My Top Ten Japanese Science Fiction Movies of the 1950s

The 1950s were a golden age for science fiction movies. Japanese sci fi of the 1950s is best known for giant monsters like Godzilla and Rodan, but there were several other interesting sci fi themes. Here are my top ten favorite Japanese Science Fiction films of the 1950s.

Note: Several of these movies were originally released in Japan, then heavily edited and released later for a U.S. audience. For example, the Japanese version of Godzilla was released in 1954. The U.S. version had additional scenes and was released in 1956. Because of the date issue, some of the movies on this list also appear on my list of ten favorites of the 1960s.

1. Godzilla (1956) aka Godzilla: King of the Monsters! – A mysterious force is destroying ships. It’s Godzilla, a prehistoric dinosaur. After destroying large parts of Tokyo, Godzilla is killed by an oxygen destroyer device. Arguably one of the most important science fiction films of all time.

2. Rodan (1956) – Japanese miners dig a little bit too deep and unearth Rodan and his mate, giant flying dinosaurs. Rodan eventually perishes in a volcanic eruption and then his mates commits suicide rather than live without him.

3. Warning from Space (1956) – Friendly aliens who look like human-sized starfish travel to Earth to warn that a rogue star is on a collision course with our planet. With the aliens help, the rogue star is destroyed just before impact with Earth.

4. The Mysterians (1957) – Weird disasters happen all around the planet. The Mysterians appear from outer space and say they come in peace. Are they good or evil? Answer: evil. The Mysterians want Earth women for breeding. The Mysterians are eventually defeated but they escape back to space.

5. The H-Man (1958) – Following a nuclear test, the crew of a merchant ship vanishes. They have become not-very-nice liquid people. Interesting plot that involves police, smugglers, scientists and nightclub girls. The H-people are destroyed in the end.

6. Gigantis, the Fire Monster (1955) aka Godzilla Raids Again – Godzilla (or perhaps another of the original movie reptile species) is awakened by atomic testing. A huge Ankylosaurus, named Anguirus, is also awakened and the two dinosaurs battle.

7. Varan (1958) aka Varan the Unbelievable – Varan, a giant reptile, emerges from an ancient Japanese lake and wreaks destruction on poor Tokyo. Varan can fly using wings somewhat like a flying squirrel.

8. The Human Vapor (1960) – As the result of an experiment gone wrong, a meek librarian gains the ability to turn into vapor. This allows him to commit crimes and escape detection. He is obsessed with a nightclub dancer. It’s a doomed relationship for both.

9. The Manster (1959) – A Japanese scientist gives an experimental drug to an American news reporter. The drug causes an eye to grow from the man’s shoulder, and then the eye develops into an entire head. Bizarre film. Many fans of this movie are obsessed with the actress (Terri Zimmern) who played the evil scientist’s secretary Tara — literally nothing is known about her. This movie is technically a U.S. production but was filmed in Japan using many Japanese actors, so I put it on this list.

10. Battle in Outer Space (1959) – The evil planet Natal threatens Earth. They intend to colonize and enslave everyone. Early battles don’t go well for Earth but newly developed Atomic Heat Cannons mounted on space fighters that look like X-15 rocket planes finally save the Earth.