Biography

While doing an interview in the Hedorah suit (full weight, not a show dummy), he was rushed to the hospital for an appendectomy, where he learned that painkillers had no effect on him.

After performing in some movies in North Korea (including Pulgasary), years later, Satsuma is apart of an organization to stop starvation and environmental disasters in North Korea.

He appeared in an episode of the BBC TV show Japanorama in 2002. He was challenged to smash a model city in a better fashion than a rival Godzilla actor. The mayor of the city that the scale model represented was the competition's judge! Satsuma proved to be by far the best model-stomper!

While filming Godzilla movies, Satsuma would regularly pass out on the set due to lack of oxygen while wearing the poorly ventilated and rubber suits; this was especially a problem during production of Godzilla vs. Destoroyah, in which the steam effect on the suit (meant to represent Godzilla undergoing a nuclear meltdown) was achieved using pure carbon dioxide.

Satsuma began his acting career in the 1960s with small roles in samurai films.

[After walking out of a screening of 'Godzilla' (1998)] "It's not Godzilla. It doesn't have the spirit."

[on portraying Hedorah] I can hardly call it acting, but I talk big about it now!

Godzilla is an outrageous monster that is played by an outstanding guy! I am a little short, but in my heart burns the spirit of the samurai.