Shin Hayata

Shin Hayata (早田 進（ハヤタ・シン）, Hayata Shin) was a senior member of the Science Special Search Party, or SSSP for short, who was involved in a crash at Ryumagori that bonded him with the first Ultra Warrior to become a hero to the people of the planet Earth--the native of Nebula M78 called Ultraman.^[4]

History

Ultraman

Shin Hayata was an elite member of the SSSP, who graduated top of his class from the Academy. 25 at the start of the series, he often serves as acting captain in the absence of Captain Muramatsu, due to his professionalism in any mission.

Hayata's interaction with Ultraman, started one night while out on Patrol alone. He witnessed the landing of a blue sphere at Lake Ryugamori. While investigating, his VTOL collided with a red sphere, fatally injuring him. Obvious this was not his end as his broken but intact body was taken into the red sphere, where he met the sphere's occupant, a resident from the Land of Light, who would later be known as Ultraman.

The alien, remorseful for the accidental loss of life, opted to merge with Hayata, preserving his life, and granted him the Beta Capsule, the means by which he could transform and allow the giant to assist mankind with the various monster disasters and evil aliens that plagued the world. First, however, Hayata and the SSSP had to deal with the occupant of the other travel sphere, the space monster Bemular. The beast from the stars had taken up residence beneath the lake's surface. A combine assault, from Hayata in a submarine, and the other attacking from above, forced the creature to the surface. In the end, Hayata called upon the power of Ultraman, who eventually finished the monster. When questioned by his companions, Hayata coined his alien counterpart's name. ^{Ultra Operation No.1}

Following this, Hayata would go on to call on Ultraman's power several more times, to help against the likes of Baltan Aliens, Neronga, Red King, Alien Mefilas, Geronimon and many other threats from land, sea and space.

Challenging "Space's Most Powerful Monster"

Hayata's time with Ultraman would not last forever, however. The first sign came when a fleet of flying saucers were detected heading towards Earth. The SSSP branches around the world, activated their defense systems, in preparation of this invasion force. The end result of the clash was the remaining saucers that made it into Earth's atmosphere, were going to land in Japan, prompting a deployment order from Headquarters for the Japanese branch to intercept the invaders.

The SSSP engaged the saucers in a fierce aerial battle, downing one after the other, until they spotted the presumed command ship, attempting to leave. While Ide and Arashi dealt with most of them, Hayata and the captain took after the ship only to lose it. The four soon had to return to base. It had been infiltrated by the invaders, Alien Zetton, and the communications had been cut off. Their return was met by the sight of the base damaged.

The team would rescue Fuji from the Zetton alien disguised as Dr. Iwamoto, defeating it with the Mar 133. The real Iwamoto would be rescued in the base, trapped there by his imposter. Despite stopping the alien's sabotage, the situation was not yet resolved as the large saucer reappeared to release their final weapon Zetton. The team immediately tried to attack it with their arms, but their weapons proved ineffective.

Hayata, breaking of from the rest of the team, would transform and fight the giant monster. Unlike every other battle however, this one would end with Ultraman's defeat. It is only by the assistance of the SSSP, and Iawamoto's prototype weapon that Zetton was defeated and both Hayata and Ultraman would've perished had not another emissary from the Land of Light come to their assistance, Zoffy.

Zoffy would carry the injured Ultraman back to his home planet to recover, separating him from Hayata as Ultraman's request, to have his normal human life back. The end result was a confused Hayata standing before the SSSP base, his companions behind him cheering, pondering about the alien sphere leaving Earth, his memories of his time with Ultraman gone with the silver giant. ^{Farewell, Ultraman}

Revive! Ultraman

In an alternate timeline, Hayata stayed merged with Ultraman after losing to Zetton. One month later, the SSSP had managed to defeat various kaiju, while Ultraman struggled against them due to his injuries. Ide and Arashi suggested they no longer needed Ultraman at all, leaving Hayata disheartened.

One day, Hayata sensed an impending all-out attack of monsters on Earth. He hesitated to inform the team because they might suspect he was Ultraman, but the moment he resolved to, Ide proclaimed that he had dreamed twice of an all-out attack himself, making Hayata wonder if Ide might also be a hero from outer space. It was then that a hologram of flying saucers distracted the SSSP while an Alien Zetton infiltrated the headquarters once again. When they caught up with the alien and fired at him, its cry was revealed to be the signal to launch the all-out attack.

