He toured as a pianist around Europe and the Pacific, then settled in Holland in 1920, and worked there as a pianist, conductor and composer before relocating to Paris in 1923...
, Pierre-Octave Ferroud
Pierre-Octave Ferroud
Pierre-Octave Ferroud was a French composer of classical music.He was born in Chasselay, Rhône, near Lyon. He went to Lyon, to Strasbourg where he studied with Guy Ropartz, and again to Lyon where he was for a time an associate and "disciple" of Florent Schmitt, and a pupil of Georges Martin...
, and Henri Gil-Marchex—were unanimous in their selection of Ifukube as the winner. The next year, Ifukube studied modern Western composition while Tcherepnin was visiting Japan, and in 1938 his Piano Suite obtained an honourable mention at the I.C.S.M. festival in Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
. In the late 1930s his music, especially Japanese Rhapsody, was performed in Europe on a number of occasions.
On completing University, he worked as a forestry
Forestry
Forestry is the interdisciplinary profession embracing the science, art, and craft of creating, managing, using, and conserving forests and associated resources in a sustainable manner to meet desired goals, needs, and values for human benefit. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands...
officer and lumber
Lumber
Lumber or timber is wood in any of its stages from felling through readiness for use as structural material for construction, or wood pulp for paper production....
processor, and towards the end of the Second World War was appointed by the Japanese Imperial Army
Imperial Army
An Imperial Army is literally an army of any empire. However, only some empires in history and in fiction have actually referred to their armies as "The Imperial Army."-In Europe:* The Imperial Army of the Holy Roman Empire...
to study the elasticity
Elasticity (physics)
In physics, elasticity is the physical property of a material that returns to its original shape after the stress that made it deform or distort is removed. The relative amount of deformation is called the strain....
and vibratory strength
Vibration
Vibration refers to mechanical oscillations about an equilibrium point. The oscillations may be periodic such as the motion of a pendulum or random such as the movement of a tire on a gravel road.Vibration is occasionally "desirable"...
of wood. He suffered radiation
Ionizing radiation
Ionizing radiation is radiation composed of particles that individually have sufficient energy to remove an electron from an atom or molecule. This ionization produces free radicals, which are atoms or molecules containing unpaired electrons...
exposure after carrying out x-rays without protection, a consequence of the wartime lead
Lead
Lead is a main-group element in the carbon group with the symbol Pb and atomic number 82. Lead is a soft, malleable poor metal. It is also counted as one of the heavy metals. Metallic lead has a bluish-white color after being freshly cut, but it soon tarnishes to a dull grayish color when exposed...
shortage. Thus, he had to abandon forestry work and became a professional composer and teacher. Ifukube spent some time in hospital due to the radiation exposure, and was startled one day to hear one of his own marches being played over the radio when General Douglas MacArthur
Douglas MacArthur
General of the Army Douglas MacArthur was an American general and field marshal of the Philippine Army. He was a Chief of Staff of the United States Army during the 1930s and played a prominent role in the Pacific theater during World War II. He received the Medal of Honor for his service in the...
arrived to formalize the Japanese surrender.
From 1946 to 1953, he taught at the Nihon University College of Art, during which period he composed his first film score
Film score
A film score is original music written specifically to accompany a film, forming part of the film's soundtrack, which also usually includes dialogue and sound effects...
for The End of the Silver Mountains, released in 1947. Over the next fifty years, he would compose more than 250 film scores, the high point of which was his 1954 music for Ishirō Honda
Ishiro Honda
Ishirō Honda , sometimes miscredited in foreign releases as "Inoshiro Honda", was a Japanese film director...
's Toho
Toho
is a Japanese film, theater production, and distribution company. It is headquartered in Yūrakuchō, Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group...
movie, Godzilla
Godzilla
is a daikaijū, a Japanese movie monster, first appearing in Ishirō Honda's 1954 film Godzilla. Since then, Godzilla has gone on to become a worldwide pop culture icon starring in 28 films produced by Toho Co., Ltd. The monster has appeared in numerous other media incarnations including video games,...
. Ifukube also created Godzilla's trademark roar
Godzilla roar
The Godzilla roar is the trademarked sound the film monster Godzilla makes in most of his movies. What typifies the roar is that it sounds very mechanical and does not resemble an animal’s sound as such....
– produced by rubbing a resin-covered leather glove
Leather glove
A leather glove is a fitted covering for the hand with a separate sheath for each finger and the thumb. This covering is composed of the tanned hide of an animal , though it is not uncommon in recent years for the leather to be synthetic.- Common uses :A common use for leather gloves is sporting...
along the loosened strings of a double bass
Double bass
The double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2...
