Itâs a period of time in nearly every Japanese boyâs life. Sometime before preschool starts and shortly after it ends, kids become enamored with Ultraman. Some never outgrow their fascination with the towering superhero who flies to earth to kick monster butt.
I donât blame them. Ultraman is badass.
Ultraman debuted in Japan during the 1960s. Like Kamen Rider, itâs a tokusatsu show. And like Kamen Rider, itâs very cool and features wonderfully designed heroes and enemies.
https://lastchance.cc/go-go-away-kamen-rider-girls-5703957%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
Tsuburaya Productions, the studio responsible for Ultraman, has an Ultraman theme park as well as official Ultraman shops, such as Tsuburaya Jungle in Yao City, Osaka.
At the Osaka store, kids can ride an Ultraman train and get their photo taken with a variety of Ultraman heroes. Usually, three different Ultramen show up on Saturday and Sunday for free thirty-minute meet-and-greets. Kids can shake his hand and get their photos taken with them. In the above photo, you can see Ultraman Leo, who debuted during the early 1970s.
There is an assortment of different Ultraman, with new ones debuting each season. And saying which Ultraman you grew up with is a generation marker, reflecting the years during which you watched the show and movies.
Since Bandai has the Ultraman toy license, itâs one reason why the toy (and game maker) is able to dominate the childhoods of Japanese children.
Tsuburaya Jungle also features a variety of goods for purchase. They are, to be blunt, overpriced. You can pick up Ultraman merchandise cheaper elsewhere; however, the shop does have unique itemsâmany of which are aimed at adults.
Check out the above gallery to see Ultraman beer mugs, neckties, underpants, and more. There are also photos of an Ultraman display that isnât located in the shop per se, but rather, the shopping mall where the shop is housed.
Culture Smash is a daily dose of things topical, interesting and sometimes even awesomeâgame related and beyond.