As numerous kaiju appeared across Japan, Hayata and Ide went to face Dodongo and were unable to stop him from killing Pigmon. A frustrated Hayata transformed into Ultraman and used a technique called Ultra Separation to split himself into clones to combat all the kaiju at once. Soon, the last remaining opponent was Zetton. Although Hayata and Ultraman hoped to settle the score with Zetton, the fight was dire until Ide's new invention restored Ultraman's strength, allowing him to finish the kaiju once and for all.

With the all-out attack dealt with, the members of SSSP cheered jubilantly. Hayata remained unsure of how or why Ide was able to predict the attack. ^{Revive! Ultraman}

Ultraman Kaiju Legend: The 40 Year Old Truth

After the SSSP was absorbed into the Earth Defense Force, Hayata joined the organization and became active on the front lines. Thirty years later, the death of Captain Muramatsu deeply saddened the SSSP members. Despite their activities expanding globally, they failed to reunite at Captain Muramatsu's funeral.

Due to the separation from Ultraman, Hayata lost his memories of being Ultraman. He could only learn about Ultraman's existence through database records, yet he retains a vague sense of familiarity.

40 years later, former members of the SSSP received a mysterious letter inviting them to reunite at Captain Muramatsu's former residence under the guise of a "class reunion." Fuji, Arashi, and Ide suspected Hayata of writing the letter to reveal his true identity as Ultraman to them. During their discussion, Hayata gradually recalls his past experiences of vaguely participating in battles. He admitted that he "once was" Ultraman, but in these 40 years, Ultraman has never appeared, leaving him now as just an elderly man.

After taking the group photo, everyone left Captain Muramatsu's house. Hayata realized he had forgotten something and returned alone. As he was leaving, Ultraman called out to him, triggering Hayata to finally recall all his memories from those years.

Ultraman explained to Hayata that a part of his spirit had remained with him, inadvertently prompting Hayata to send the invitation letters to the other members. He informed Hayata that Captain Muramatsu had actually noticed their connection all along, but for Muramatsu, Hayata simply needed to strive to his fullest as a human.

However, another crisis was looming over Earth once again, and Ultraman believed that humanity needed to utilize his power once more. He entrusted Hayata with carrying the Beta Capsule and finding a young person who passionately loved peace and justice, and thus worthy of inheriting his powers. In the end, Hayata accepted his request and moved forward into a new day. ^{Ultraman Kaiju Legend: The 40 Year Old Truth}

Return of Ultraman

NOTE: In the subsequent TV series, all appearances of Hayata are human forms assumed by Ultraman.

Shin Hayata appears in episode 38 of this series. After Ultraman Jack has been taken prisoner by Alien Nackle's ships, Shin Hayata and Dan Moroboshi (Ultraseven's human form) journeyed into space to rescue him in their Ultra forms by destroying Nackle's ships. After landing on Planet Nackle, Jack salutes his comrades for their help and returns to Earth to deal with Nackle and Black King. ^{When the Ultra Star Shines}

Ultraman Taro

In this series, Ultraman was invited by Ultraman Taro/Kotaro Higashi to Earth, along with the other Ultra Brothers. He transformed into Hayata's form to meet Kotaro and introduced himself by saying his name on Earth was "Hayata." The brothers enjoyed a pleasant time together, having a feast of grilled skewers.

However, Alien Temperor learned that the Ultra Brothers were not on Earth and attempted to attack the planet, pursuing the Ultra Brothers. Alien Temperor suddenly appeared and began violently provoking the Ultra Brothers. Kotaro transformed into Ultraman Taro to confront Alien Temperor but found himself in trouble and had to seek help from Ultraman and the other brothers. However, Zoffy stated that Taro should defeat Alien Temperor with his own strength, and the other brothers agreed, hoping Taro would grow stronger.

