Kaiju United Remembers Kenpachiro Satsuma

Early morning on December 16, the community was shocked with the news of beloved suit actor and stuntman Ken Satsuma passing away. Satsuma-San was best known for playing Godzilla, a role he carried on from 1984’s The Return of Godzilla, all the way up to the Heisei series’ 1995 finale, Godzilla Vs. Destoroyah. Other than filling the massive kaiju-sized shoes of Haruo Nakajima (he was the first full-time successor), he also began his career playing the titular villain monsters in Godzilla Vs. Hedorah (1971) and Godzilla Vs. Gigan (1972), opposite his predecessor. He also, rather infamously, donned the suit for the North Korean kaiju flick ordered by Kim Jong Il, Pulgasari. There is no shortage of work that Satsuma did in his career, and he brought true passion, determination, and a little bit of machismo, to everything he did.

For many fans in the United States, Satsuma’s portrayal of the King of the Monsters was the Godzilla, the one that came to mind when they imagined the character. Going back to a more animalistic Godzilla than the fun and lighthearted films of the 1970s, Satsuma also engraved character into the monster king, allowing body language and head movements to tell Godzilla’s mood and feelings throughout the films. He demonstrated this frequently in his trips to fan conventions and gatherings in the latter half of his life, demonstrating exactly how to portray Godzilla. He was fully dedicated to the creature he brought to the screen, and exemplified all qualities he believed Godzilla to be. It is notoriously on record that Satsuma was quoted saying, “I am a little short, but in my heart burns the spirit of the samurai.“

Satsuma’s portrayal of Godzilla is also filled with numerous production stories of his body and health being risked to play the character. Most notably, in Destoroyah, the smoke effect emitting out of Burning Godzilla, was pure carbon dioxide. From almost drowning in the Toho pool to fainting inside the suit, Satsuma put his life on the line over and over again. Was it for the Godzilla fans? Was it the work ethic? I wish I could sit down and ask him. Perhaps it is a sense of duty, because that’s just the way Satsuma was. When Akira Takarada had to cancel G-FEST 2018 because of surgery, guess who stepped up to the plate and did the honor of attending in his place? That’s right, Mr. Satsuma did.

That being said, Satsuma’s passing has shocked the kaiju world. Tributes have been flooding in from the folks at KU, his Godzilla co-stars & colleagues, and people that loved his films. Below are three statements from individuals that worked with and knew him, gathered from their public statements on social media. We also allowed anyone to submit their favorite memories or kind thoughts to eulogize Satsuma-san. He will be missed dearly by our community.

Thank you for everything, Satsuma-sama. You said it best, Godzilla is forever.

Social Media Statements From Co-Stars and Colleagues:

薩摩さん たくさんの想い出 ありがとうございました。
Thank you very much Satsuma-San for all the memories.

-MEGUMI ODAKA
ACTRESS FOR MIKI SAEGUSA IN SATSUMA’S GODZILLA FILMS

I feel lonely. I pray for Satsuma-San’s soul to rest in peace.”
-SHINICHI WAKASA
MILLENNIUM SERIES SUIT DESIGNER

“Even when I played King Ghidorah and Battra and had photo sessions with the media, I didn’t feel nervous because Satsuma’s Godzilla was next to me. However, at the press release of “Gilara Strikes Back”, there was only my glare and no Godzilla next to me…I suddenly felt a sense of tension and realized just how great Satsuma Godzilla is.“

-HURRICANE RYU
SUIT ACTOR: KING GHIDORAH 1991, BATTRA 1992

The Community Pays Tribute to Kenpachiro Satsuma:

“Since Satsuma-san’s passing I’ve had a couple of days to reflect on our time together, first as idol and fan, then as professionals, and finally as friends. I’m deeply thankful and honored to have shared so many memories with him. Seeing fellow Godzilla fans alongside myself sharing their tributes and photos of meeting him also makes me happy; he would’ve enjoyed seeing it. It’s a crazy feeling knowing that most of those photos taken with the fans were shot by brother or myself while assisting Satsuma san at his convention table.

I first met Satsuma-san in 2014. My brother Dell and I were his guest handlers for many years, and he was the very first client that we worked together with. I am a huge Heisei Godzilla fan, since it was the Godzilla that I grew up with. He was my hero, and I was excited to work with him. I loved Satsuma’s portrayal of the character. His Godzilla always had presence and power. He could make Godzilla feel unstoppable and larger than life in a way that we could empathize with Godzilla, whether it’s the scene where he mourns Godzilla Junior’s death, or even Godzilla’s final meltdown moments. I love how his series had been closely interconnected through seven movies. It really gave the fans a unique connection with both Godzilla and Satsuma’s performance.

Being Satsuma’s guest handler led to us spending a lot of time together at many conventions around the United States. We’d sightsee to various landmarks and theme parks and have numerous meals together. Since he was my idol, I would always try to copy what he ate at a meal; one of the unique things he liked was eating was oatmeal for breakfast, but sprinkling it with salt, lol. I’d also help with all his tech support needs, not limited to helping him log back into his numerous Facebook accounts.

But most importantly, I got to see him meet all of the fans who love his work, and help people get their collectibles signed or have their photo taken. Every interaction and pose for a photo with fans were full of his unique energy and passion, always ready to strike his Godzilla pose: raising up his claw and following it up with an energetic and deep Godzilla growl. I admired the way he was proud of his work and the enthusiasm he had sharing the stories of his time behind the scenes at every talk show. On our travels he would always be joyful, we would joke around and laugh all the time.

