Kensho Yamashita (Godzilla vs. Space Godzilla Director) Passes Away

Director Kensho Yamashita poses with a poster image of his first job as assistant director. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Kensho Yamashita, director of Godzilla vs. Space Godzilla (1994), and assistant director for Terror of Mechagodzilla (1975) and Blue Christmas (1978), has recently passed away, two of the director's colleagues have confirmed. 

I'm glad I had the chance to meet Yamashita-san several times since last year. He joined me and designer Akihiko Iguchi for a small birthday dinner that Iguchi-san arranged for me in March. Yamashita-san and I rode the train after the dinner as he told me about working on Blue Christmas and Space Godzilla.

If more details become available, I will post them here.

Rest in peace, Yamashita-san.

UPDATE (9/3): Yamashita-san died of heart failure on August 16. Funeral services were held today.