Bin Furuya
Japanese actor
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Satoshi Furuya (古谷 敏, Furuya Satoshi),[2] known professionally as Bin Furuya (古谷 敏, Furuya Bin), is a Japanese actor best known for his portrayal of the title character in the 1966 series Ultraman.[3] Furuya would later portray the character Amagi in the sequel series Ultraseven.[2][4] Furuya has also made appearances in Mothra (1961), Gorath (1962), High and Low (1963), Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster (1964), Ultraman Zearth (1996), Mega Monster Battle: Ultra Galaxy (2009), and Shin Ultraman (2022).
Bin Furuya | |
|---|---|
| 古谷敏 | |
Furuya at the 2019 GalaxyCon Louisville | |
| Born | Satoshi Furuya July 5, 1943 |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1961-present |
| Known for | Ultraman |
| Website | https://shinbin.jp/ |
| Signature | |
 | |
Life
Furuya was born in Nishiazabu, Minato, Tokyo, the fifth son of a door merchant. When he was young, he often went to watch movies at a nearby temple.[1] After finishing middle school,[1] Furuya studied acting at Toho Geino School.[2] He was inspired by actors Akira Takarada and Yūjirō Ishihara to pursue a career in acting.[1]
In 1960, he entered Toho.[1] His first role in a motion picture was in the 1961 film Mothra. He began his career as a crowd actor for Toho.
At the age of 22,[1] in 1966, Furuya was chosen for the role as a suit actor to portray an alien named Kemur in Ultra Q.[5] His height at 181 cm (5 ft 11 in), slim body and body type "different from regular Japanese people in the 1960s" are said to have matched with the requirements for the role. At first, he refused to take the role because he was embarrassed to wear the costume, but gave in after being persuaded by the movie staff.[1]
His Japanese-language autobiography, The Man Who Became Ultraman, was published in 2009.[2]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 | Mothra | Infant Island dancer | [5] |
| 1961 | The Last War | Kasagi Maru sailor | [5] |
| 1962 | Gorath | Reporter at Antarctic Base | [5] |
| 1962 | King Kong vs. Godzilla | JSDF correspondent | |
| 1963 | High and Low | Train Station employee / Drunk | [5] |
| 1963 | Atragon | JSDF Soldier | [5] |
| 1964 | Tiger Flight | Pilot | |
| 1964 | Mothra vs. Godzilla | Police Officer | |
| 1964 | You Can Succeed, Too | Towa Tourism employee | |
| 1964 | Dogora | JSDF Soldier | |
| 1964 | Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster | Researcher / Matsumoto Evacuee / Observation Platform Tourist / Police Officer | [5] |
| 1965 | Frankenstein Conquers the World | Man in Okayama Crowd | [5] |
| 1965 | The Crazy Adventure | Weekly Top Reporter / Guest at Club Sahara / Man at Hotel Meriken | |
| 1965 | Invasion of Astro-Monster | Xilien | [5] |
| 1966 | The War of the Gargantuas | Coast Guard Official | [5] |
| 1979 | Ultraman | Ultraman | [5] |
| 2008 | Monster X Strikes Back: Attack the G8 Summit | Officer Takamine | [5] |
| 2009 | Mega Monster Battle: Ultra Galaxy | Inhabitant of the Land of Light | |
| 2013 | The Intermission | Member of the cinema audience | |
| 2014 | Earth Defense Widow | Yanagi | |
| 2016 | Kaiju Mono | Defense Minister Yukio Kamikura | |
| 2018 | The Great Buddha Arrival | Kazuyoshi Edamasa | [6][7] |
| 2021 | Nezura 1964 | Oyaji | [8][9] |
| 2022 | Shin Ultraman | Ultraman (motion capture) | [10] |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1966 | Ultra Q | Guy in Crowd [episode 4] / Kemur Man [episode 19] / Ragon [episode 20] / Hachi [episode 24] | [5][11] |
| 1966 | Ultraman | Ultraman | [11][12] |
| 1967 | Ultraseven | Amagi | [11][12] |
| 2011 | Ultra Zone | Akio [episode 12] | |
| 2024 | The Tiger and Her Wings | Takekichi Wakashima | [13] |