Kenpachiro Satsuma

Kenpachiro Satsuma (薩摩剣八郎) (May 27, 1947 – December 16, 2023) was a Japanese actor most famous for playing Godzilla in the Heisei series of Godzilla films (1984–1995).

Godzilla is an outrageous monster that is played by an outstanding guy! I am a little short, but in my heart burns the spirit of the samurai.

Quotes

It is my dream to have an American staff and a Japanese staff work together to create a Godzilla film.

Be Godzilla. Don't do anything else. Write books about playing Godzilla, talk to reporters about playing Godzilla, but don't do anything else. Just be Godzilla.

• Since Hedorah was supposed to be a monster created by pollution instead of an animal, I tried to avoid portraying him as an animal. I tried to make him seem spooky and grotesque.
  • As quoted by David Milner, "Kenpachiro Satsuma Interview I", Kaiju Conversations (December 1993)

• The Godzilla costume constructed for GODZILLA 1985 was made to fit a much larger man, but he quit just before production was scheduled to begin. So, I took over the role. This, along with the fact that the costume weighed two hundred and forty-five pounds, limited what I could do in it. The Godzilla costume constructed for GODZILLA VS. BIOLLANTE, on the other hand, was made to fit me. In addition, it weighed only one hundred and eighty pounds. I felt that the GODZILLA 1985 costume controlled me, but I controlled the GODZILLA VS. BIOLLANTE one.
  • As quoted by David Milner, "Kenpachiro Satsuma Interview I", Kaiju Conversations (December 1993)

• [Portraying Godzilla in the water] is the most dangerous part of my job. If I fell over, I could drown. I would never be able to get back up with the Godzilla costume on.
  • As quoted by David Milner, "Kenpachiro Satsuma Interview I", Kaiju Conversations (December 1993)

• I really envy the members of the production departments of American movie studios. Their ideas are better, and they are given much more time to work on films.
  • As quoted by David Milner, "Kenpachiro Satsuma Interview I", Kaiju Conversations (December 1993)

• I hope that we some day will have a big budget and a lot of time in which to do our work. It is my dream to have an American staff and a Japanese staff work together to create a Godzilla film.
  • As quoted by David Milner, "Kenpachiro Satsuma Interview I", Kaiju Conversations (December 1993)

• [Godzilla kenpo] is a combination of karate and the kinds of moves I make while playing Godzilla. I developed it to help me from becoming too worn out while playing Godzilla.
  • As quoted by David Milner, "Kenpachiro Satsuma Interview I", Kaiju Conversations (December 1993)

• I asked Mr. Honda to direct the next Godzilla film at a party that was held shortly before he died. He said that he would. I don't know how serious he was.
  • As quoted by David Milner, "Kenpachiro Satsuma Interview I", Kaiju Conversations (December 1993)

• Godzilla is an outrageous monster that is played by an outstanding guy! I am a little short, but in my heart burns the spirit of the samurai.
  • As quoted by David Milner, "Kenpachiro Satsuma Interview I", Kaiju Conversations (December 1993)

• I was surprised that Godzilla was going to die on land instead of in the ocean, which was his cradle. I think it's natural for Godzilla to die because he is a living thing, but I envisioned his death differently. My idea was based on the legend of the tomb of elephants. According to the legend, when an elephant begins to feel that he is going to die, he secretly goes to the tomb. I envisioned Godzilla returning to the South Pacific when he began to feel that his end was coming. There then would have been some implication that Godzilla had died.
  • As quoted by David Milner, "Kenpachiro Satsuma Interview III", Kaiju Conversations (December 1995)

• I had to wear an oxygen mask both in the water and on land because of the carbon monoxide. I fainted four times during the first day of filming. We were shooting the scene in which Godzilla emerges from the water as he approaches Hong Kong. I wasn't warned about the carbon monoxide, so I wasn't wearing an oxygen mask. We were shooting in water, so nobody could just run up to me when they saw me acting strangely. We were filming a long shot, so nobody was very close to me. The members of the staff didn't realize I'd fainted that first time until they started opening up the costume so I could get out.
  • As quoted by David Milner, "Kenpachiro Satsuma Interview III", Kaiju Conversations (December 1995)

• I think my performances did keep getting better. I also think that I managed to give Godzilla a distinct character. I'm very proud of that.
  • As quoted by David Milner, "Kenpachiro Satsuma Interview III", Kaiju Conversations (December 1995)

• I began to feel that it was time for me to retire at the end of production on GODZILLA VS. SPACE GODZILLA. I noticed that I was beginning to lack the three powers needed to play Godzilla. My physical power was diminishing because of my age, and my spiritual and performance powers were diminishing because of budgetary constraints and interpersonal problems. It was difficult for me to approach my work with enthusiasm and energy. It didn't matter how much kendo I did.
  • As quoted by David Milner, "Kenpachiro Satsuma Interview III", Kaiju Conversations (December 1995)

• The special effects are more sophisticated. The materials and techniques used to construct the monster costumes and miniature sets have improved, and we now use computer graphics. However, the earlier Godzilla films are much more profound. I think the reason for this is the fact that the people who worked on them experienced World War II firsthand. Shinichi Sekizawa served in the South Pacific, and Mr. Honda was a prisoner of war in China for quite some time. The earlier films also are more detailed. For example, there are more reaction shots in them. The expressions on people's faces are shown more often, and the effects of the monsters' actions are shown more often. On the other hand, the newer movies are more contemporary in that they address current issues such as bio-technology and environmental destruction. The earlier films didn't do that as much.
  • As quoted by David Milner, "Kenpachiro Satsuma Interview III", Kaiju Conversations (December 1995)

• I was amazed that the miniature set constructed for GAMERA - THE GUARDIAN OF THE UNIVERSE was so tiny. It's hard to believe that a film made with such a tiny set could receive such good reviews!
  • As quoted by David Milner, "Kenpachiro Satsuma Interview III", Kaiju Conversations (December 1995)

• I'm currently working on a book that will be published by the Kindai Yumei Company. I haven't chosen a title yet, but the book will be about Godzilla-do, which really isn't all that different from some aspects of kendo and judo.
  • As quoted by David Milner, "Kenpachiro Satsuma Interview III", Kaiju Conversations (December 1995)

• Be Godzilla. Don't do anything else. Write books about playing Godzilla, talk to reporters about playing Godzilla, but don't do anything else. Just be Godzilla.
  • As quoted by David Milner, "Kenpachiro Satsuma Interview III", Kaiju Conversations (December 1995)

• I have now done seven films as Godzilla, and I believe I have achieved most everything I have wanted to do inside the costume... Most importantly, I have always felt Godzilla should express its emotions, which is very difficult given the range of movements and expressions the suit can make. So, whatever Godzilla does - roaring, spewing his radiation breath, communicating with Godzilla Junior - I always try to add little movements that will show his emotional state, like moving his fingers, or a short glance. The Heisei Godzilla [has] a very different personality than the old Godzilla. He is very animalistic, always in motion. But I believe Godzilla is a very emotional creature.
  • As quoted by Steve Ryfle (1998), Japan's Favourite Mon-star: The Unauthorized Biography of "The Big G", ECW Press, p. 263-64, ISBN 1550223488

See also

• Haruo Nakajima