To help Kotaro understand the meaning of growth, Hayata possessed ZAT's vice-captain Shuuhei Aragaki and, along with others, gave Kotaro some advice. This inspired Kotaro to challenge Alien Temperor again, but he was still no match and failed once more. In this situation, Ultraman and his brothers finally transformed and tried to stop Alien Temperor's destructive actions. In the end, Taro entered Alien Temperor's body through the "Ultraman Ball" from the sky, became gigantic, and successfully defeated Alien Temperor. The Ultra Brothers praised Taro for defeating the enemy with his own strength.^{Five Seconds Before the Great Explosion of the Land of Ultra!}

After Kotaro achieved victory in that battle, he was reprimanded by the Ultra Brothers for being overly confident. At that moment, after the defeat of the subordinate, Leader Alien Temperor used their people's advanced technology to revive Alien Temperor and ordered him to continue on his mission to destroy the Ultra Brothers. The Ultra Brothers once again borrowed the bodies of ZAT members to confront Alien Temperor. Alien Temperor used the "Ultra Brothers Special Ray" to lure them out. This spectral ray could see through the human forms borrowed by the Ultra Brothers, revealing their true identities.

Before being hit by the fatal beam, the Ultra Brothers devised a way to defeat Alien Temperor. Kotaro remembered the method used to defeat Temperor last time: the Ultraman Ball. The Ultra Brothers hid inside the Ultraman Ball and had the young boys Eiichi and his friends throw it, launching a surprise attack on Temperor.

The Ultra Brothers launched a series of continuous attacks, ultimately throwing Alien Temperor into the air, where he was destroyed by Taro's deadly beam. Before leaving Earth, the brothers bid farewell to Kotaro, who vowed to continue fighting alongside the ZAT members.^{The Last Day of the Six Ultra Brothers!}

Ultraman Mebius & the Ultra Brothers

After Ultraman lost his abilities sealing Yapool away in the ocean of Kobe 20 years ago, he began living on Earth as Hayata, working as an airport manager at Kobe Airport.

Following Ultraman Mebius' battle against Alien Temperor, Shin Hayata revealed himself to Mirai Hibino. After a brief conversation, Hayata, along with Dan Moroboshi, Hideki Go, and Seiji Hokuto, discussed what it meant to be an Ultraman, why they had stopped being one, and shared the history of their final battle against Yapool. They explained that they were unable to destroy Yapool and had to seal him in the sea near Kobe with the Final Cross Shield, a battle that drained nearly all their energy and left them unable to transform, after which they began living in Kobe in their human forms. Later, Hayata and his brethren watched Mebius' battle against Alien Zarab. Seeing his defeat and crucifixion by Alien Guts, they had no choice but to transform into their Ultraman forms once again to save him. Despite contending with their lost strength, they were able to temporarily defeat the aliens and rescue Mebius, only for them to in turn crucify the four Ultra Brothers in order to destroy the seal, which was their plan all along.

Although Mebius found new strength after being encouraged by a young boy named Takato Jinguji and rescued the four Ultra Brothers, they were unable to prevent U-Killersaurus Neo and Yapool from breaking free of the Final Cross Shield. As the situation grew dire and the Ultra Brothers faced death, it seemed that the fight was lost. However, two lights emerged from the darkness of the sky as Zoffy and Ultraman Taro descended. They provided enough energy to fully recharge the five Ultras. Though they could not defeat the enemies alone, the Ultra Brothers combined into Mebius Infinity, gaining enough power to defeat U-Killersaurus Neo and Yapool. With the barrier broken, he no longer had to continuously give energy to maintain it, allowing Hayata to once again transform into his respective Ultra without fear of death. ^{Ultraman Mebius & the Ultra Brothers}

Ultraman Mebius

Hayata showed himself again with the rest of the Ultra Brothers. In Alien Mefilas III's game, Ultraman/Hayata was the only one unaffected by the psychic waves. He communicated with Alien Mefilas in a conscious state, questioning the purpose of his game. Alien Mefilas warned him not to interfere and assured that he wouldn't harm Mirai Hibino or humans.

When Teppei Kuze broke free from the psychic wave's influence, restoring Mirai's trust in GUYS and intending to confront Alien Mefilas, Hayata looked ahead, extended his right hand holding the Beta Capsule, and transformed into Ultraman. He then assisted Ultraman Mebius in battling Alien Mefilas. During the intense aerial combat, Ultraman severely injured Alien Mefilas. Majestically, he caught the energy beam from Alien Mefilas' arm with his chest and said, "Stop resisting in vain. From the moment you started this game, you had already lost."

