Kaiju Director Shinji Higuchi Oversees 4K Restorations for Gamera's 60th Anniversary
Japanese pop culture news edited by Patrick Macias
The first three Showa-era Gamera films will be restored in 4K under director Shinji Higuchi's supervision
All eight original Showa Gamera films will screen at a special film festival starting December 5
Restoration efforts aim to preserve detail from original negatives while honoring the films' original tone
On August 1, a special teaser for the Gamera 60th Anniversary Project was released. As part of the celebration, it was announced that the first three Showa-era Gamera films will be digitally restored in 4K under the supervision of director Shinji Higuchi and others. In addition, the Showa Gamera Film Festival will begin on December 5, showcasing all eight films from the original series.
A Flying Turtle With Rockets in His Pockets
Gamera first appeared in Daiei’s 1965 film Giant Monster Gamera. With its unique design as a massive flying turtle that breathes fire, it quickly made an impression. Gamera's role as a heroic monster who protects people from other kaiju captured the imaginations of many children.
The Showa era produced eight Gamera films. Director Noriaki Yuasa, often called the father of Gamera, led a team at Daiei that poured creativity into the franchise, winning over fans of special effects cinema. In the Heisei era, the franchise was rebooted with a three-part film series directed by Shusuke Kaneko, written by Kazunori Ito, and featuring special effects by Shinji Higuchi. Known for its serious tone and detailed visual effects, the trilogy is still highly praised. Later tributes include Gamera the Brave in 2006 and the anime series Gamera Rebirth, which premiered on Netflix in 2023.
The First Three Gamera Films to Be Restored in 4K
To commemorate Gamera’s 60th anniversary, 4K restorations are in progress for the first three entries in the series: Giant Monster Gamera, Gamera vs Barugon, and Gamera vs Gyaos, the film that introduced one of the franchise’s most iconic monsters.
The restoration is supervised by Shinji Higuchi, known for works including the Netflix film Bulket Train Explosion, and Shunichi Ogura, a veteran of film timing and digital restoration. Ogura has spent over 30 years adjusting the color tone of films to reflect the original intentions of directors and cinematographers and now oversees 4K restoration work on many Japanese classics.
Higuchi and Ogura have a professional relationship dating back to the late 1980s, when they worked together at IMAGICA, now IMAGICA Entertainment Media Services. During the Heisei Gamera trilogy, Higuchi served as special effects director while Ogura handled timing. This new 4K project marks their latest collaboration, with Ogura providing technical expertise to support Higuchi in his first restoration supervision role.
Showa Gamera Film Festival Brings Classics Back to Theaters
The Showa Gamera Film Festival will include all eight Showa Gamera films, as well as a special screening of Gamera the Brave. One of the participating theaters, Kadokawa Cinema Yurakucho, is equipped with a 4K projector, allowing viewers to experience the restored versions in full detail on the big screen.
Comments from Shinji Higuchi
“This movie was made the year I was born, so it is now 60 years old. Ideally, someone who worked on the original would oversee the restoration, but no one from that team is still with us. I have accepted this task as a representative of the fans, supported by legendary timing expert Shunichi Ogura and leading colorist Etsuaki Abe from IMAGICA.
It has been a wonderful experience uncovering details hidden in the shadows and grain of the original low-sensitivity film. The feeling of air on set, preserved in those negatives, was a joy to rediscover. I was especially surprised by the number of double exposure composite shots created without optical printers. These technical challenges reveal the dedication of the filmmakers who worked in an era without easy compositing options. I hope you will witness a version of Gamera that no one has ever seen before.”
Comments from Shunichi Ogura
“When I was invited to join this project, I never imagined I would be working on a 4K restoration of the Showa Gamera films I saw as a child. I was involved in the Heisei Gamera trilogy as a timing technician. What audiences saw then were positive prints. This restoration comes directly from the negatives, which means the look will naturally change.
Negatives contain far more information than positive prints, especially in the highlights and shadows. We worked to preserve that detail while restoring the film to look as close as possible to how it felt in theaters at the time. I hope everyone looks forward to it.”
