Ishirō Honda | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
.jpg) Honda at theNational Museum of Nature and Science during the filming ofFrankenstein vs. Baragon, 1965 | |||||
| Born | (1911-05-07)7 May 1911 | ||||
| Died | 28 February 1993(1993-02-28) (aged 81) Setagaya, Tokyo, Japan | ||||
| Resting place | Fuji Cemetery,Oyama,Shizuoka, Japan 35°22′11″N138°54′28″E / 35.3696°N 138.9079°E /35.3696; 138.9079 | ||||
| Alma mater | Nihon University | ||||
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1934–1992 | ||||
| Known for |
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| Spouse | |||||
| Children | 2 | ||||
| Military career | |||||
| Allegiance |  Empire of Japan | ||||
| Years of service | 1934–1946 | ||||
| Rank |  Sergeant[1] | ||||
| Battles / wars | |||||
| Japanese name | |||||
| Kanji | 本多 猪四郎 | ||||
| Hiragana | ほんだ いしろう[2] | ||||
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| Website | ishirohonda.com | ||||
| Signature | |||||
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Ishirō Honda[a] (Japanese:本多猪四郎,Hepburn:Honda Ishirō; 7 May 1911 – 28 February 1993) was a Japanese filmmaker who directed 46 feature films in a career spanning five decades.[6] He is acknowledged as the most internationally successful Japanese filmmaker prior toHayao Miyazaki and one of the founders of moderndisaster film, with his films having a significant influence on the film industry.[7] Despite directing manydrama,war,documentary, andcomedy films, Honda is best remembered for directing and co-creating thekaiju genre with special effects directorEiji Tsuburaya.[8]
Honda entered theJapanese film industry in 1934, working as the thirdassistant director on Sotoji Kimura'sThe Elderly Commoner's Life Study.[9] After 15 years of working on numerous films as an assistant director, he made his directorial debut with the short documentary filmIse-Shima (1949). Honda's first feature film,The Blue Pearl (1952), was a critical success in Japan at the time and would lead him to direct three subsequent drama films.
In 1954, Honda directed and co-wroteGodzilla, which became a box office success in Japan and was nominated for two Japanese Movie Association awards. Because of the film's commercial success in Japan, it spawned amultimedia franchise, recognized byGuinness World Records as the longest-running film franchise in history, that established thekaiju andtokusatsu genres. It helped Honda gain international recognition and led him to direct numeroustokusatsu films that are still studied and watched today.[10][11]
After directing hiseighth and finalGodzilla film in 1975, Honda retired from filmmaking.[12] However, Honda's former colleague and friend,Akira Kurosawa, would persuade him to come out of retirement in the late 1970s and act as his right-hand man for his last five films.[7]
Honda was born inAsahi,Yamagata Prefecture (now part of the city ofTsuruoka),[13][14][15] the fifth and youngest child of Hokan and Miyo Honda. His father Hokan was theabbot of Honda Ryuden-in temple.[13] Honda stated that his forename was a combination derived from three words: "'I' stands forinoshishi, the boar, theastrological symbol of my birth year.shi stands for the number four, the fourth son. Andro indicates a boy’s name. Literally, it means the fourth son, born in the year of the boar."[3][16] He had three brothers: Takamoto, Ryokichi, Ryuzo, and one sister: Tomi, who died during her childhood.[17] Honda's father and grandfather were both Buddhist monks at Churen-ji, a temple in Mount Yudono, where the Hondas lived in a dwelling on the temple's property. The Hondas grew rice, potatoes,daikon radishes, and carrots, and also made and soldmiso and soy sauce. The family also received income from a silk moth farm managed by one of Honda's brothers. Honda's father earned income during the summers by selling devotions inIwate Prefecture,Akita Prefecture, andHokkaido and would return home before the winter.[16]
While Honda's brothers were given religious tutoring at sixteen, Honda was learning about science.[16] Takamoto, who became a military doctor, encouraged Honda to study and sent him scientific magazines to help, which started Honda's love for reading and scientific curiosity.[18] In 1921, when Honda was ten, Hokan became the abbot at Io-ji temple inTokyo,[13] and the family moved into the Takaido neighborhood inSuginami. Though he was an honors student back home, Honda's grades declined in Tokyo and in middle school; he struggled with subjects involving equations such as chemistry, biology, and algebra.[19]
After his father transferred to another temple, Honda enrolled in the Tachibana Elementary school in Kawasaki and later in Kogyokusha Junior High where Honda studied kendo, archery, and athletic swimming but quit after tearing his Achilles tendon.[20]
Honda became interested in films when he and his class-mates were assembled to watch one of the Universal Bluebird photoplays. Honda would often sneak into movie theatres without his parents' permission. For silent films in Japan at that time, on-screen texts were replaced withbenshi, narrators who stood beside the screen and provided live commentary, which Honda found more fascinating than the films themselves.[21] Honda's brother, Takamoto, had hoped for Honda to become a dentist and join his clinic in Tokyo but instead, Honda applied atNihon University for their art department's film major program and was accepted in 1931.[22] The film department was a pilot program, which resulted in disorganized poor conditions for the class and cancellations from the teacher every so often. While this forced other students to quit, Honda instead used the cancelled periods to watch films at theaters, where he took personal notes.[23]
