Heroes are born with their times, and many eventually fade away.

Ultraman, however, is different. Since the series first aired in 1966, 60 years have passed. Across generations and national borders, Ultraman continues to inspire the imagination of new creators.

photo by ©FASHION HEADLINE

Now on view at Shibuya PARCO, SHUWATCH with U is an exhibition marking the 60th anniversary of the Ultraman series. Yet what the exhibition presents is not a retrospective of a nostalgic hero.

Instead, it asks why Ultraman has continued to be loved for six decades, and how that presence continues to live within contemporary art.

Ultraman Has Become More Than a Character

Created in 1966 by Tsuburaya Productions, led by Eiji Tsuburaya, known as the “God of Tokusatsu,” Ultraman marked a turning point in Japanese television history.

A giant hero fighting monsters.

That simple premise captured the hearts of children. Yet 60 years later, Ultraman has moved beyond the framework of a television character.

It has become part of the original landscape of Japanese visual culture, and for many creators, a starting point for imagination.

Vance Yuan | photo by ©FASHION HEADLINE

The 12 artists brought together through NANZUKA’s curation each approach Ultraman in their own way.

What Are the Artists Looking At?

What is striking is that many of the artists speak not simply about Ultraman, but about memory.

Roby Dwi Antono describes Ultraman as “a light that quietly shaped my imagination.”

Ryunosuke Okazaki says that admiration for Ultraman “does not end as a memory,” suggesting that gestures absorbed through childhood play continue to echo in his work today.

Ryunosuke Okazaki | photo by ©FASHION HEADLINE

For these artists, Ultraman is not merely a nostalgic character. It is an origin of imagination, and a starting point for creation.

Can a Hero Become Contemporary Art?

The exhibition features internationally active artists including Jean Jullien, Roby Dwi Antono, and Vance Yuan.

What they share is not necessarily the experience of growing up in Japan. Even so, they are drawn to Ultraman.

Left: Vance Yuan, right and center: Pex Pitakpong | photo by ©FASHION HEADLINE

Vance Yuan says that Ultraman was not simply a figure who fought monsters, but someone who gave children in front of the television the courage to step forward and the strength of heart to do so.

His words offer an important key to understanding the exhibition.

Ron DeFelice | photo by ©FASHION HEADLINE

Ultraman did not spread across the world merely as a hero who defeats monsters. It traveled with universal emotions such as courage and hope.

That is why Ultraman can also exist as a subject for contemporary art.

Monsters Were Also Symbols of Imagination

The exhibition treats not only Ultraman, but also monsters such as Alien Baltan as important motifs. Among the most symbolic works is the limited-edition soft vinyl sculpture Space Ninja Alien Baltan by Ryuichi Ohira.

photo by ©FASHION HEADLINE

Based on an original model carved in wood, the work is not simply character merchandise.

Ohira positions the act of sculpture as “the best way to understand the original form.” Rather than reproducing a monster, he treats the process as a way to retrace the essence of its design and underlying ideas.

The magenta and cyan editions, each limited to 100 pieces, sold out soon after the exhibition opened.

This seems to speak not only to the popularity of monsters, but also to the ongoing influence of Ultraman as a living culture.

A Story That Believes in “Your Light”

The Ultraman Series 60th Anniversary project carries a central message:

Ultraman knows that you have your own light. It is not about being greater than others. It is not a special power. It is not something acquired through training. It is a small light that everyone is born with. It may be courage, or a strong feeling that does not lose hope, or compassion. Find that small light. Cherish it. One day, it will guide you. Ultraman believes in your light.

（Source: Ultraman Series 60th Anniversary）

Perhaps Ultraman has continued to be loved for 60 years not because of the strength to defeat monsters, but because it has continued to believe in the small light within human beings.

From Shibuya to the World Once Again

SHUWATCH with U is not an exhibition that simply displays Ultraman. It is a place that presents the imagination that has been passed down over 60 years.

photo by ©FASHION HEADLINE

Heroes and monsters. Light and darkness. Memory and the present. Art and pop culture.

Within a space where all of these elements intersect, we are asked once again:

Why does Ultraman continue to be reimagined?

The answer may not be found only in the works themselves, but in the memory of “light” that continues to remain within each of us.





©TSUBURAYA PRODUCTIONS