– and its footsteps, created by striking an amplifier
Amplifier
Generally, an amplifier or simply amp, is a device for increasing the power of a signal.In popular use, the term usually describes an electronic amplifier, in which the input "signal" is usually a voltage or a current. In audio applications, amplifiers drive the loudspeakers used in PA systems to...
box (in which he discovered stepping it on accident while composing another music).
Despite his financial success as a film composer, Ifukube's first love had always been his general classical work as a composer. In 1974, he returned to teaching at the Tokyo College of Music
Tokyo College of Music
was founded as in Kanda, Tokyo in 1907. It is the oldest private music school in Japan.- History :The founder , Yonejirō Suzuki, introduced European classical music into the Empire of Japan....
, becoming president of the college the following year, and in 1987 retired to become president of the College's ethnomusicology
Ethnomusicology
Ethnomusicology is defined as "the study of social and cultural aspects of music and dance in local and global contexts."Coined by the musician Jaap Kunst from the Greek words ἔθνος ethnos and μουσική mousike , it is often considered the anthropology or ethnography of music...
department. He trained the younger generation composer such as Toshiro Mayuzumi
Toshiro Mayuzumi
Toshiro Mayuzumi was a Japanese composer.-Biography:...
, Yasushi Akutagawa
Yasushi Akutagawa
was a Japanese composer and conductor. He was born and raised in Tabata, Tokyo. His father was Ryūnosuke Akutagawa.Akutagawa was taught composition by Kunihiko Hashimoto and Akira Ifukube at the Tokyo Conservatory of Music...
and Kaoru Wada
Kaoru Wada
is a Japanese music composer, music arranger, conductor, music orchestrator and pianist from Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture. He studied at the Tokyo College of Music. He is popularly known for his work on anime soundtracks. He became known to the West through his work on 3x3 Eyes and Battle...
, Yssimal Motoji.Imai Satoshi. He also published Orchestration, a 1,000-page book on theory.
He died in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
at the Meguro-ku
Meguro, Tokyo
is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. It calls itself Meguro City in English.Meguro hosts fifteen foreign embassies and consulates. One of Tokyo's most exclusive residential neighborhoods is located in Meguro....
Hospital of multiple organ dysfunction syndrome
Multiple organ dysfunction syndrome
Multiple organ dysfunction syndrome ', previously known as multiple organ failure or multisystem organ failure , is altered organ function in an acutely ill patient requiring medical intervention to achieve homeostasis...
on February 8, 2006 at the age of 91.
Honors
The Japanese government awarded Ifukube the Order of CultureOrder of Culture
The is a Japanese order, established on February 11, 1937. The order has one class only, and may be awarded to men and women for contributions to Japan's art, literature or culture; recipients of the order also receive an annuity for life...
.
Subsequently, he was awarded the Order of the Sacred Treasure, Third Class
Order of the Sacred Treasure
The is a Japanese Order, established on January 4, 1888 by Emperor Meiji of Japan as the Order of Meiji. It is awarded in eight classes . It is generally awarded for long and/or meritorious service and considered to be the lowest of the Japanese orders of merit...
.
Orchestral
- Japanese Rhapsody (1935)http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=z6wOa0AIfWE&fmt=18http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=KdTfd9roYko&feature=related&fmt=18
- Triptyque aborigene for chamber orchestra (1937)
- Symphony Concertante for piano and orchestra (1941)
- Ballata sinfonica (1943)http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=nlDXRxARh9I&feature=related&fmt=18
- Overture to the Nation of Philippines (1944)
- Salome (1948) – ballet based on Oscar WildeOscar WildeOscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde was an Irish writer and poet. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of London's most popular playwrights in the early 1890s...
's play of the same nameSalome (play)Salome is a tragedy by Oscar Wilde.The original 1891 version of the play was in French. Three years later an English translation was published...