Alien Mefilas ultimately said, "I have never given up. I will return to challenge you again someday." He then left Earth. Ultraman told Mebius, "My brothers and I will soon be leaving Earth." Trusting Mebius, he added that just as he loved the people of Earth, he believed Mebius would also love and trust them wholeheartedly.

Seeing the bond of trust between Ultraman and humans, Hayata quietly observed Mirai and Teppei from a distance and softly said, "I believe that the two of you will definitely protect this planet." ^{Mefilas's Game}

He later returned again in the final episode when the Ultra Brothers were communicating with GUYS. ^{Words from the Heart -Final Trilogy III-}

Mega Monster Battle Ultra Galaxy: The Movie

Shin Hayata and Dan save Mirai and Rei from Alien Shaplay and his monsters. The four made their way to the Ultra Tower where the last of the Plasma Spark's light was protected by Taro. After a short bout that finished off Alien Shaplay, the three Ultras regained their Ultra forms and take with Rei to face Ultraman Belial. ^{Mega Monster Battle Ultra Galaxy: The Movie}

Ultraman Saga

While Hayata's image appears, it was simply as a mouthpiece for Ultraman. In the Land of Light he met Seven, Jack, Leo, and Ace in their human forms and discuss the apparent threat they detected but could not identify and question how Ultraman Zero was doing.

Originally the five Ultra Brothers were intended to fly to the Future Earth World after Alien Bat sent out an army of revived monsters using the Spheres to recreate their bodies. Ultraman would have had a rematch with his old enemy, Antlar. Surprisingly, even though whether it was because Ultraman became stronger than before or because Antlar's new body lacked the original's protection was not specified, the magnetic monster was defeated by the Spacium Beam for the first time ever. ^{Ultraman Saga}

Transformation

Upon the Beta Capsule's activation, Hayata is covered by the Flash Beam (in episodes 3 and 10), then Ultraman emerges from a smokey red background and enlarges, then appears in giant form soon after. It can be assumed that the sequence takes place in a very short time and is the depiction of Ultraman enlarging, similar to his growth technique. The tokusatsu effect of the emergence from the smoky red background and three-stage enlargement was achieved by slowly moving an Ultraman prop figure towards the screen with a red background. Whenever Hayata transformed in a later series, the original clip was used until Ultraman Mebius & the Ultra Brothers. After separation from Ultraman after a battle, Hayata will be brought back in rings of light.

Powers and Weapons

• Training: Like other members of SSSP, Hayata is trained in combat and operating vehicles.
• Beta Capsule: Hayata can use this device to transform into Ultraman.
• Ultra Psychokinesis (ウルトラ念力, Urutora Nenriki): Hayata uses this power to move objects with his mind.

Other Media

Yuugen Jikkou Sisters Shushutorian

In episode 40 of the series, Hayata makes a cameo appearance as a maintenance worker at Tsuburaya Productions' monster warehouse, commonly known as "Monster Uncle."

One night, the Yamabuki sisters wish upon a falling star. The second sister, Tsukiko Yamabuki, wishes to meet her favorite hero, Ultraman. However, the meteor falls into Tsuburaya Productions' monster warehouse. The next day, while the Yamabuki sisters are preparing to eat lobster with their family, a real Alien Baltan suddenly appears. Additionally, various monsters start appearing in the city. Booska is seen eating ramen at a ramen shop and is about to be captured, but is saved by Monster Uncle's intervention.

Monster Uncle tells the Yamabuki sisters that if the monsters continue rampaging, children will start to dislike them. He asks them to find and bring back the monsters causing chaos in the city. When Alien Baltan enlarges and the situation becomes chaotic, Monster Uncle uses the Beta Capsule in his pocket to transform into Ultraman. He uses his power to make the Shushutorian giant and, together, they use the combined technique "Ultra Spacium Shush Final" to defeat Alien Baltan.

Ultraman takes Alien Baltan away from Earth, and at the same time, the monsters in the city also disappear.

A few days later, Tsukiko visits Tsuburaya Productions to see Monster Uncle. However, since that incident, Monster Uncle has gone missing. Tsukiko sees visions of Monster Uncle and Booska in the warehouse, and at that moment, the meteor shines brightly in the sky.

Ultraman vs. Kamen Rider

Stock footage of Shin Hayata was used in the beginning where he transformed into Ultraman who then left to fight the monster Gadoras. ^{Ultraman vs. Kamen Rider}

Ultraman THE FIRST

Like the original, Hayata is also a host of Ultraman. However, unlike the original, he was in control in most of Ultraman's actions.

