Japanese Exhibit Devoted to ULTRA Q, ULTRAMAN and ULTRA SEVEN Author: Ed Godziszewski

In celebration of the 40th anniversary of the classic science fiction Ultraman series, a series of special Ultraman-themed exhibitions have taken place throughout Japan since early 2006. As a finale for this series of events, "Ultraman Exhibition--Operation Roppongi Sky" (Urutoraman Dai Hakurankai: Roppongi Tenku Daisakusen) opened on December 6, 2007 at the Mori Arts Center Gallery located on the 52nd floor of the Roppongi Hills Mori Tower in the center of Tokyo. An exhibition of original props, artwork, and memorabilia from the first three Ultra series, many of which have are being shown to the public for the very first time, this display runs through January 20 of 2008.

After taking the express elevator to the 52nd floor, just inside the exhibition entrance, patrons immediately come face to face with a rogues gallery of monster and alien costumes/props from ULTRA Q, ULTRAMAN and ULTRA SEVEN. All ages can delight at seeing fan favorites such as Kanegon, Gomes, Garamon, Red King, Jamila, Zetton, Miclas, Windom, Metron, and many others gracing the entrance to the main hall. Further inside, a tribute to Eiji Tsuburaya welcomes you to the word of imagination created by this special effects genius. A mannequin of Tsuburaya sits in his director`s chair, surrounded by some of the original camera equipment which he and his crew used to film these shows. This is followed by a fan`s dream, a series of displays of original props, costumes, models, artwork and scripts from the early days of Ultra lore. No, there are not any full original costumes which still remain--after all, these items were made of highly perishable materials and the rigors of filming often ruined the suits during production. But nevertheless,there are still many amazing things to behold...the original heads of Gomora (with broken horns), Ultraman`s original color timer, a small Bostang puppet, Gomes` crest horn, several body parts of King Joe, the memorial plaque dedicated to astronaut Jamila. Several crew member costumes and weapons from the Science Patrol occupy a room together with some prop vehicles and a miniature replica of Science Patrol HQ. Scripts and storyboards for these classic shows are revealed for the first time.

The next section of the display is perhaps the most insightful part of the exhibition, a gallery of original artwork from which these shows were created. The walls are alive with the concept drawings of designers such as Tohl Narita. Here we can see the original renderings of Red King, Kanegon, Seeboz, Barunga, Kemular, Ragon, Aboras, Bemular...mechanics such as the Ultra Hawk, Science Patrol HQ. Ryu Takayama`s innovative sketches and notebooks reveal how he planned out the construction of each creature and how the suit actors would manipulate them. The center section of the exhibition is devoted to the works of many monster artists whose unique style of monster art graced many a kids magazine, model and toy boxes, and picture books from the 60s and 70s. This artwork holds a special appeal to fans of the genre, especially those whose fandom thrived with constant exposure to such stylized imagery. Numerous original pieces by the greatest artists of that era are collected and laid out to dazzle the eye. Illustrators who worked on childrens` magazines, science fiction publications, science journals and even motion picture designs are all represented. The artists whose work is on display include Shigeru Komatsuzaki, Takashi Minamimura, and the inimitable Shoji Otomo (aka Dr. Monster) who became famous for his anatomical drawings of monsters from both Ultraman characters and Japan`s movie monsters.

The final section of the exhibition is every collector`s dream... a densely packed display of merchandising of all sorts, a testament to the incredibly popularity of the shows (as well as to the marketing instinct of the shows` creators). While vinyl toys and plastic model kits dominate the display, there is also a generous amount of books, board games, tin toys, and so on to both please and tease collectors. And as you can imagine, the display concludes with forced entry into the inevitable gift shop where enough merchandise exists to help deplete the wallets of harried parents and fans alike.

Throughout the exhibit, various printed messages from the creative forces behind these shows grace the walls. This text provides a fond look back at what each man tried to accomplish, and as a welcome sight for the eyes of foreigners, most of these messages are printed in both Japanese and English. The exhibition will run until Jan. 20. Open 10 a.m.-8 p.m. (until 10 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays and Jan. 13). Admission is 1,300 yen for adults, 1,000 yen for high school and university students and 700 yen for elementary school students and children aged 4 and older. Easily accessible from Roppongi Station (H04) of the Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line, "Ultraman Exhibition--Operation Roppongi Sky" is highly recommended.