. Ifukube revised and expanded the score in 1987. The piece is written in a conservative, late-romantic style reminiscent of Rimsky-Korsakov, MussorgskyMussorgskyMussorgsky can refer to:*The Mussorgsky family of Russian nobility;*Modest Mussorgsky, a Russian composer belonging to that family.*Mussorgsky , a 1950 Soviet film about the composer...
or even Khachaturian. - Drumming of Japan (1951, revised 1984)
- Symphonic Fantasia No. 1 (1954, revised 1983)
- Sinfonia Tapkaara (1954, revised 1979)http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=RteWz4IXRmY&fmt=18
- Ritmica Ostinata for piano and orchestra (1961, revised 1972)
- Ronde in Burlesque for wind orchestra (1972, arranged to orchestra in 1983)
- Violin Concerto No. 2 (1978)
- Lauda concertata for marimba and orchestra (1979)
- Symphonic Fantasia No. 2 (1983)
- Symphonic Fantasia No. 3 (1983)
- Gotama the Buddha for mixed chorus and orchestra (1989)
- Japanese Suite for orchestra (1991)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yt392mvaPvc&feature=PlayList&p=063242DA1102AD82&index=13
- Japanese Suite for string orchestra (1998)
Chamber and instrumental
- Piano Suite (1933)
- Toccata for guitar (1970)
- Fantasia for baroque lute (1980)
- Sonata for violin and piano (1985)
- Ballata sinfonica for duo-treble and bass 25-stringed koto (2001)
Vocal
- Ancient Minstrelsies of Gilyak Tribes (1946)
- Three Lullabies among the Native Tribes on the Island of Sakhalin (1949)
- Eclogues after Epos among Aino Races for solo voice and 4 kettle drums (1950)
- A Shanty of the Shiretoko Peninsula (1960)
- The Sea of Okhotsk for soprano, bassoon, piano (or harp) and double bass (1988) for soprano, viola and harp or piano (1992)
- La Fontaine sacrée for soprano, viola, bassoon and harp (1964, 2000); arrangement by the composer from the 1964 film score Mothra vs. GodzillaMothra vs. Godzillais a 1964 science fiction kaiju film directed by Ishirō Honda. It was the fourth film to be released in the Godzilla series, produced by Toho Company Ltd...
Film scores
- Snow TrailSnow TrailSnow Trail is a 1947 black-and-white Japanese film directed by Senkichi Taniguchi. It was the first film role for Toshirō Mifune, later to become one of Japan's most famous actors. Mifune and the other main actor in the film Takashi Shimura, later became long-term collaborators of film director...
(1947) - The Quiet DuelThe Quiet Duelis a 1949 Japanese film directed by Akira Kurosawa.-Plot:Toshirō Mifune plays a young idealistic doctor who works at his father's clinic in a small and seedy district. During the war, he contracts syphilis from the blood of a patient when he cuts himself during an operation...
(1949) - AnatahanAnatahan (film), also known as The Saga of Anatahan, is a 1953 black-and-white Japanese film war drama directed by Josef von Sternberg.It was the final work directed by noted Hollywood director Josef von Sternberg...
(アナタハン), also known as The Saga of Anatahan (1953) - GodzillaGodzilla (1954 film)is a 1954 Japanese science fiction film directed by Ishirō Honda and produced by Tomoyuki Tanaka. The film stars Akira Takarada, Momoko Kōchi, Akihiko Hirata and Takashi Shimura. The film tells the story of Godzilla, a giant monster mutated by nuclear radiation, who ravages Japan, bringing back the...
(1954) - Ningen gyorai kaitenNingen gyorai kaitenis a 1955 black-and-white Japanese film directed by Shūe Matsubayashi....
(1955) - The Burmese Harp (1956)
- RodanRodan (film)Rodan, released in Japan as , is a 1956 Kaiju film produced by Toho Studios. It was the studio's first Kaiju movie filmed in color...
(1956) - The MysteriansThe MysteriansThe Mysterians, released in Japan as , is a tokusatsu science fiction film produced and released by Toho Studios in 1957. It was directed by the "Golden Duo" of Ishirō Honda and Eiji Tsuburaya . It is notable for being the first tokusatsu filmed in TohoScope and the first Toho film to use...
(1957) - Varan the UnbelievableVaran the UnbelievableVaran the Unbelievable, released in Japan as , is a 1958 Kaiju film directed by Ishirō Honda and Eiji Tsuburaya , and their last black-and-white monster film. The title character Varan is one of Toho Studios' least-famed creations. Although shown in Japanese-language theaters in the USA, the film...
(1958) - The Birth of JapanThe Birth of Japan, also called The Three Treasures, is a 1959 Japanese tokusatsu fantasy epic film. Telling the story of the creation of Japan according to Japanese mythology, specifically the Shinto religion, it is considered Japan's answer to The Ten Commandments...
(1958) - Battle in Outer SpaceBattle in Outer SpaceBattle in Outer Space, released in Japan as is a tokusatsu film produced and released by Toho Studios in Japan in 1959, and distributed worldwide in 1960 by Columbia Pictures...