At the end of the manga, Hayata discovered Akiko Fuji, his friend had been possessed by Alien Baltan since their first encounter, trying to monitor the Ultra in order to create their ultimate weapon: Zetton. At the end of the battle, Ultraman separated from Shin and joined with Zoffy who gave Shin and Akiko the Life Forces he had. Zoffy/Ultraman returned to the Land of Light so he could be healed of his injuries. ^{Ultraman THE FIRST}

Superior 8 Ultra Brothers

In this film, Shin Hayata is an ordinary man living in Yokohama. After marrying Akiko, they have a daughter named Rena. Currently, Hayata runs a bicycle shop and provides Daigo Madoka with a bicycle for commuting. He is also very concerned about Daigo and Rena's relationship.

During the mirage incident in Yokohama, Hayata, like other citizens, also noticed these unusual phenomena. Despite this, he continued to live an ordinary life, participating in singing events at Dan's Hawaiian restaurant with his friends. During this period, Daigo found himself in another world similar to his own and witnessed Hayata and other Ultra Brothers transforming into Ultraman. This sight intrigued him greatly. On his way to Dan's restaurant, Daigo saw Hayata and others use their unusually quick reflexes to successfully prevent a car accident, thus protecting the kindergarten children from disaster. This incident further strengthened his belief, although Hayata remained unaware of it. Even when Mirai Hibino/Ultraman Mebius from a parallel world, recounted his own story, Hayata found himself quite perplexed.

When Yokohama was engulfed in a monster disaster, Hayata took refuge with others. Hearing Rena's broadcast encouraging people to resist the monster threat rekindled his desire to protect the people. Shortly after, he witnessed Daigo and the other Ultras transforming, which triggered memories of himself transforming into Ultraman in another parallel universe. Before the final battle, he obtained the Beta Capsule and transformed alongside the other Ultra brothers to fight Giga Khimaira, ultimately joining forces to save the world.

Several years later, at the commissioning ceremony of the Nippon Maru space vessel, he and Akiko boarded Jet VTOL, embarking on a journey to explore the Nebula M78 in space with other friends.^{Superior 8 Ultra Brothers}

ULTRAMAN

Main article: Shin Hayata (ULTRAMAN)

The first protagonist of the Ultraman Series now forty years after his merger and separation from Ultraman. He now has a son who has inherited his legacy as the 'Ultraman'.

The Rise of Ultraman

Main article: Shin Hayata (Marvel)

Ultraman: Along Came a Spider-Man

In this series, an alternate version of Hayata appears as one of the main members of the SSSP. Similar to the original series, he possesses the ability to transform into Ultraman and fights to maintain balance between humans and kaiju. One notable difference in this portrayal is that Hayata is depicted as younger than in previous iterations.

Following the incident involving Peter, Hayata and the SSSP take in Peter Parker/Spider-Man from another universe. ^{Ultraman: Along Came a Spider-Man}

Merchandise

Hyper Ultraman

• Hyper Ultraman 5 (2002)
  • Release Date: July 31, 2002
  • Price: 300 yen per box
  • JAN/ISBN: 4543112081889
  • Materials: PVC
  • Accessories: 2 right hands (w/ Beta Capsule or Spoon)

Released as part of the 5th entry of the Hyper Ultraman boxed trading figures, this Hayata is a 12cm figurine molded in his signature transformation pose. His right hand can be interchanged with either the Beta Capsule or the spoon he used in Present from the Sky.

HG Series

• The Biggest Invasion in History (2003)
  • Release Date: February 10, 2003
  • Price: 200 yen per roll
  • JAN/ISBN: 4543112142405
  • Materials: ATBC-PVC
  • Accessories: 2 right hands (w/ Beta Capsule or Spoon)

The Ultraseven-themed entry for the HG Ultraman Series features a figurine of Hayata, and much like the Hyper Ultraman release, he comes with two different right hand parts.

Real Action Heroes

• Shin Hayata (Real Action Heroes, 2004)^[5]
  • RAH Number: 205
  • Release Date: December 2004
  • Price: 13,440 yen
  • Materials: ABS, PVC (doll), Fabric (clothes)
  • Accessories: Helmet, Tamashii Lab, Beta Capsule, Spoon

Released as part of the Real Action Hero Series, Shin Hayata is a 300mm tall action doll complete with fabric clothes, and he utilizes the RAH301 Kai Doll body. He also comes with a removable helmet, an Tamashii Lab which can be wield by his hands, Beta Capsule and spoon.

