Tsuburaya Productions, the renowned Japanese tokusatsu studio behind the iconic Ultraman, is facing a significant staffing crisis as nearly a quarter of its workforce has departed due to a surge in resignations, as reported by Weekly Bunshun. This development coincides with the studio’s upcoming celebration of Ultraman’s 60th anniversary, featuring “The Origin of Ultraman,” a documentary by Hirokazu Koreeda delving into the origins of the original series.
According to an employee source cited by Bunshun, at least 39 full-time staff members have quit since the beginning of the year, while another 13 are set to be reassigned to other affiliated companies. With the studio’s total workforce numbering around 210, the remaining employees are left shouldering additional responsibilities, and the company is reportedly experiencing “complete chaos.”
The situation appears to stem from the studio’s “restructuring measures.” Between March 10 and 11, Tsuburaya Productions conducted individual meetings with staff, attended by executives and HR representatives. A former employee revealed that workers were coerced into choosing between transferring to another group company or accepting “early resignation on favorable terms.” Many employees opted to leave following these discussions.
Weekly Bunshun reached out to Tsuburaya Productions and its parent entity, Tsuburaya Fields Holdings, regarding the mass resignations, but no official response has been provided as of yet.