大魔神：2024年11月6日（水）
1966（昭和41）年に大映京都撮影所で製作された時代劇と特撮が融合された画期的な映画『大魔神』に登場する大魔神の像が，京都市右京区太秦の大映通り商店街のフレスコの店舗の前に，2013（平成25）年3月に復活した。
映画『大魔神』は日本の戦国時代を舞台にした時代劇であり，日頃は穏やかな顔の武神が，悪い領主を退治する際には怖い顔の魔神に変わるというものだ。映画監督は『座頭市』や『眠狂四郎』のシリーズを手掛けた安田公義氏である。私も小学生の頃に，テレビで『大魔神』『大魔神怒る』『大魔神逆襲』の三部作を観たことがあり，子供ながら，特撮効果による迫力に見入った記憶がある。
大魔神の怒った顔の像は，京都地域の子供たちの守護神として，堂々と大映通り商店街に佇んでいる。
MAJIN(Great Demon God): Wednesday, November 6, 2024
The statue of the Great Demon God, which appeared in the groundbreaking film Daimajin—a fusion of period drama and special effects produced at Daiei Kyoto Studio in 1966 (Showa 41)—was revived in front of the Fresco store in the Daiei Street Shopping District in Uzumasa, Ukyo Ward, Kyoto City, in March 2013 (Heisei 25).
The movie Daimajin is a period drama set in Japan’s Warring States period. It depicts a god of war who usually has a calm expression but transforms into a fearsome demon god when punishing an evil lord. The film was directed by Kimiyoshi Yasuda, known for his work on the Zatoichi and Nemuri Kyoshiro series. I, too, watched the Daimajin trilogy, including Daimajin, Return of Daimajin, and Daimajin Strikes Again, on television as an elementary school student and was captivated by the powerful special effects.
The statue of the Great Demon God with its fierce expression stands proudly in the Daiei Street Shopping District, serving as a guardian deity for the children of the Kyoto area.