Honda and four of his class-mates rented a room in Shinbashi, a few kilometers from their university, where they would gather after school to discuss films. Honda had hoped for the group to collaborate on a screenplay but they mainly just socialized and drank. Honda attended a salon of film critics and students but hardly participated, preferring rather to listen.[23] While in school, Honda met Iwao Mori, an executive in charge of production for Photographic Chemical Laboratories (P.C.L.) In August 1933, Mori offered entry-level jobs at P.C.L. to a few students, including Honda.[11] Honda eventually completed his studies while working at the studio and became an assistant director, which required him to be a scripter in the editing department. Honda eventually became a third assistant director on Sotoji Kimura'sThe Elderly Commoner's Life Study (1934). However, Honda then received a draft notice from the military.[24]
At twenty-three years old, Honda was drafted into theImperial Japanese Army in the fall of 1934. Despite receiving a passing grade on his physical examination, he was not required to report for immediate duty. While waiting for his call-up, Honda continued working at P.C.L. Honda was then called to duty in January 1935 and was enlisted into the First Division, First Infantry Regiment in Tokyo. At the time, Honda began his training at the entry-level rank of Ippeisotsu, the equivalent of Petty Officer First Class.[25]
In 1936, Honda's former commanding officer,Yasuhide Kurihara, launched a coup against the civilian government, what would be called theFebruary 26 Incident. Though Honda had no involvement with the coup, everyone associated with Kurihara were considered dangerous and the brass wanted them gone and as a result, Honda and his regiment were sent to Manchukuo in 1936, under questionable pretense. Honda would have completed his 18 remaining months of service had it not been for the coup and would be recalled to service again and again for the remainder of the war.[26]
Honda met Kimi Yamazaki in 1937 and proposed marriage to her in 1939. Honda's parents and Kimi's mother were supportive, but Kimi's father was opposed to the sudden engagement. Though Kimi's father never approved of her marriage, he nonetheless sent her ¥1,000 upon learning of her pregnancy. Rather than having a traditional wedding ceremony, the two simply signed papers at city hall, paid their respects atMeiji Shrine, and went home.[27] Since their marriage, the couple lived in Seijo in Setagaya, even after the war.[28] Kimi would pass away on November 3, 2018, aged 101. This was alsoGodzilla's 64th anniversary.[29]
Honda was recalled to service in mid-December 1939, a week before his daughter, Takako, was due to be born.[30] Having already risen in rank, Honda was able to visit his wife and daughter in the hospital but had to leave afterwards immediately to China.[31] Between 1940 and 1941, Honda was assigned to manage a "comfort station", a euphemism for brothels established in occupied areas. Honda would later write an essay titledReflections of an Officer in Charge of Comfort Women published inMovie Art Magazine in April 1966, detailing his experiences and other comfort women's experiences working in comfort stations.[32]
Honda would then return home in December 1942, only to find that P.C.L. (now rebranded asToho by that point) were forced to producepropaganda films to support the war effort. The government took control of the Japanese film industry in 1939, modeling the passage of motion picture laws afterNazi policies where scripts and films were reviewed so they supported the war effort and filmmakers noncompliant were punished or worse.[33] Honda's son, Ryuji, was born on 31 January 1944, however, Honda received another draft notice in March 1944. He was assigned to head for the Philippines but his unit missed the boat and were sent back to China instead. To Honda's fortune, the conflict in China was less intense than it was in the Pacific and South-East Asia. Honda became a sergeant and was in charge of trading and communicating with civilians. Honda never ordered the Chinese as a soldier and was respectful to them as much as possible.[34]
Honda was eventually captured by the Chinese National Revolutionary Army and relocated to an area betweenBeijing andShanghai for a year before the war ended. During his imprisonment, Honda stated to have been treated well and was even befriended by the locals and temple monks, who offered him to stay permanently but Honda respectfully refused in favor of finding his wife and children. As a parting gift, the locals gave Honda rubbings of Chinese proverbs, imprinted from stone carvings of temples. Honda would later write these verses in the back of his screenplays.[35]
During his final tour, Honda escaped death nearHankou when a mortar shell landed before him but did not detonate. When the battle ended, Honda later returned to retrieve the shell and took it back home to Japan where he placed it on top of his desk in his private study until his death.[36] Honda then returned home in March 1946; however, throughout most of his life, even as an old man, Honda would have nightmares about the war two or three times a year.[37] During his entire military service, Honda served three tours, with a total of six years serving at the front.[38]
