Haruo Nakajima: A Fan's Tribute

     Everybody has that one celebrity that they don't want to see go. That one special person that they would do anything to meet and talk to. For me, that was undoubtedly Haruo Nakajima. I did not have the privilege that many had of meeting him in person but the news of his loss still hits pretty hard as it does for any familiar with his work. I could go on and on about the life and history of this man, but instead I simply want to share and look back on the best way I, and I assume many fans, got to know and continue to remember Haruo Nakajima.
     When I was first introduced to Godzilla I didn't think about the man in the suit. I was young, and only really cared that a giant monster was destroying the city. As more and more movies came out, and as I had finished watching just about all things Godzilla, something happened. I began to appreciate Godzilla as more than just a monster movie. I began to respect and think about the art of the film. I fancy myself a film buff and when that part of me began to blossom I started looking into everything from low-angle shots to character writing. Of course I also looked into the good people behind the scenes and few were as important as the man in the Godzilla suit.
     Bringing a suit to life is hard enough but Mr. Nakajima got the short end of the stick in some regards. After speaking with other fans and hearing from experts and conventions and such, you hear many horror stories of the difficulties this man had to go through. The original suit, for instance was over 200 pounds. Every day the man lost liters of sweat for what amounted to a few minutes on film. This was just the first movie. Over time suits got lighter but film effects got more ambitious or, in some cases, had to do a lot with very little or even something dangerous. The story that cemented my respect for this wonderful man isn't even from a Godzilla movie, but rather form the slightly more obscure "Varan: The Unbelievable". There is a scene in the movie where a bomb explodes under the monster Varan, played by Nakajima. Back in the 60's, pyrotechnics were much more crude. This case in particular, utilized explosive black powder. The explosion went off and burned the latex rubber suit to the man's groin, but he still finished the scene to the best of his abilities. This man took an explosion to the groin and went on to play Godzilla for about a decade after that incident.
     Needless to say, the more I learned of this man, the more I respected him. He worked hard to bring to life a huge part of my childhood and my adulthood. In a way it feels like a small part of, not only my childhood, but Godzilla has died. Haruo Nakajima remained a part of the Godzilla brand even before his death and was always there with the fans. He stood as a Beacon of inspirations for Godzilla fans as well as the citizens of Japan. His home nation loved him so much, museums were erected in his honor. A milestone that very few people can claim to have reached.
     I could keep listing his achievements but at the end of the day he was a symbol to all of his fans. His dedication inspired me to try many of the things I try nowadays. Without a doubt, the death of Haruo Nakajima is a tragedy. It is up to us as fans to move forward. We must never forget what he means to the franchise, and we must always honor his dedication and passion. The Heisei era in Japan is coming to a close. Nobody knows what the future holds. Either way, we must keep going no matter the struggle, just as the God of Suits did for so many years.

                 R.I.P. Haruo Nakajima
            You Will Forever Be Missed.