Satsuma Kenpachirō (薩摩剣八郎) was born on May 27, 1947. He passed away this December 16, 2023.
Saturday, December 16 began with heartbreaking news. Our idol and friend, Kenpachiro Satsuma, the energy and soul behind the original Hedorah, Gigan, and Heisei Godzilla, has passed away. He was 76.
No matter how many years would pass between meetings, Satsuma-san would always remember us and greet us fondly. His passion was palpable. His energy and love for Godzilla and his fans was unmatched.
Satsuma-san’s undeniable talent brought some of the most iconic tokusatsu creations to life. He would emerge as a prominent force in Toho Studios suit acting with 1971’s Godzilla vs Hedorah. Within, he gave life to the iconic Smog Monster, his performance defining the villainous kaiju’s cool-factor.
From there, Satsuma-san would take on Gigan, then ultimately receive the mantle of Godzilla himself from his mentor and the original Godzilla, Haruo Nakajima-san, for the Heisei series of films.
‘For so many of us, Satsuma-san’s Godzilla was the icon we grew up with. He was, and will forever remain, Godzilla.‘
As the King of the Monsters, Satsuma-san brought back Nakajima’s initial animalistic ferocity. His Godzilla was an unstoppable force of terror and doom. From Return of Godzilla (1984) to Godzilla vs Destoroyah (1995), he would redefine the world’s most famous monster for a new generation. For so many of us, Satsuma-san’s Godzilla was the icon we grew up with. He was, and will forever remain, Godzilla.
Now, Ifukube’s stirring Requiem from Destoroyah – written to say farewell to the monster in his dying moments – holds new meaning.
Aside from Godzilla, Satsuma-san held many passions. He was a skilled, traditionally trained Japanese swordsman, which was put to great use in his early film career in the 1960s . A native of Kagoshima Prefecture, Satsuma first became a recognized Samurai film actor before transitioning to further stunt work and, eventually, suit acting for Toho.
His fans were among those great passions, too. Satsuma-san traveled the globe for tokusatsu conventions, making his way to G-Fest in Chicago, Fandom Fest in Louisville, New York, LA, and countless others. And each time, he would greet us with that knowing smile.
As immensely talented as he was, Satsuma-san was also the most down-to-earth gentleman. He exuded quiet charisma, which was both a blessing and a curse.
During his suit acting, Satsuma would never complain despite being (literally) cooked alive inside the behemoth Heisei Godzilla suits. He would regularly pass out from heat exhaustion and lack of oxygen within, only to have his friends and colleagues pull him out.
Even before his turn as Godzilla, Satsuma-san was so committed to Hedorah that he fought through the excruciating pain of a ruptured appendix while in the suit – and had to be operated on inside the suit on set to save his life.
None of this stopped him, however. As soft-spoken as he could be, there was a restless soul behind that beaming smile. His life was spent in pursuit of mastery, and he regularly enjoyed sharing his sword training with friends through videos on Facebook.
On a personal note, I will never forget the birthday that Godzilla himself took the time out of his day to wish me a happy one. To him, it was a simple message sent. But to me, it was the kindest gesture from a lifelong hero… One I will cherish for life.
Truly, he was a man who asked for very little, but gave so much to others.
And we will all miss him dearly.
Rest in peace, Satsuma-san.
Beautiful tribute and photos