Honda returned to work atToho as an assistant director. In 1946, he worked on two films:Motoyoshi Oda'sEleven Girl Students and Kunio Watanabe'sDeclaration of Love. In 1947, he worked on three films,24 Hours in an Underground Market (jointly directed byTadashi Imai,Hideo Sekigawa, and Kiyoshi Kusuda) andThe New Age of Fools Parts One and Two, directed byKajirō Yamamoto.[39] Due to alabor dispute at Toho, many stars and employees split off and formedShintoho. Kunio Watanabe tried to convince Honda to join Shintoho, with the promise of Honda becoming a director quicker, however, Honda chose to remain neutral and stayed at Toho.[40] Despite struggling at Toho, Honda worked on a handful of films produced by Film Arts Associates Productions.[39] Between September and October 1948, Honda was on location in Noto Peninsula working on Kajirō Yamamoto'sChild of the Wind, the first release from Film Arts. From January to March 1949, Honda worked with Yamamoto again onFlirtation in Spring.[39]
Prior to being promoted to a feature film director, Honda had to direct documentaries for Toho's Educational Films Division. Toho sometimes used documentary projects as tests for assistant directors due to become directors.[41] Honda's directorial debut was the documentaryIse-Shima, a twenty-minute highlight reel ofIse-Shima's cultural attractions. It was commissioned by local officials to boost tourism to the national park. The film covers a brief history of the Ise Grand Shrine, the local people, the economy, and pearl farms.[41] The film is also notable for being the first Japanese film to utilize underwater photography successfully. Honda originally wanted to use a small submarine-like craft but the idea was scrapped due to budget and safety concerns. Instead, professional divers assisted with the production. Honda had commissioned a camera technician colleague who designed and built an air-tight, waterproof, metal-and-glass housing for a compact 35-millimeter camera.[42] The documentary was completed in July 1949 and became a triumph for Toho. The documentary was then sold to multiple European territories. It disappeared for a long time until it resurfaced on Japanese cable television in 2003. Between July and September 1949, shortly after finishingIse-Shima, Honda reunited with his friendAkira Kurosawa onStray Dog and began working as a chief assistant director on the film.[43] Honda mainly directedsecond unit photography, all of the footage pleased Kurosawa and has stated to "owe a great deal" to Honda for capturing the film's post-war atmosphere.[43]
In 1950, Honda worked on two films by Kajirō Yamamoto:Escape from Prison andElegy, the last film produced by Film Art Associations.[44] Honda had also worked as an assistant director onSenkichi Taniguchi'sEscape at Dawn.[45][b]
Between working on films as an assistant director, Honda began pre-production onNewspaper Kid, which would have been his feature directorial debut. However, the project was canceled. Instead, he began working on another documentary titledStory of a Co-op (also known asFlowers Blooming in the Sand andCo-op Way of Life)[44][46]Story of a Co-op was a documentary about the rise of consumer cooperatives in post-war Japan. It was also written by Honda, with the production overseen by Jin Usami and with the support of the Ministry of Health and Welfare. Some records indicated that some animation was used to explain the functions of co-ops but these reports have been unconfirmed. The film was completed on 6 October 1950 and has since been lost. However, Honda recalled that the film was successful enough to convince Toho to assign Honda his first feature film.[47]
Between filming the documentaries, Toho had offered Honda the chance to develop and direct a war film titledKamikaze Special Attack Troop. Toho then chose not to proceed with the project after finding Honda's script, which openly criticized leaders of World War II, to be too grim and realistic. Honda recalled that the studio felt it was "too soon after the war" to produce such a film. Had the project proceeded, it would have been Honda's first directorial feature. The script has since been lost.[48]
At the age of 40, Honda completed his first feature filmThe Blue Pearl.[2][11][12] Released on 3 August 1951, it was one of the first Japanese feature films to utilize underwater photography and the first studio film to be shot in the Ise-Shima region.[49][50]
Honda initially chose not to direct war films, but changed his mind after Toho offered to have him directEagle of the Pacific, a film aboutIsoroku Yamamoto, a figure with whom Honda shared the same feelings regarding the war. It was the first film where Honda collaborated withEiji Tsuburaya.[51]Eagle of the Pacific was a box-office hit and reportedly was Toho's first postwar film to earn over¥100 million (approximately$278,000).[51] Subsequently, Honda would direct another war film, entitledFarewell Rabaul, which was released on February 10, 1954.[52]