Being the youngest one of the Celebrity ICONS staff, and because of our bond, he gave me the title of “Godzilla Junior” on our travels.

A unique gift that he gave to me was a handwritten letter with some of his own personal wisdom that he wanted to share with me.

Wisdom and Rules for Being Godzilla:

You need spirit, muscles and acting skills.

1. To be smart, you need to be well balanced.

2. Don’t make people wait for you, even if you are waiting for someone else.

3. Never complain when you are in the suit.

4. Each life is different, there is drama, but it makes life exciting.

Satsuma also expressed how awesome Godzilla is, he goes wherever he wants, destroys whatever he wants, and he wishes he could live that way.

In a lot of ways, I think Satsuma succeeded in living like Godzilla. He was different from anyone I’ve ever met. I am thankful for his mutual care for my brother and I over the years, for our friendship, and for so many personal memories that could never be replaced. Also, a big thank you to Celebrity ICONS who gave us the opportunity to work alongside him, and the ability for him to meet thousands of his fans.

I will dearly miss you and our adventures together, Satsuma-San.

– Jonathan / Godzilla Junior

Without a doubt, Kenpachiro Satsuma is my Godzilla. The first Godzilla movie I ever saw was Godzilla 1985, coincidentally the first time Satsuma played the character. I could never have imagined that 25 years later, I would align myself with the team responsible for bringing kaiju suit actors to American conventions. In 2014, I traveled to San Jose, California for their BigWow! Comic book convention because they had invited my Godzilla to be a guest. Thankfully I’d started the Kaijucast a few years earlier and had received a media pass and permission to interview the one and only Kenpachiro Satsuma. I am forever grateful to the powers that be that I was able to share some amazing times with Satsuma-san, in both America and Japan, and it was in those times where I learned about the insane dedication that was put into his roles both in and out of the rubber suited genre.

Before he donned any kaiju suits, Satsuma’s career began with a blade, as he joined Toshiro Mifune’s company after Nikkatsu, portraying samurai in period dramas until he came to Toho, where his stunt work had been noted. Convinced to take the role of Hedorah, Satsuma was initially disappointed he was fully covered in a massive, bulky costume but his efforts would influence the producers of the Godzilla series to ask him to return for the role of Gigan before taking of the role of Godzilla in 1984, making seven Godzilla movies during his eleven years as the King of the Monsters, along with several other movie productions, including Orochi in Yamato Takeru and the titular North Korean monster Pulgasari. Truly one of a kind, Kenpachiro Satsuma spent his final decades thrilling fans of his work by appearing at events around the world. I wish I could thank him for our conversations over the years, but instead I’m having his favorite dish for dinner tonight, in his memory. Rest well, Satsuma-san.

-Kyle Yount
Kaijucast

Like the Godzilla actors before and after him, Kenpachiro Satsuma defined generation of Japanese entertainment. I remember coming up to him during G-Fest in 2018 with a bootleg DVD of Pulgasari for him to sign as a joke. It took him a good minute to recognize what it was supposed to be, but when it clicked, he gave a nice chuckle. For a movie with such a crazy production history, Satsuma actually recalled his experience working on the film quite fondly. While this may leave one scratching their head, it tells you a lot about the kind of person Satsuma was in real life. In dark times, we must always search for the light. Instead of getting hung up on the bad, seek out the good. And I am certain that with his passing, he would’ve wanted us to do the exact same. Instead of being sad about his departure from this world, let us rejoice in his memory, and celebrate what he’s done for himself, his family, his friends, you, me, and the rest of us.

One thing I would also like to highlight about Satsuma is that whenever things were tough, he was more than willing to push through, as proven by the harsh conditions of being an actor in a big, heavy lizard costume, and almost drowning on more than one occasion in addition to being strapped with explosives on a daily basis. With his outlook on life combined with his work ethic, his portrayal of Godzilla is one that is very human. Fitting that a monster spawned from mankind’s errors would have a cinematic arc showcasing his life until death, having faced some of his greatest challenges, as well as experiencing parenthood, enduring loss, and eventually, coming to terms with death itself. These are all stages we face in life, and Satsuma, thank you for inspiring us to conquer not only the adversity in our lives, but ourselves. Like Godzilla, we will continue to fight on to the very end, whatever it takes. All that we ask is for you to rest easy.

-Davis Madole
TitanGoji

Losing Satsuma feels like yet another piece of us, and our childhood, has been taken away from us way too soon. I wish I had the privilege to meet the man himself, but I know for a fact that he loved us all very much. He brought a special energy to his appearances and was such a stable for so many of our childhoods. He will live on forever in our memories alongside Haruo Nakajima. May he rest in peace.
– Matthew Gonzalez @kaijufanatic

Satsuma-san was not held by any bounds in his artistry. I recall learning about his struggles with the Hedorah suit and the medical procedure he underwent while still bearing the suit. Kenpachiro Satsuma was a master of his craft and embodied the spirit of Godzilla with his willpower and strength. I was privileged to briefly meet him at G-Fest a few years ago, while I didn’t have the privilege to get his autograph, the man was as kind and down to Earth as he could be. But the presence he had was the size of the Big-G himself. I’m deeply saddened by Satsuma-san’s passing, but he will never be forgotten. He will always be Godzilla to those fans that appreciate and love his artistry. さらば , 薩摩剣八郎 !

-Elijah Thomas
Kaiju Conversation

Thank you for everything, Ken. Your legacy will be eternal.