Want to invite Titanosaurus, Baragon, or Ultraman Tiga to your convention? Well, you can, as all three stuntmen that brought those iconic characters to life are now clients at the latest convention agency to hit the kaiju scene, Takarada Global Agency. With an expanding client list, a true commitment to the fans, and an eagerness to get Japanese legends from tokusatsu, gaming, and cinema at large to events overseas, it’s no question that our community has been wondering about this agency, how it all works, and how exactly to get these iconic toku vets to conventions. Run by the family of the late Akira Takarada and managed in the US by Josh Young, the new agency is set to make a grand debut this July at Silver Age Comic Con in Reno, NV, bringing along their clients Titanosaurus suit actor Tatsumi Nikamoto and GMK Baragon suit actress Rie Ota to the show. Kaiju United recently spoke to the agent of their North American division, Josh Young, to gain insight into the agency, the company’s brief history, and how exactly the community can help bring these beloved stars to the states.
Kaiju United: Let’s start with the basics. What is Takarada Global Agency?
Takarada Global Agency: We are an international agency that specializes in the arranging of Japanese celebrities, primarily related to Kaiju and the Tokusatsu (SPFX) industry, to participate in conventions worldwide. Tetsuya Takarada, son of the legendary Japanese movie star Akira Takarada, leads the main office along with myself, Joshua Young, as an agent of TGA North America. We have a very diverse group of Japanese clients such as on-screen actors, suit actors, voice actors, directors, SPFX specialists, artists, and more. Our job is to act as the bridge between these extraordinary Japanese celebrities and the convention owners and the fans throughout the world.
KU: How exactly do convention agencies work?
TGA: We can only speak for ourselves… For us, it all begins in Japan with reaching an agreement with each celebrity to join our agency as well as gaining a mutual trust, which is the most important, and sometimes difficult, part of the job as many Japanese celebrities can be rather conservative or perhaps have some other hurdles that can be difficult to overcome. (It’s also the complete opposite way of how things are done in the Japanese entertainment industry- in almost all cases, they get an offer from the organizer first). After we get the agreement from a celebrity, we start working on promotional activities with the latest client list and our basic conditions for getting an offer for their appearance from convention owners worldwide. Then their appearance will be determined after a contract is signed, outlining the terms agreed upon by our client and the owner.
Another important aspect of our job as TGA is providing full guidance and escort services during overseas travel. It’s not as easy as you’d imagine, but it helps to ensure their global appearance. At each venue, we manage everything at our booth, including taking photos for the fans, language translation, and of course taking good care of our clients. Our goal is to pursue the happiness of all three parties involved – the clients, the fans and the convention owners.
Image courtesy of Takarada Global Agency
KU: What is the brief history of the company?
TGA: The Takarada Global Agency was launched in 2022 to succeed the business and legacy of Akira Takarada after his unfortunate passing (though Tetsuya and his wife Maki have been doing the work on behalf of their father both in and outside of Japan for more than a decade; often partnered with another agency). In the fall of 2024, they decided TGA would do best to represent itself, and that is when they reached out to me to act as their North American office operations. After a period of preparation, TGA’s new journey begins along with the addition of several new clients this year.
KU: Can you tell me some of your notable clientele?
TGA: All of them lol! We have some truly amazing talent on our roster.
To list just our exclusive clients and their most notable works
Eiichi Kikuchi – Suit Actor/Actor– UltraSeven (2 episodes), Ultraman Jack
Tatsumi Nikamoto – Suit Actor – Ultraman Leo, Titanosaurus
Hiroshi Chiba – Suit Actor – Pigmon (1966 Ultraman)
Toshihiko Saikyo – Suit Actor – Eleking, Alien Guts, Miclas, Agira, Windom, Pandon, and more (UltraSeven)
Shunsuke Gondo – Suit Actor/Actor – Ultraman Tiga (Multi & Sky type), Ultraman Dyna (Flash & Miracle type), Ultraman Gaia (V1 & V2)
Koji Nakamura – Suit Actor/Actor – Ultraman Tiga (Multi & Power type), Ultraman Dyna (Flash & Strong type), Ultraman Gaia (V1, V2 & Supreme)
Kazuya Shimizu – Suit Actor/Actor (Ultraman Dyna, Gaia, and Agul)
Toshio Miyake – Suit Actor – Kyrieloid (I & II in Ultraman Tiga)
Rie Ota – Suit Actor/Actor – Baragon (2001 GMK) *first female kaiju suit actor in the Godzilla film franchise!