A month after the release ofFarewell Rabaul, Honda met assistant director Kōji Kajita to commence production on a film titledSanshiro the Priest. Possibly connected to Kurosawa's 1943 filmSanshiro Sugata;Hideo Oguni, one of Kurosawa's frequent collaborators, wrote the script for the film. Authors Steve Ryfle and Ed Godziszewski stated that the project never came to fruition because Oguni and Honda "couldn't see eye to eye about the screenplay".[53] According to Kajita, the film would have been about a priest and ajudo expert.[53]
Following the cancellation of a highly anticipated drama film titledIn the Shadow of Glory, producerTomoyuki Tanaka quickly converted the idea of agiant monster film. He was influenced by reports of a nuclear test in the Pacific that caused aJapanese fishing boat to be exposed tonuclear fallout, with disastrous results, and had heard of a recently released American monster filmThe Beast from 20,000 Fathoms.[54][c] Honda accepted the offer to direct the film after plannedIn the Shadow of Glory director Taniguchi declined the assignment.[56][57][54] Honda and screenwriter Takeo Murata confined themselves in a three-week secluded residence at aninn in Tokyo'sShibuya ward to write the screenplay for this film, entitledGodzilla.[58] The film was Honda's firstkaiju film, the genre for which he would become most famous. The simple story, about a giant monster that rises near Odo Island and attacks Tokyo causing catastrophic destruction, is a metaphor for anuclear holocaust.
Principal photography forGodzilla began on August 2, 1954,[59] and wrapped in late September,[60] taking 51 days.[61] It became a box office success in Japan and was nominated for two Japanese Movie Association awards: winning an award for best special effects[62] but losing to Kurosawa'sSeven Samurai for best picture.[63] Because of the film's success in Japan, it spawned amultimedia franchise, being recognized byGuinness World Records as the longest-running film franchise in history.[64] Two years later, a heavily localized version ofGodzilla was released in the United States asGodzilla, King of the Monsters!.[65]
Honda's next film wasLovetide, based onHidemi Kon's storyBlow, River Wind and adapted by screenwriter Dai Nishijima. Toho promoted the film by calling it a "gorgeous love melodrama with Toho's best cast, meant for all the woman fans".[66] The film's starsMariko Okada andChieko Nakakita (Tanaka's wife) also played inMikio Naruse's filmFloating Clouds, featuring a similar plot and released around a week afterLovetide.[67] Tanaka had stated that if he had not made Honda predominantly direct science-fiction films, he would have become "a director like Mikio Naruse."[67]
During the start of production onMotoyoshi Oda'sGodzilla Raids Again, Honda began filmingHalf Human in theJapanese Alps.[68] Upon his return to Tokyo, Tsuburaya was working onGodzilla Raids Again. Thus, production onHalf Human was halted and Honda moved on to shooting a drama film titledMother and Son. Principal photography forHalf Human recommenced in June, and the film was released on August 14, 1955, around a month after filming concluded.[69][68]Half Human has been infrequently seen following its release. Ryfle and Godziszewski noted this is possibly due to Toho fearing the mountain tribe, described byNobuo Nakamura's character as "mysteriousburaku", is depicted in the film as "an uncivilized, primitive colony of subhuman freaks", could enrageburakumin's rights groups such as theBuraku Liberation League.[70] Some sources suggest it was aired on television in the 1960s or early 1970s and was screened at a film retrospective in Kyoto in 2001.[71] Toho has never released the complete film in any home video format.[71]
In 1956, Honda directed four films. The first,Young Tree, concerns a young girl who moves to Tokyo and endures the rivalries between other high school girls of varying economic and cultural backgrounds.[72] The second, entitledNight School, was his solo film ever directed outside of Toho and was among the first films about night schooling.[73] The third, titledPeople of Tokyo, Goodbye, follows young lovers who try to listen to their hearts despite their parents' interjections.[74] The fourth,Rodan, was Honda's first-ever film shot in color and depicted a winged monster named Rodan wreaking havoc in Japan after its awakening by nuclear bomb testing.[75]
Although Japanese cinema is known for itssamurai films, Honda did not show any interest in directing ajidaigeki film since his stage was contemporary Japan.[76] Nonetheless, in May 1956, Kurosawa reported that he would produce threejidaigeki films beginning that September, with Honda directingThrone of Blood, Hideo Suzuki directingThe Hidden Fortress, and Hiromichi Horikawa directingRevenge (becameYojimbo).[77] Kurosawa would eventually direct all three of these films;[76] now regarded as some of his best films.[78][79]
The year 1957 marked a turning point in Honda's directing career, as he directed five films, with his first,Be Happy, These Two Lovers, filmed by Hajime Koizumi, who would work on 21 of his films thereon.[80] Ryfle and Godziszewski called his camera work "the perfect complement to Honda's conservative, risk-averse style of composition".[80]