(1959) - The Big BossThe Big BossThe Big Boss, previously known by its U.S. title Fists Of Fury is a 1971 Hong Kong martial arts action crime thriller film. The Big Boss was Bruce Lee's first major film. It was written to star James Tien; however, Lee's strong performance relegated Tien, already a star in Hong Kong, to second...
(Boss of the Underworld) (1959) - Daredevil in the Castle (1961)
- The Tale of ZatoichiZatoichiis a fictional character featured in one of Japan's longest running series of films and a television series set in the Edo period. The character, a blind masseur and swordmaster, was created by novelist . This originally minor character was developed for the screen by Daiei Studios and actor...
(1962) - King Kong vs. GodzillaKing Kong vs. Godzillais a 1962 Japanese science fiction kaiju film produced by Toho Studios. Directed by Ishirō Honda with visual effects by Eiji Tsuburaya, the film starred Tadao Takashima, Kenji Sahara, and Mie Hama. It was the third installment in the Japanese series of films featuring the monster Godzilla...
(1962) - ChushinguraChushingurais the name for fictionalized accounts of the historical revenge by the Forty-seven Ronin of the death of their master, Asano Naganori. Including the early , the story has been told in kabuki, bunraku, stage plays, films, novels, television shows and other media...
(1962) - Wanpaku Ouji no Orochi TaijiWanpaku Ouji no Orochi Taijiis a Japanese traditional animation fantasy adventure feature film, the 6th feature produced by Tōei Animation , released in Japan on March 24, 1963...
(1963) - AtragonAtragonAtragon, released in Japan as , is a 1963 Toho tokusatsu film based on a series of juvenile adventure novels under the banner Kaitei Gunkan by Shunrō Oshikawa and the illustrated story Kaitei Okoku by illustrator Shigeru Komatsuzaki, serialized in a monthly magazine for boys...
(1963) - Mothra vs. GodzillaMothra vs. Godzillais a 1964 science fiction kaiju film directed by Ishirō Honda. It was the fourth film to be released in the Godzilla series, produced by Toho Company Ltd...
(1964) - Dogora (1964)
- Ghidorah, the Three-Headed MonsterGhidorah, the Three-Headed MonsterGhidorah, the Three-Headed Monster, released in Japan as and originally released in the US as Ghidrah, the Three-Headed Monster, is a 1964 science fiction kaiju film, and is the 5th film in Toho's Godzilla series...
(1964) - Whirlwind (1964)
- Frankenstein Conquers the WorldFrankenstein Conquers the WorldFrankenstein Conquers the World, released in Japan as , with Toho's official English title being Frankenstein vs. Baragon, is a kaiju film produced in 1965 by Toho Company Ltd...
(1965) - Invasion of Astro-MonsterInvasion of Astro-MonsterInvasion of Astro-Monster is a Science Fiction kaiju film released in 1965 as a direct sequel to Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster...
(1965) - War of the GargantuasWar of the GargantuasThe War of the Gargantuas, released in Japan as , is a 1966 Kaiju film, sequel to Frankenstein vs. Baragon.It introduces two giant, hairy humanoids called Gargantuas, which spawned from the discarded cells of Frankenstein's monster from the previous film and are described as brothers...
(1966) - DaimajinDaimajin (1966 film)Daimajin is a 1966 Japanese film of the Daimajin series directed by Kimiyoshi Yasuda. Its musical score is composed by Akira Ifukube. The film had a brief state-side theatrical release in 1968. Reportedly, it was shown both in Japanese with English subtitles and dubbed into English...
(1966) - Wrath of Daimajin (1966)
- Return of Daimajin (1966)
- King Kong EscapesKing Kong EscapesKing Kong Escapes, released in Japan as , is a 1967 Kaiju film. A Japanese/American co-production from Toho and Rankin/Bass . Directed by Ishiro Honda and featuring special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya, the film starred both American actors alongside Japanese actors...
(1967) - Destroy All MonstersDestroy All MonstersDestroy All Monsters, released in Japan as , is a 1968 Japanese horror Science fiction Kaiju film. The ninth in Toho Studios' Godzilla series, it was directed by Ishirō Honda with special effects by Sadamasa Arikawa This is the fifth film to feature Mothra, third to feature King Ghidorah, fourth...