• Shin Hayata Ver.2.0 (Real Action Heroes, 2010)^[6]
  • RAH Number: 480
  • Release Date: May 2010
  • Price: 13,440 yen
  • Materials: ABS, PVC (doll), Fabric (clothes)
  • Accessories: Helmet, Tamashii Lab, Beta Capsule, Spoon

Released as part of the Real Action Hero Series, Shin Hayata (Ver.2.0) is a 300mm tall action doll complete with fabric clothes, and he utilizes the RAH301 Kai Doll body. He also comes with a removable helmet, an Tamashii Lab which can be wield by his hands, Beta Capsule and spoon.

Trivia

• During the planning stage, Toshio Kurosawa and Akira Kubo were also considered as candidate actors.
• While Shin Hayata is the first Ultra Host, he is also the first to be separated from his Ultra counterpart.
  • In the original series, Hayata's true identity as Ultraman was never publicly revealed. Ide suspected multiple times that Hayata was Ultraman but could never confirm it. Other members had also questioned Hayata's connection to Ultraman 40 years later.
• In the US dubbed version of Ultraman, unlike the Japanese original, after Zoffy revived Ultraman and separated their life-forces, Hayata did not lose his memories of having been Ultraman's human host. He was also described as having kept the Beta Capsule, to which he held fast, Ultraman's superior having reassured him that Ultraman would return to Earth.
• Hayata was originally to be named Sakomizu.
• In the predecessor project to Return of Ultraman, titled Continuation of Ultraman, Hayata was depicted 30 years later as having retired and become an adventurer.
• Like all key members of the SSSP, Hayata's given name was unrevealed until Revive! Ultraman.
• Like Ultraman, Shin Hayata has made many cameos (most by the actor Susumu Kurobe) and was referenced many times in the series, Urusei Yatsura by Rumiko Takahashi.
• Hayata is the first Tokusatsu hero to use a transformation device.

• Based on an interview with Susumu Kurobe in 2019:^[7]
  • Kurobe shared that the opportunity to play Hayata came unexpectedly. One day, he received a script from the Toho Acting Department and was simply told, "You're going to be in this production." He recalled that he didn't even receive a project outline, and it was decided on the spot that he would be the lead actor, leaving him no time to consider the role.
  • During the filming of Ultraman, Kurobe would go to the Tokyo Art Center every day, meeting at the studio at 7 a.m. before heading to the filming locations or outdoor sets with the crew. At the time, he lived in Shibuya and took a bus to Seijo, and no one on the streets recognized him. Unlike today, there weren't many autograph sessions or events back then, so he rarely heard the cheers of children in person.^[7]
  • Before the show aired, Kurobe and other cast members participated in a public recording event for The Birth of Ultraman, held at the Suginami Public Hall. Since there had been no rehearsal beforehand, it was essentially a "one-shot" performance, and the recording process didn't go smoothly. On that day, the main cast and crew were all thrown into confusion, and even the famous comedic trio, the Nansen Trio, who were guest performers, were struggling due to the difficulties of the show. The children in the audience were loudly discussing among themselves, and despite the event being a pre-broadcast activity, it drew a large crowd, which greatly surprised Kurobe.
  • Filming the first and second episodes took about a month. At that time, TV drama episodes typically required a week to film for a one-hour program, but Ultraman required much more time per episode. In the early stages, the SSSP command center set wasn't even finished being built when shooting began. Moreover, director Eiji Tsuburaya, who was responsible for supervising the special effects, had very strict demands for the scenes and even requested reshoots on several occasions.^[7]
  • During the filming process, Kurobe had very little private interaction with the screenwriters, such as Tetsuo Kinjo, or with directors like Toshihiro Iijima and Tsuburaya. This was not due to being busy, but because Kurobe admitted he was somewhat “awkward” and shy when it came to talking with others.^[7]