His next film,A Teapicker's Song of Goodbye, was the second in Honda's trilogy of films starringenka singerChiyoko Shimakura (the first film wasPeople of Tokyo, Goodbye). The third film in the trilogy, entitledA Farewell to the Woman Called My Sister, was released the month afterA Teapicker's Song of Goodbye.[81]A Rainbow Plays in My Heart, a black-and-white two-part film based on Seiichi Yashiro and Ryunosuke Yamada's[82] radio drama of the same name, was released on July 9, 1957 (a week afterA Teapicker's Song of Goodbye).[83] The film is notable for being the third and final film featuringGodzilla starsMomoko Kochi andAkira Takarada in leading roles.[83]
Honda's onlytokusatsu film of 1957,The Mysterians, was released just over a year afterJapan joined the United Nations and features affairs reflecting the Japan's return to global politics.[84] The story concerned a young scientist (Kenji Sahara) who becomes involved in a globally threatening alien invasion. The film was shot on an enormous budget of¥200 million and was his debut movie to be filmed inToho Scope.[85]
Song for a Bride, released in February 1958, is regarded as one of the director's best films of the 1950s.[86] It is a comedy-drama film that explores the clash between traditional and modern ethics among Japanese youth.[87] Following its release, Honda would direct two science fiction films in the same year for the first time. His second film of 1958,The H-Man, premiered on June 24, 1958 to mixed reviews. It is a distinctive Honda picture about a liquid creature who terrorizes Tokyo's gangland. Some scenes in the film were shot on the same sets used in Kurosawa's 1948 filmDrunken Angel. In May 1959,Columbia Pictures released a shortened version of this film in the United States. Upon its release, U.S. critics erroneously believed it was a rip-offIrvin Yeaworth'sThe Blob, despiteThe H-Man being released prior toThe Blob in Japan.[88]
The successful distributions of Honda'sGodzilla andRodan in the United States, lead Toho to seek further Hollywood connections.[89] In 1957, the company agreed to co-produce amade-for-television film with AB-PT Pictures (who would go bankrupt during production).[90] This project would eventually become a black-and-white theatrical feature film directed by Honda, entitledVaran the Unbelievable, released in 1958.[91] Considered his "weakest effort",[92] it is a simple story about scientists who unintentionally awake a giant monster dubbedVaran while seeking scarce species of butterfly inTōhoku region.
An Echo Calls You, his twenty-third feature film, centers on an uneducatedbus conductor, Tamako, who falls in love with Nabeyama, her bus driver after she fails to have a relationship with a man fromKōfu's wealthiest family. FeaturingRyō Ikebe in his fourth major role in a Honda movie, and with a possiblyHideko the Bus Conductor-inspired screenplay byGorō Tanada, the film premiered in January 1959 to generally positive reviews from critics.[93][94]
Honda quickly moved on to his next project,Inao, Story of an Iron Arm. It is abiographical film based on the life ofprofessional baseballpitcherKazuhisa Inao, featuring Inao portraying himself as an adult. Additionally, it featuresGodzilla actorsTakashi Shimura as his father and Ren Yamamoto andSachio Sakai as his older brothers. The film was released in March 1959 and was later screened in honor of Inao following his death in 2007.[95]
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In 1962, Honda returned to directingGodzilla films, beginning withKing Kong vs. Godzilla, a film which would go on to be his most successful. Honda would go on to direct five additional Godzilla films during the 1960s:Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964),Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster (1964),Invasion of Astro-Monster (1965),Destroy All Monsters (1968), andAll Monsters Attack (1969), the latter which Honda also served as director of special effects. His othertokusatsu films during the 1960s include:Mothra (1961),Matango (1963),Frankenstein vs. Baragon (1965),The War of the Gargantuas (1966), andKing Kong Escapes (1967). While Honda managed to retain a job directing for Toho during the 1960s and 1970s, the studio did not renew his contract near the end of 1965 and was instructed to speak with Tanaka about employment on a film-by-film basis.[96] In 1967, Honda began occasionally directing for television, since it had become more popular than the film industry in Japan.[97]
Between 1971 and 1973, Honda directed several episodes for the television seriesReturn of Ultraman,Mirrorman,Emergency Command 10-4, 10-10,Thunder Mask, andZone Fighter,[98] and would only direct two films during the 1970s:Space Amoeba (1970) andTerror of Mechagodzilla (1975); Honda would temporarily retire following the release of the latter film.[12]
Despite retiring in 1975, Honda was persuaded by Akira Kurosawa to return to filmmaking, and collaborate onKagemusha (1980). Honda would subsequently work on Kurosawa's last five films. His positions in these films included: directorial advisor, production coordinator, and creative consultant; he also made uncredited writing contributions toMadadayo (1993).[99] There is a misconception that Honda directed "The Tunnel" sequence of Kurosawa's 1990 filmDreams.[100] In the early 1980s, Honda was approached to potentially direct a reboot ofDaimajin reboot. While Honda expressed interest, the project never materialized and Honda was already involved withKagemusha.[101][102]
Honda was truly a virtuous, sincere, and gentle soul. He worked for the world of film with might and main, lived a full life and very much like his nature, quietly exited this world.
