Yoshihiro Nishimura, the director behind films like “Tokyo Gore Police” and “Welcome to Japan,” died Monday in Tokyo following a nearly two-week hospital stay for liver disease. He was 59.
Nishimura’s career began in the early 2000s, during which he directed and created effects for a number of short films before directing “Tokyo Gore Police,” his first commercial release, in 2008. The film, which screened at a number of global festivals, has been credited for opening the door for a new wave of Japanese ultra-violent horror and science-fiction cinema.
Nishimura went on to direct films including “Vampire Girl vs. Frankenstein Girl,” “Helldriver,” “The Ninja War of Torakage,” “Meatball Machine Kodoku,” “Welcome to Japan” and “Tokyo Dragon Chef,” among others. He also worked on segments of the horror films “Mutant Girls Squad” and “The ABCs of Death.” At the time of his death, Nishimura was in post-production on his forthcoming film “Geisha War.”
In addition to directing, Nishimura founded the production and special effects company Nishimura Eizo Co., Ltd, and worked on high-profile projects including the 2016 film “Shin Godzilla,” on which he served as Godzilla’s moldmaking supervisor and special modeling producer.
