In memory of Kenpachi Satsuma

薩摩剣八郎さんを悼む

In memory of Kenpachi Satsuma

元南日本新聞社報道本部長 久本 勝紘

Katsuhiro Hisamoto, former head of the news department at the Minami Nippon Shimbun

平成ゴジラを“体演11”

Heisei Godzilla “Exercise 11”

薩摩剣八郎と出会ったのは1989(平成元)年5月。当時、南日本新聞社東京支社が始めた連載企画「ひと・声」の取材だった。20世紀も押し詰まったこの時期、各界の新時代を担うと期待される首都圏在住の鹿児島県出身者を発掘・紹介する試みである。世界的人気特撮映画「ゴジラ」で主役を演じる怪優もその候補に挙がった。

I first met Kenpachi Satsuma in May 1989. At the time, I was interviewing him for a serial project called “People and Voices” that was being started by the Tokyo branch of the Minami-Nihon Shimbun. As the 20th century drew to a close, the project was an attempt to discover and introduce people from Kagoshima Prefecture living in the Tokyo metropolitan area who were expected to lead a new era in various fields. One of the candidates was the eccentric actor who played the lead role in the world-famous special effects movie “Godzilla.”

約束の場所に現れた本人はジーパンにポロシャツ、丸に十字のマーク入り黒キャップといういでたち。口ひげをたくわえ、野性味たっぷりの精かんな顔をほころばせながら「薩摩剣八郎でごわす」とごつい手で握手を求めてきた。製鉄会社を経て20歳の67(昭和42)年に日活演技研究所に入る。まずはお定まりの俳優志願の動機を問うと、「これでも日活へ入るときは顔で勝負しようと思っていたのですよ」と真顔で応じた。

When he showed up at the appointed location, he was wearing jeans, a polo shirt, and a black cap with a circle and a cross on it. With a mustache and a smile on his wild, energetic face, he said, “I’m Satsuma Kenpachi,” and asked for a handshake with his sturdy paws. After working at a steel company, he entered the Nikkatsu Acting Institute in 1967 (Showa 42) at the age of 20. When asked the usual question about his motivation for wanting to become an actor, he replied with a straight face, “Even though I look like this, when I joined Nikkatsu I wanted to compete with my looks.”

だが当時の日活といえば石原裕次郎を筆頭に小林旭、宍戸錠、浜田光夫、高橋英樹ら人気スターがめじろ押しである。やむなく剣法、柔道、空手、乗馬などで鍛えた肉体を売り物に殺陣やスタントまがいの荒業に熱中するうち体力派として定着した。

However, at that time, Nikkatsu was filled with popular stars such as Yujiro Ishihara, Akira Kobayashi, Joe Shishido, Mitsuo Hamada, and Hideki Takahashi. He was forced to use his physique, which he had trained through swordsmanship, judo, karate, and horse riding, as a selling point, and became established as a physically strong man while devoting himself to sword fighting and stunt-like rough acts.

もっとも時代はテレビの興隆期、映画産業は斜陽の坂を転げていた。やがて三船プロへ移籍すると、ゴジラ映画への道が開く。84年から95年まで同シリーズ7本に重量100』の着ぐるみの中で奮闘した。中島春雄さんに続く“2代目”としていかに個性を出すか苦心する。「特に足さばきと腕の上げ下げ。いかにも大儀そうにすり足で進み、両脇をぐっと締めて重厚な身動きに徹した。いずれも武道の経験が役立っている」と明かした。

However, this was the era of the rise of television, and the film industry was in decline. He eventually moved to Mifune Productions, which opened the door to Godzilla films. From 1984 to 1995, he worked on seven films in the series, wearing a 100kg costume. As the “second” to take over from Nakajima Haruo, he struggled to express his individuality. “Especially my footwork and the raising and lowering of my arms. I shuffled forward with great difficulty, and kept my arms tightly pressed together to create a solid look in my movements. My experience in martial arts came in handy in all of these,” he revealed.

島津家の始祖・忠久が薩摩・大隅・日向支配の足掛かりとして築かせたという出水市高尾野町江内の木牟礼城近くで生まれ育つ。「出水兵児の末裔ですね」と水を向けると、相好を崩し故収郷自慢と旧友らとの交歓を人とつとつと語ってくれた。

He was born and raised near Kimure Castle in Enai, Takaono-cho, Izumi City, which was built by Shimazu Tadahisa, the founder of the Shimazu clan, as a foothold for the control of Satsuma, Osumi and Hyuga. When I asked him, “You’re a descendant of Izumi Heiko,” he smiled and spoke enthusiastically about his hometown and his interactions with old friends.

「手に負えないわんぱく坊主で親に心配をかけたけど、今になって駆け回った山河は恋しい」―芸名にも深い郷土愛をにじませる。

“I was a mischievous boy who was difficult to control and caused my parents a lot of worry, but now I miss the mountains and rivers that I used to run around with.” Even his stage name exudes his deep love for his hometown.

究極の願望は映画づく・り、と打ち明けた。それも幕末郷土のヒーロー「人斬り半次郎」、主役の中村半次郎(桐野利秋)を演じるのが夢。帰省の度に鹿児島市の示現流兵法所を訪れたという。4年前にトークシヨーを開いた関係者によると、「着ぐるみ俳優」「スーツアクター」という呼称を好まず、「体演者」を自任した。

He confessed that his ultimate wish is to make a movie. In particular, his dream is to play the lead role of Nakamura Hanjiro (played by Kirino Toshiaki), a local hero from the end of the Edo period called “Hanjiro the Assassin.” He said that he visits the Jigen-ryu school of martial arts in Kagoshima every time he returns home. According to a person involved in holding a talk show four years ago, he does not like the terms “costume actor” or “suit actor,” and calls himself a “physical actor.”

このところ特撮に限らずあらゆる分野でロボット、人工知能(AI)など人間性再現に血眼のデジタル社会である。対してアナログ主流の時代に、着ぐるみの中で必死に人間の気配を消すことに腐心し続けた平成ゴジラ、その葛藤こそヒューマニズムの真骨頂だったと言えまいか。

These days, we live in a digital society where robots, artificial intelligence (AI), and other things are desperately trying to recreate humanity in all fields, not just special effects. In contrast, in an analog-dominated era, the Heisei Godzillas tried desperately to erase any traces of humanity in their costumes. Isn’t it true that their struggle was the very essence of humanism?

薩摩剣八郎(本名・前田靖昭)さんは16日死去、76歳。

Satsuma Kenpachiro (real name Maeda Yasuaki) passed away on the 16th at the age of 76.

Caption

2019年に鹿児島市で開かれたイベントで、ゴジラを演じた薩摩剣ハー郎さん(スタジオアイディール提供)

Satsuma Kenharu, who played Godzilla, at an event held in Kagoshima City in 2019 (courtesy of Studio Ideal)

Source: エンタメ 2023年(令和5年) 12月24日 日曜日 南日本新
Entertainment Sunday, December 24, 2023 (Reiwa 5) Southern Japan New