In late 1992,Akira Kurosawa hosted a party for the cast and crew ofMadadayo following the completion ofprincipal photography. Honda appeared to be suffering from cold symptoms at the party and contacted his son Ryuji inNew York. Ryuji believed Honda was drunk and thought it strange that he called him.[104] Then, in mid-February 1993, Kurosawa, Honda, and Masahiko Kumada, the unit manager, attended a screening ofAgantuk, Indian filmmakerSatyajit Ray's last film, at an art-house cinema.[104] After watching the film, Kurosawa invited Honda to his house for dinner and drinks, but Honda felt sick and went home. Honda was declared healthy following a checkup in December 1992, and no major illnesses were suspected. Although his cough kept getting worse, his family doctor diagnosed him with a common cold.[105] Initially, Honda stayed in bed for a week, but after he lost his appetite, he underwent X-rays and blood tests. Honda was immediately told to seek hospital treatment following the results. Knowing something was wrong with his health, Honda had already packed his bags. Within ten minutes of leaving home, he was taken to Kono Medical Clinic, a 19-bed facility in Soshigaya. Because the major hospitals were full, he was placed in a tiny room.[105]
A room in a bigger hospital was about to be assigned to Honda, so his friends could visit him. In the following days, Honda contractedpleurisy, a condition that causes difficulty breathing, and on February 27, just after returning home from visiting hours, Kimi and Takako received an urgent call: his vital signs had suddenly deteriorated.[105] Honda died fromrespiratory failure at 11:30 pm on February 28, 1993.[106][107] A memorial service was held at Joshoji Kaikan, an assembly hall inSetagaya, for Honda's friends, family, and colleagues on March 6.[108] Honda's funeral reunited Akira Kurosawa andToshiro Mifune, an actor who had starred in both Honda's and Kurosawa's early films.The Nikkei reported that Mifune was among the mourners at the funeral: "[Kurosawa and Mifune] made eye contact and hugged in tears at the funeral for their mutual friend."[109]
Honda's cremated remains were buried atTama Cemetery, the largest municipal cemetery in Japan. His family later moved the grave to Fuji Cemetery.[103]
| Year | Title | Assistant director | Actor | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1934 | The Elderly Commoner's Life Study | Yes | No | 3rd assistant director | [9] |
| 1935 | Three Sisters with Maiden Hearts | Yes | No | 2nd assistant director | [25] |
| 1937 | A Husband's Chastity | Yes | No | WithAkira Kurosawa | [154] |
| Nadare | Yes | No | With Akira Kurosawa | [155] | |
| Enoken's Chakiri Kinta Part 1 | Yes | No | 2nd assistant director | [155] | |
| Enoken's Chakiri Kinta Part 2 | Yes | No | With Akira Kurosawa | [156] | |
| Humanity and Paper Balloons | Yes | No | [157] | ||
| 1938 | Chinetsu | Yes | No | With Akira Kurosawa | [158] |
| Tojuro no koi | Yes | No | With Akira Kurosawa | [159] | |
| Tsuruhachi and Tsurujiro | Yes | No | 3rd assistant director | [157] | |
| Chocolate and Soldiers | Yes | No | Chief assistant director | [160] | |
| 1941 | Uma | Yes | No | With Hiromichi Horikawa | [161] |
| 1944 | Colonel Kato's Falcon Squadron | Yes | No | [162] | |
| 1946 | Eleven Girl Students | Yes | No | [40] | |
| Declaration of Love | Yes | No | [40] | ||
| 1947 | 24 Hours in an Underground Market | Yes | No | [15] | |
| The New Age of Fools | Yes | No | [39] | ||
| Spring Banquet | Yes | No | [15] | ||
| 1949 | Child of the Wind | Yes | No | [39] | |
| Flirtation in Spring | Yes | No | [39] | ||
| Stray Dog | Yes | No | Chief assistant director | [163] | |
| 1950 | Escape at Dawn | Yes | No | [45] | |
| Escape from Prison | Yes | No | [44] | ||
| 1951 | Elegy | Yes | No | [44] | |
| 1966 | Ebirah, Horror of the Deep | No | No | Editor; Toho Champion Festival re-release | [164] |
| 1967 | Son of Godzilla | No | No | Editor; Toho Champion Festival re-release | [164] |
| 1980 | Kagemusha | No | No | Production coordinator 2nd unit director | [165] |
| 1985 | Ran | No | No | Director Counsellor | [166] |
| 1986 | Toho Unused Special Effects Complete Collection | No | No | Interviewee | [15] |
