The magazine Gallantmen was so close in style and content to the Japanese Playboy, you could have switched covers and not known the difference. Why has it come up on a Space Battleship Yamato website? Because the December 1979 issue profiled Yoshinobu Nishizaki in a regular feature that examined the lifestyles of Japan’s alpha males.
As the richest and most successful producer of anime films, not to mention a conspicuous consumer, Nishizaki definitely fit the bill. His fortunes would change significantly in subsequent decades, but this article gives us quite the snapshot of where he landed on the millionaire’s map back then. (And fair acknowledgement of what got him there.)
Unlike the magazine cover above, this website is SFW.
Young Gentleman’s Record
Yoshinobu Nishizaki
“Through the images and music of Space Battleship Yamato, I had a ‘conversation’ with young people,” said producer Nishizaki. He gained both power and money. Now he’s back with a 70mm Part 3 in the lineup. Yamato continues to fly beyond “dreams.”
Date of birth / place of birth / blood type:
December 18, 1934 / Koishikawa, Tokyo / Type O
Real name/age/occupation:
Hirofumi Nishizaki / 44 years old / producer.
Height / weight / chest / waist / foot size
180cm / 78kg / 100cm / 88cm / 25.5cm.
Visual acuity: 0.7 on the left and 2.0 on the right.
2 front upper teeth replaced, no back upper right tooth.
Family Environment:
His father, Tadashi Nishizaki, was the executive director of Nippon Soda Co. and then the president of Nippon Tokushu Kogyo. His mother is Akiko. Grandfather, Mr. Hirotaro Nishizaki, is a doctor of pharmacology who was engaged in research on Taka-Diastase, and principal of Tokyo Women’s Medical College (now Tokyo Women’s Medical University). Grandmother Ayano was known as the famous flower of Rokumeikan. She appeared monthly in gravure magazines such as Shufu no Tomo. His aunt, Midori Nishizaki, was the first head of the Nishizaki School. Older sister, Yoko. Younger brother, Ryujiro, who is 14 years his junior.
A runaway:
Failed the entrance examination for Kaisei Junior High School. Ran away from home. The first two nights were spent in an air-raid shelter at his grandfather’s house. On the third night, he slept with a beggar under a bridge in Ueno on a sheet of newspaper. On the fourth day, by chance, an acquaintance found him and took him home.
Phobia of the University of Tokyo:
Throughout elementary and high school, he was taught that no school but the University of Tokyo would do. All the men around him, including his father, graduated from University of Tokyo.
From Toshio Masuda (director of Farewell to Yamato):
“He is a great businessman and a true producer with the power to create an original image. I hope he will have a long run together with Haruki Kadokawa.”
Literature Theatre Training Institute:
April 1953. Before joining the company, he ran away from home after his father called him a beggar of the riverbanks. He remained in the company for two years.
University:
Entered Nihon University College of Art, Department of Drama in 1954.
On male-female relationships:
“I heard that if a relationship lasts more than three months, it is considered to be good for a two-year cycle. After two years, it seems likely to continue for as many years as possible.”
Jazz commentator, etc:
From around 1957, he worked as the host of a jazz cafe, a cafe boy, a bartender, etc. Later, he worked with Dan Ikeda and Afro-American musicians. He was recognized by Yasuda’s office in Iizuka, Kyushu, and was given the responsibility of handling the Tokyo performances in 1961.
His ship: “Space Cruiser Yamato” reaches up to 24 knots, accomodates 18 passengers. “The largest in Japan,” 85 million yen.
Producer’s credo: “Whether it’s planning, sales, or production, you have to know everything about it. I don’t want to create works that don’t have my own personality. I need to be able to understand and grasp what I’m doing.”
Name change:
When he started working at Yasuda Office, he was told to change his real name, Hirofumi, to Yoshinobu. He has been known as Yoshinobu Nishizaki ever since.
First work produced:
Dreams, Nostalgia, and Hope for Tomorrow. Musical style, produced on the Min-on stage in 1961.
First marriage:
In 1962, at the age of 28. He married a woman who was in the water distribution business and who also had a child. His father disowned him for defiling the Nishizaki family name. They separated after two years.
Independence:
In 1963, he established Office Academy Ltd. and produced 200 stage productions, mainly folk music.
Second marriage:
In 1965, at the age of 31, he married for the second time. He had a daughter (now in the first year of junior high school), but divorced five years later (they lived together for only one year).