(1968) - Latitude Zero (1969)
- Space AmoebaSpace AmoebaSpace Amoeba, released in Japan as , is a 1970 Kaiju film produced and released by Toho Studios. This was one of director Ishirō Honda's last kaiju movies, and the first such movie made after the death of special-effects director Eiji Tsuburaya...
(1970) - Godzilla vs. GiganGodzilla vs. GiganGodzilla vs. Gigan, released in Japan as and also known as Godzilla on Monster Island when first released to U.S. theaters, is a 1972 Science Fiction Kaiju film. The 12th of Toho Studio's Godzilla series, it was directed by Jun Fukuda with special effects by Teruyoshi Nakano. It is the fourth film...
(1972) - Sandakan No. 8 (1974)
- Terror of MechagodzillaTerror of MechagodzillaTerror of Mechagodzilla, released in Japan as , is a 1975 science fiction kaiju film. The film was titled The Terror of Godzilla in its original American theatrical release. The 15th film in Toho's Godzilla series, it was directed by Ishirō Honda with special effects by Teruyoshi Nakano...
(1975) - Lady Origin (1978)
- Godzilla vs. King GhidorahGodzilla vs. King Ghidorah, alternatively spelled Godzilla vs. King Ghidora, is the 18th installment in the Godzilla series of films. This is the fifth film to feature King Ghidorah and the first film to feature Mecha-King Ghidorah, . The movie was released theatrically in Japan on December 14, 1991...
(1991) - Godzilla vs. MothraGodzilla vs. Mothra, translated in English as Godzilla vs. Mothra, is the 19th installment in the Godzilla series of films. It is the sixth film to feature Mothra and the only film to feature Battra. The movie was released theatrically in Japan on December 12, 1992...
(1992) - Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla IIGodzilla vs. Mechagodzilla IIGodzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II, released in Japan as , is a 1993 science fiction kaiju film directed by Takao Okawara and written by Wataru Mimura. It was the twentieth film in Toho's Godzilla series and the first to feature BabyGodzilla. It is also the fifth film to feature Rodan and the third film...
(1993) - Godzilla vs. DestoroyahGodzilla vs. Destoroyah, alternatively titled Godzilla vs. Destroyer, is a 1995 science fiction kaiju film directed by Takao Okawara and written by Kazuki Omori. It was released in Japan on December 9, 1995. It is the 22nd installment in the Godzilla series of films and the seventh and last of the Heisei series...
(1995)
In addition, his work was used in Godzilla vs. Biollante
Godzilla vs. Biollante
is a 1989 science fiction kaiju film written and directed by Kazuki Ōmori. It was the seventeenth film to be released in the Godzilla franchise and the second in terms of the franchise's Heisei period...
, Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla
Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla
is a 1994 science fiction kaiju film directed by Kensho Yamashita and written by Hiroshi Kashiwabara. It was the twenty-first film released in the Godzilla series and sixth in the Heisei series of films. It is the second film to feature the Moguera and Little Godzilla and also the seventh film to...
, Godzilla 2000
Godzilla 2000
is a 1999 Japanese science fiction kaiju film directed by Takao Okawara and written by Hiroshi Kashiwabara and Wataru Mimura. It was the twenty-third film released in the Godzilla series. It is the only film to feature Orga. The film was released on December 11, 1999...
, Godzilla vs. Megaguirus
Godzilla vs. Megaguirus
Godzilla vs. Megaguirus, released in Japan as is a 2000 science fiction kaiju film directed by Masaaki Tezuka and written by Hiroshi Kashiwabara and Wataru Mimura...
, Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack
Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack
is a 2001 science fiction kaiju film co-written and directed by Shūsuke Kaneko with a very catchy name. It was the twenty-fifth film to be released in the Godzilla film series. This is the eleventh film to feature Mothra, sixth to feature King Ghidorah, and third to feature Baragon. It is part of...
, and Godzilla: Final Wars
Godzilla: Final Wars
is a 2004 Japanese science fiction-kaiju film directed by Ryuhei Kitamura, written by Wataru Mimura and Isao Kiriyama and produced by Shogo Tomiyama. It is the twenty-eighth film in the Godzilla film series, and the sixth in terms of the series' Millennium era...
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External links
- A guide to Ifukube's concert music on CD
- Information about his death in Japanese
- AKIRAIFUKUBE.ORG:A virtual museum dedicated to Akira Ifukube
- Larson, Randall D. Voice of Gojira: Remembering Akira Ifukube at musicfromthemovies.com
- Milner, David. Yohihiko Shibata (trans.) December 1992 & December 1993. "The Complete Akira Ifukube Interview", Kaiju Fan Online.