Ultraman Day

What Is Ultraman Day?

Every July 10th is "Ultraman Day" (ウルトラマンの日, Urutoraman no Hi) in Japan. On July 10, 1966, "Ultraman" (ウルトラマン) began airing on TBS television, and Tsuburaya Productions had the day recognized by the Japan Anniversary Association. What aired that day was actually a special, "Ultraman Eve Festival: The Birth of Ultraman," showing a promotional event held the day before; the first episode aired a week later, on July 17. The special filled a slot left open when the final episode of the previous series, "Ultra Q," was suddenly pulled. The series introduced Japan and eventually the world to the alien superhero who transforms from a human host to battle giant monsters threatening Earth. Produced by TBS and Tsuburaya Productions (円谷プロダクション), founded by Eiji Tsuburaya (円谷英二) — the special effects mastermind behind Godzilla — Ultraman became one of Japan's most beloved and internationally recognized superhero franchises.

Ultraman's Origins

Eiji Tsuburaya had revolutionized Japanese special effects filmmaking through his work on Godzilla (1954) and subsequent monster films. Ultraman was conceived as a weekly television equivalent — bringing the excitement of kaiju (giant monster) battles to living rooms across Japan. The premise — a silver alien hero who merges with a human host and can grow to giant size to battle equally giant threats — combined the human drama of an undercover hero with the spectacular visual appeal of massive monster confrontations that Tsuburaya's effects team could render convincingly.

The Ultraman Universe

Since 1966, the Ultraman franchise has expanded into dozens of television series, films, and animated works featuring different Ultra heroes — Ultraseven, Ultraman Ace, Ultraman Taro, and many others — creating a vast interconnected "Ultra Series" universe. New works have continued to appear for more than half a century, making it one of the longest-running live-action superhero franchises. Ultraman toys and character goods have also long been popular.

Global Impact

Ultraman's influence extends far beyond Japan. The series has been broadcast in dozens of countries, generating passionate fan communities worldwide. The Ultra Series' combination of creature design, superhero action, and surprisingly sophisticated storylines about environmental protection, human cooperation, and self-sacrifice has resonated across cultures.

Fun Facts

• Color timer: Ultraman's "Color Timer" (カラータイマー) — the circular light on his chest that turns red and flashes when his energy is running low — is one of tokusatsu television's most iconic dramatic devices. The famous "3-minute" limit was not clearly stated in the original series; it was first stated on screen in the sequel "Return of Ultraman."
• Netflix expansion: Tsuburaya Productions partnered with Netflix to create new Ultraman animated series for global distribution, bringing the franchise to streaming audiences worldwide and introducing Ultraman to new generations of international viewers.