Toshihiro Ogura – Suit Actor/Actor/Action director – Anguirus, Ebirah, Kaiser-Ghidorah (2004 Godzilla: Final Wars), also involved in nearly every Kamen Rider and Super Sentai series since 2000!
Yumiko Katayama – Actor – Mitsuko Nishino (1967 Johnny Sokko and his Flying Robot)
Hiroyuki Kawase – Child Actor, JAL Pilot – Ken Yano (1971 Godzilla vs The Smog Monster), Rokuro Ibuki (1973 Godzilla vs Megalon)
Hiroyuki Takano – Actor since childhood – human form Alien Perolynga (1968 UltraSeven, 2019 Ultraman Taiga)
Toshio Miike – SPFX Art Director/Production Designer – [works too expansive to list… from late 1980s to today, from Kamen Rider to Gamera to Godzilla to Ultraman…]
KU: What sets TGA apart from other agencies?
TGA: There’s really only one “competitor” in our industry who kind of has the same business model as us, with multiple Japanese clients, but these are the differences in policies if we were to compare–
【 For our clients : Honesty & Freedom 】
- We do not force them to work for free, especially after convention hours when they need to rest, just to seek more profit for the agency’s pockets. (Ex : signing many autographs for unknown people, fan dinners, etc.) We respect the private time of our clients. There is no hidden extra work-for-free hours at our agency.
- We do not force a firm commitment for being an exclusive client, which is usually normal unless the agency pays a special contract fee for it. All of our exclusive clients chose to become that way of their own free will. We have no problem with them being non-exclusive. We don’t want to impose any restrictions on the overseas activities of Japanese celebrities.
【 For the fans : Providing an Invaluable Experience 】
With the exception of non-exclusive clients, we are the only ones capable of bridging the gap, bringing these iconic Japanese Tokusatsu legends to conventions worldwide for what could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the fans.
【 For the owners : Raising the Profile of the Convention Industry 】
Announcing our clients as guests creates excitement; these are eye-catching, rare appearances of Japanese celebrities. Perhaps fans who are hesitating to buy tickets to the convention may feel that sense of fomo and be more inclined to attend. We want to make the owners happy with the number of attendees due to our clients’ appearance.
KU: Does TGA want to expand beyond kaiju/tokusatsu for other guests from across various forms of media?
TGA: Of course, and we kind of already have that with some of our non-exclusive clients. Voice actors, artists, game creators… if the fans want ’em, we’ll do our best to bring them.
KU: What does TGA enjoy the most about making these fan appearances?
TGA: At the risk of sounding corny, but it’s true, the smiles. Everyone’s. We want to leave knowing we made as many people happy as possible; the fans, the convention owners & workers, our clients (and for me, Tetsuya and Maki). Knowing we did our best; that we were able to brighten the day of so many, that is what is most enjoyable. To quote Ultraman Trigger’s Kengo Manaka – “smile smile!”
KU: Lastly, your first confirmed upcoming show appearance is at Silver Age Comic Con in Reno, NV. Can you provide a statement about this first appearance? Is the team excited? Looking forward to it?
TGA: We’re definitely excited! One of us may be a bit more nervous-excited, heh. With more appearances already in the works, we know this is just the beginning, and we’re thrilled to be able to kick-start this journey in Reno, NV (special shout out and thanks to Dave at SACC)! This will be Ota-san’s first appearance in Nevada, and Nikamoto-san’s first ever convention appearance outside of Japan! We’re looking forward to seeing as many fans as possible this July!
KU: What should fans do if they want any of TGA’s clients to come to a convention?
TGA: Tell ‘em. Make noise. Reach out to your favorite convention and let them know who you want. These conventions are for the fans; if you, the fans, speak out, they gotta listen.
KU: And what should convention owners/operators do?
TGA: Please email me at takarada.ga.na@gmail.com.
Takarada Global Agency continues to bring in new clients to add to their roster of available celebrities that fans can meet at conventions worldwide. To get the latest announcements directly from TGA, we highly encourage you to follow their Facebook page. Stay tuned for more convention announcements from TGA. If you want one of these guests at your show, please email TGA at the email listed above. We want more of these stars to attend events to meet their fans at places like Kaiju Brooklyn and Godzillafest San Francisco, so please spread the word and make your voices heard!
