The Fantacreation Festival in Sukagawa was held on November 16th (Sat) and 17th (Sun), at the company’s founder, Eiji Tsuburaya’s hometown, Sukagawa City in Fukushima Prefecture.

About the event

Tsuburaya Productions and Sukagawa City have been building a collaborative framework through various initiatives since 2013, starting with the recovery efforts following the Great East Japan Earthquake. Since signing the agreement in 2023, Tsuburaya Productions and Sukagawa City have been working together on activities to create a city that fosters the “Fantacreation.” As part of one of these initiatives, Sukagawa City and Fukushima Prefecture joined forces in the “City that Fosters Fantacreation” project, which led to the hosting of the “Fantacreation Festival in Sukagawa 2024.”

During the two days of the event, adults and children alike were able to let the Fantacreations within their hearts be free, enjoying live stages, greetings, panel discussions, and more. Many ULTRAMAN fans also filled the Fukushima airport and Sukagawa city.

Opening Ceremony (November 16th)

The ceremony on the 16th (Sat) started with greetings from the mayor of Sukagawa City, Masaaki Oodera, followed by messages by Fukushima’s vice-governor Hirotaka Sato and governor Masao Uchibori, and finishing with the opening annoucements from Takayuki Tsukagoshi, Representative Director and CEO of Tsuburaya Productions.

Following, the mayor announced selected artworks from the numerous entries for the “Call for Fantacreative Works” contest, held last summer. The artworks had the theme “Kaiju” and were selected based on how much they reflected the power of Fantacreation, being selected by the mayor himself.

The works were selected from over 723 submissions by elementary and middle school children, and the four winners took the stage to receive their commemorative plaques. Despite being nervous, the winners were able to express their gratitude and excitement for being selected. Later, Ultraman and Ultraseven appeared to bring a friendly ambiance to the photo shoot.

The 6 Ultra Brothers THE LIVE (November 16th and 17th)

The first stage of the tour “The 6 Ultra Brothers THE LIVE – Ultraman version ~ To those flying across the starry sky~” took place in Sukugawa and featured a dramatic story based on episode 15 of Ultraman, “Terrifying Cosmic Rays”.

In a world slightly different from Earth, a kaiju came to life with the power of imagination of young alien boys, dragging Hayata’s team into a story that defies the limits of imagination. During the live stage, the new form of the popular kaiju “Gavadon” (first appearance in Ultraman, 1966), named “Gavadon (C)”, was introduced. In the story, Gavadon (C) is the kaiju imagined by the young alien boy and its visuals are inspired by drawings made by real children.

Furthermore, during the finale, “The 6 Ultra Brothers THE LIVE” delivered a special and upgraded performance. The 6 Ultra Brothers, Ultraman Arc and the Ultra Kaiju were joined by LDH’s Norihisa Hiranuma and PATO on stage for a grand finale to celebrate the themes of Fantacreation, courage, hope and kindless.

Fantacreation Meeting (November 16th)

During the first portion, “The Kaiju Maestro and Fantacreation”, Tsuburaya Productions’ sculptor, Fuyuki Shinada, talked about the appeal of the founder, Eiji Tsuburaya’s power of Fantacreation, and about his work as a sculptor. He also critiqued the artwork from the “Call for Fantacreative Works” contest and had a Q&A section with the audience regarding his work.
In the second part, “Discussion about Fantacreation”, Shigesato Itoi – Who created and developed a lot of content through the Hobonichi products – and Ryunosuke Fukai – streamer of the “Coten Radio”, where history is taught in a fun way – held a talk show about Fantacreation.

Itoi provided the audience with his thoughts about the general idea and meaning of Fantacreation and spoke about the consideration and imagination required to create a company. Fukai spoke about how the study of history, in his view, often progresses through “Fantacreation.” He expanded on this idea by sharing relatable examples from Japanese history and his work experiences, offering insights into how the concept of “Fantacreation” can be applied to understanding events and advancing research.

Fantacreation Theater (November 17th)

During the screening of episode 15 of Ultraman, “Terrifying Cosmic Rays”, its creative director Michihiko Yanai was invited as a special guest, and held a talk show regarding Fantacreation. Born in Koriyama, in the Fukushima Prefecture, Yanai mentioned he was incredibly happy that such an amazing director like Eiji Tsuburaya had been born and raised in the same prefecture as him, and expressed his love for Fukushima. He also exchanged ideas with the moderator and huge Tokusatsu fan, Hyouri Takahashi. They discussed the screened episode, the kaiju Gavadon and had a heartfelt conversation about Fantacreation.

Special Nights for Global Fans (November 16th and 17th)

During the event, 2 Special Night events were held for fans from around the world, where legends from the ULTRAMAN series introduced their work and Fantacreation to fans from not only Japan but also Asia and North America.

The event on November 16th featured Fuyuki Shinada. The “Kaiju Maestro” shared his feelings about the uniqueness of Japanese “Kaiju” compared to other characters, and how Kaiju, as well as the ULTRAMAN series, has been inspiring generations of creators and fans from around the world.

The event on November 17th featured Makoto Tsuburaya, a relative of Eiji Tsuburaya, as well as Bin Furuya, the actor known for his roles as Ultraman in the series Ultraman (1966) and Amagi in Ultraseven (1967). Makoto, the son of Eiji Tsuburaya’s cousin who had some (though few) experiences of meeting him in person, reflected on the life and legendary career of Eiji Tsuburaya, as well as the thoughts and will behind the creation of Ultraman. Following Makoto, Bin appeared on stage and shared his career experience from a young aspiring student actor all the way to playing Ultraman, the challenges of portraying the unprecedented giant hero, as well as the inspiration he received from Eiji Tsuburaya.

The guests also answered questions from enthusiastic Ultraman fans from around the world.

About The Project “Japan Cultural Expo”: 

The Japan Cultural Expo serves as an information hub for foreign visitors to experience “The Beauty and The Spirit of Japan”. Find information on the project at https://japanculturalexpo.bunka.go.jp/en/

About the event

Title: Fantacreation Festival in Sukagawa 2024
Dates: November 16th (Sat) and 17th (Sun)
Location: Sukagawa Cultural Center, Sukagawa city Civic Exchange Center tette, Sukagawa City Hall, and others.　

Goals:
･ To allow the citizens of Sukagawa to understand and identify with the project, create opportunities while developing their love for their hometown.
･ Have the world recognize Sukagawa as the holy ground for the power of Fantacreation.
･ Show the area’s creativity to visitors from all corners of the world.

Official English website: https://kusou.m78-sukagawa.jp/works-en/　　

Organization: Sukagawa City/ Tsuburaya Productions/Fukushima Prefecture

What is ”Fantacreation?” (Statement for the 60th anniversary of the foundation of Tsuburaya Productions)

Eiji Tsuburaya said that, as a young boy, he used to climb on a tree near his house and observe the planes flying across the sky above, dreaming of the day he would be able to fly one.
From then, Tsuburaya and other young directors close to him decided to create beautiful artworks from that freeing “power of Fantacreation”. 

We value the art and culture of Tokusatsu left behind by Eiji Tsuburaya, not only from Ultraman, but especially “the power of Fantacreation”, that started it all.

And as long as many people are able to enjoy it, we believe there is value in using the “power of Fantacreation” to continue to create works that you will enjoy.