| 1987 | The Drifting Classroom | No | Yes | Grandfather | [167] |
| Come Back Hero | No | Yes | Priest at wedding ceremony | [100] | |
| 1988 | The Discarnates | No | Yes | Street vendor | [167] |
| 1990 | Dreams | No | No | Creative consultant | [168] |
| 1991 | Rhapsody in August | No | No | Associate director | [169] |
| 1993 | Madadayo | No | No | Directorial Adviser and co-writer | [99] |
| Samurai Kids | No | Yes | Deceased grandfather [portrait; posthumous] | [167] | |
| 1994 | Turning Point | No | Yes | Photograph; posthumous | [170] |
| 1996 | Rebirth of Mothra | No | Yes | Photograph; posthumous | [15] |
| Airdate | Episode | Ref. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Newlyweds (Shinkon san) | |||
| 7 January 1967 | "The Woman, at That Moment" ("Onna wa sono toki") | [171] | |
| 7 February 1967 | "Forgive Me Please, Mom" ("Yurushitene okasan") | ||
| Husbands, Men, Be Strong (Otto yo otoko yo tsuyokunare) | |||
| 9 October 1969 | "Honey, It's a Presidential Order" ("Anata shacho meirei yo") | [171] | |
| 30 October 1969 | "We're Going South-Southwest" ("Nan nan sei ni ikuno yo") | ||
| Return of Ultraman | |||
| 2 April 1971 | "All Monsters Attack" | [172] | |
| 9 April 1971 | "Takkong's Great Counterattack" | ||
| 14 May 1971 | "Operation Monster Rainbow" | ||
| 28 May 1971 | "Monster Island S.O.S." | ||
| 31 March 1972 | "The Five Oaths of Ultra" | ||
| Mirrorman | |||
| 5 December 1971 | "Birth of Mirrorman" ("Miraman tanjo") | [171] | |
| 12 December 1971 | "The Intruder is Here" ("Shinryakusha wa koko ni iru") | ||
| Emergency Command 10-4, 10-10 (Kinkyu shirei 10-4, 10-10) | |||
| 31 July 1972 | "Japanese Beetle Murder Incident" ("Kabutomushi satsujin jiken") | [171] | |
| 7 August 1972 | "Vampire of the Amazon" ("Amazon no kyuketsuki") | ||
| 13 November 1972 | "Assassin from Outer Space" ("Uchu kara kita ansatsuha") | ||
| 20 November 1972 | "Attack of Monster Bird Ragon" ("Kaicho Ragon no shugeki!") | ||
| Thunder Mask | |||
| 3 October 1972 | "Look! The Double Transformation of the Akatsuki" ("Miyo! Akatsuki no nidan henshin") | [173] | |
| 10 October 1972 | "The Boy Who Could Control Monsters" ("Maju wo ayatsuru shonen") | ||
| 21 October 1972 | "Devil Freezing Strategy" ("Mao reito sakusen") | ||
| 28 October 1972 | "Merman's Revenge" ("Kyuketsu hankyojin no fukushu") | ||
| 2 January 1973 | "Monster Summoning Smoke" ("Maju wo yobu kemuri") | ||
| 9 January 1973 | "Degon H: Death Siren" ("Shi no kiteki da degon H") | ||
| Zone Fighter | |||
| 16 April 1973 | "Defeat Garoga's Subterranean Base!" ("Tatake! Garoga no chitei kichi") | [171] | |
| 23 April 1973 | "Onslaught! The Garoga Army: Enter Godzilla" ("Raishu! Garoga daiguntai-Gojira toujo") | ||
| 18 June 1973 | "Terrobeat HQ: Invade the Earth!" ("Kyoju kichi chikyu e shinnyu!") | ||
| 25 June 1973 | "Absolute Terror: Birthday of Horror!" ("Senritsu! Tanjobi no kyofu") | ||
| 30 July 1973 | "Mission: Blast the Japan Islands" ("Shirei: Nihon retto bakuha seyo") | ||
| 6 August 1973 | "Order: Destroy Earth with Comet K" ("Meirei: K susei de chikyu wo kowase") | ||
| 3 September 1973 | "Secret of Bakugon, the Giant Terro-Beast" ("Daikyouju Bakugon no himitsu") | ||
| 10 September 1973 | "Smash the Pin-Spitting Needlar" ("Hari fuki Nidora wo taose") | ||
Despite being known primarily for directingtokusatsu films, Honda has also directeddocumentaries,melodramas,romance,musical, andbiographical films. UnlikeAkira Kurosawa, who often used recurring themes and photographic devices (even sometimes going over time and budget on productions), Honda was a filmmaker who almost always finished his projects requested byToho on time and budget;Godzilla (1954) was one such project.[174]Godzilla assistant director Kōji Kajita stated that during their 17 films that they made together Honda "had his own style, this way of thinking", adding: "he never got mad, didn’t rush, but he still expressed his thoughts and made it clear when something was different from what he wanted, and he corrected things quietly."[175] Thus, his skill earned him the nickname "Honda theAmylase".[174]