• • Kurobe confessed that one of his least favorite parts at the beginning was wearing the SSSP uniform. While he was okay with the blue jacket, he felt very embarrassed to appear in the orange suit in public. He recalled an occasion when they were filming in Ginza, where he kept his jacket on until it was time to shoot, only taking it off just before the scene was filmed.^[7]
  • Regarding his memories of the actors he worked with, Kurobe mentioned that the personalities of the five SSSP members were well-balanced, which made communication between them very smooth. He emphasized that, despite the hectic filming schedule and the time spent on set, the relationships among the actors were very good, and he believed that the success of Ultraman was partly due to the "chemistry between the main characters."^[7]
  • When it comes to Bin Furuya, the actor who portrayed Ultraman, Kurobe noted that Furuya really worked hard for the role. Whenever Kurobe visited the special effects set and saw Furuya after he had finished filming, he would often see that Furuya's body was covered in salt from sweat and his skin was irritated with rashes, yet he would continue filming.
  • Due to tight filming schedules and limited budgets at the time, the meals provided for outdoor shoots were dreadful. The bento boxes usually contained only pickled plums and salted bamboo shoots, and the taste was far from appetizing. However, as the actors were quite young, they didn't find the shooting conditions particularly tough. But by the time Ultraman was finished, Kurobe admitted he felt a sense of relief, thinking, "Finally, it's over. Now I can finally relax."
• As for behind-the-scenes stories, Kurobe recalled an incident during the filming of episode 20, "Terror on Route 87," where he slipped and fell onto a sand dune. As a result, dozens of cactus spines pierced into his backside. A crew member had to carefully remove each spine with tweezers, and Kurobe still vividly remembers the pain from that experience.^[7]
  • In episode 30, "Phantom of the Snow Mountains," Kurobe, who was proficient at skiing, performed most of the skiing stunts himself, except for a few that required a stunt double. While skiing in the SSSP costume, he noted that it was cold, but the suit made him feel light and allowed for easier movement.^[7]

• • In episode 34, "Present from the Sky," the famous scene where Hayata raises a spoon to transform into Ultraman was actually a bit of a trick. Kurobe revealed that, before the scene was filmed, he had already lowered the spoon and run out of the room. This made it impossible to connect the two shots logically. Because of this scene, director Akio Jissoji was criticized by the producers, and Kurobe even questioned himself at the time, wondering, “Can we really do something like this?” However, looking back now, he acknowledges that the scene has become an iconic moment.^[7]
• During the 32nd Tokyo International Film Festival in 2019, Kurobe shared that during the filming of scenes involving monsters, the monster scenes and the acting scenes were filmed separately. He had filmed 39 episodes but had never seen the monsters on set during filming. It wasn't until the production was completed and the show aired that he finally saw the monsters for the first time.^[8]
  • Hiroko Sakurai, who portrayed Fuji, agreed with Kurobe's statement and added that during one particular filming session when the five SSSP actors were gathered together, they were told to look up in surprise and shout “Wow!” as soon as the monster appeared. However, they were later instructed to re-shoot the scene. Sakurai recalled wondering why, only to find out that the monster was a small Pigmon, and they needed to lower their gaze instead. As a result, the entire scene was re-filmed.
• The original SSSP uniform worn by Hayata during the series' filming has been preserved. The interior features a special pocket designed to hold the Beta Capsule. This uniform was displayed at the Tokusatsu DNA: ULTRAMAN Genealogy Exhibition in 2020.^[9]

See Also

• Shin Hayata (ULTRAMAN)
• Shinjiro Hayata

References

1. ↑ https://mainichi.jp/articles/20160217/k00/00m/040/076000c
2. ↑ https://www.yomiuri.co.jp/yomidr/article/20191226-OYTET50007/20191226-oytet50007_2_l/
3. ↑ https://www.yomiuri.co.jp/yomidr/article/20191226-OYTET50008/
4. ↑ https://www.sanspo.com/article/20230927-A5OFE65MIFKDRNBABU7SGR7UQM/
5. ↑ https://www.medicomtoy.co.jp/prod/dt/1/102/1744.html
6. ↑ https://www.medicomtoy.co.jp/prod/dt/1/102/3979.html
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 7.7 7.8} Ultra Tokusatsu PERFECT MOOK vol. 02: Ultraman, pg 16-17
8. ↑ https://mantan-web.jp/article/20191104dog00m200012000c.html
9. ↑ https://ameblo.jp/sy3moonlight/entry-12633018004.html