Authors, cast, and crew members have called Honda's style of direction "well-established".[176][177] Special effects directorTeruyoshi Nakano stated that the events happening during his "running crowd" sequences, such as "Firefighters being dispatched in an emergency situation, police officer directing traffic, and people carryingfuroshiki while running away", are "unrealistic" but it was important for Honda to "bring out the everydayness by showing such things".[176] According to actorYoshio Tsuchiya, Kurosawa said that if he were to direct a scene in one of Honda's films featuring police officers directing civilians, he would "make even the police officers flee first."[178] Regarding this, Honda said that the policemen featured in his films do not run away because of his war experience as an officer.[179]Hiroshi Koizumi said that, during the filming ofMothra, Honda was focusing to appear in a scene where a civilian helped the baby on the bridge.[180]
Many filmmakers have been influenced by Honda's work. According to Steve Ryfle, his influence inside the film industry is "undeniable", as he was "one of the creators of the modern disaster film, he helped set the template for countless blockbusters to follow, and a wide array of filmmakers".[7] In 2007,Quentin Tarantino called Honda his "favorite science-fiction director".[181] Tarantino is also one of several filmmakers and actors who have cited Honda'sThe War of the Gargantuas as an influence,[182] alongsideBrad Pitt,[7][183]Guillermo del Toro,[184] andTim Burton.[184]John Carpenter citedGodzilla as an influence on his career and called Honda "one of my personal cinematic gods".[185]Martin Scorsese has also cited Honda as an influence on his work.[7]
The episode, "Tagumo Attacks!!!" in the television seriesLegends of Tomorrow is based around Honda. The central plotline of the episode involves a kraken-esque creature named Tagumo, that Honda has written, which becomes a reality due to a magic book that belongs toBrigid, theCeltic goddess of art. It is described as a "land octopus" that will destroyTokyo, unless the protagonists can stop it. At the end of the episode, the character,Mick Rory tells Ishirō to "Forget about the octopus. Lizards. Lizards are king." In this fictional universe, this will lead Ishirō to creating the character Godzilla, as he states in the episode "The King... of the Monsters. I like that".[186] Honda, alongsideRay Harryhausen, was given dedications in the 2013 filmPacific Rim.[187]
In his acclaimed 2023 filmGodzilla Minus One, filmmaker and visual effects artistTakashi Yamazaki paid homage to Honda's work.[188]
In October 2011, Honda's family begansuing Toho and three other companies involved in the 2010pachinko gameCR Godzilla: Descent of the Destruction God, requesting¥127 million.[189][190] On November 26, 2013, it was disclosed that the lawsuit had been settled. An industry insider suggested that Toho wanted the lawsuit dealt with before the release ofGodzilla (2014).[190]
Conflict between Toho and Honda Film Inc.—the company led by Honda's son Ryuji—had been ongoing since February 2010 when Ryuji sent a letter to Toho saying that the family believed it unfair that Toho claimed "Honda does not have any rights to the Godzilla character" and requested that they oversee and authorize all projects involving the character henceforth. Toho dismissed his claim as unnecessary, stating that they "have never received any objections" from Honda nor his widow Kimi regarding Godzilla'scopyright ownership. Talks between the two companies reportedly escalated thereafter. On May 14, 2010, Toho argued that Tanaka and Shigeru Kayama had a larger role in the creation of the character, alleging that both of whom had agreed that Toho is the copyright owner. Honda Film responded on April 23 by stating Honda nevertheless directed and co-wrote the original film and thus was responsible for the creature's "visual aspects", adding: "As director and screenwriter, Director Honda determined the internal character setting of Godzilla, such as his history and personality, that appears inGodzilla, and expressed it concretely. Therefore, Director Honda is the author of Godzilla (as a character)". Honda's family eventually extracted their ownership claims in October 2011, shortly before thepachinko lawsuit started.[189]
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