From Suzuo Horie (Tokyu Recreation box-office manager):
“Nishizaki-kun himself came to me at the end to try and get Yamato released. He asked me to lend him a theater in Tokyo for a week, even if he had to pay for it himself. We don’t do that kind of thing, but in that case, I decided to give it a shot and sent it around the country.”
Traveling to Europe, getting a producer’s view:
For a little over a year, he worked as a producer and promoter under French promoter Lumbresso. He was not just a showman, but had relationships with people in the business and political worlds.
“This was amazing. Producing was planning and creative, and you can’t do big things with only partial promotion. If you don’t know how business and finance works, no matter how good you make something, it is just a dog’s howl.”
Contract with Osamu Tezuka:
Served as general manager for Mr. Tezuka. Promoted Mysterious Melmo for TV and his first animated production, Triton of the Sea.
Third marriage:
In 1972, he was 37 years old. Married his wife Mieko (age 27). They have two children, Masahiro (6) and Kazuko (3).
“She is a very strong-natured wife. She laughed when she saw an article about me coming home only seven times a year. She wondered if it was actually seven.”
Yamato 1:
The idea for Yamato was conceived in 1973. In March 1974, he drew up a proposal and signed a contract with Yomiuri TV. Space Battleship Yamato aired nationwide on Yomiuri TV network from October 6 to March 30, 1975. 26 episodes in 2 arcs. Average viewer rating 7%.
Yamato 2:
Around the time Yamato finished airing, fan clubs were formed and calls for reruns began to grow. Reruns began from October 1975. The program was also aired again the following year in 1976. The ratings were 25% at the time.
Yamato 3:
In April 1977, the TV series was re-edited for a 2-hour feature film, and was previewed at the Cannes Film Festival. It sold to buyers in 5 countries.
Yamato 4:
“I’ve never been so stretched thin as I was when I made these 26 episodes. Scripts, storyboards, original drawings, I was on site for all of them. And even though we were losing 1 to 1.5 million yen every week, we continued to make them without cutting any corners. I worked on this with all my life.”
From Leiji Matsumoto:
“He is a man with a very unique character. But I am a writer, so I don’t want anyone to invade my territory. I have to make that clear. Now Yamato has completely left my mind.”
On money earned: “Keep half of it for the next job, and the other half is well spent. That will also help you to improve yourself.”
On sports: “I like to play ocean in the first place, and golf second.” On gambling: “I’m a confident poker face.”
Harley 1340 classic: “1.8 million yen. 3 million yen with options. I’m also planning to buy a Honda 1000cc.
Yamato model: “A boy in Nagoya took a year to make a wooden model for me.”
Yamato 5:
The Tokyu chain decided to release the film during summer vacation, and it was booked into four Tokyo theaters on August 6, 1952. The number of theaters increased to eight in Tokyo, and the film was released nationwide.
Yamato 6:
The reason I was credited in five categories, including planning, drafting, production, general direction, and distribution, was because I wanted to clarify my responsibility.”
From Yukiko Hanai (fashion designer, Yamato costume designer):
“He has a romantic male spirit and a flashy American style. I think a Cadillac would suit Mr. Nishizaki well.”
On Galaxy Express 999:
“In a word, there is no story.”
Yamato 7:
Total attendance (first film): 2.3 million. Final screening number: 425 theaters. Distribution revenue: 925 million yen. 2.1 billion yen in gross receipts. Record sales: 550,000 LPs. Symphonic Suite: 400,000 copies. Single sales: 600,000 copies.
Income:
92 million yen in fiscal year 1978.
Farewell to Yamato:
In August 1953, roadshows were held simultaneously at 133 theaters nationwide. Some theaters opened at 4:00 in the morning. Audience attendance was 4 million. Final screening number: 319 theaters. Distribution revenue: 2.12 billion yen, box-office revenue: 4.3 billion yen. 380,000 copies of the Farewell Music Collection were sold. Farewell Drama album (2 LPs): 280,000 sets. Single From Yamato With Love sold 188,000 copies.
Collections:
138 lighters, 5,000 jazz and pop records.
Next movie lineup:
Yamato Part 3 in 70mm Dolby Sound. Samurai in Mexico, directed by Yoshishige Yoshida. Dirty Hero, director to be announced.
Face:
“I don’t think I’m such a bad guy.”
Home ownership:
Home in Senzoku, Ota Ward, Tokyo, 150.33 square meters, 60 million yen.
Private office in Akasaka, Minato Ward, Tokyo, 271.06 square meters, 160 million yen.
Villa in Numazu, Shizuoka Prefecture, 96.42 square meters, 30 million yen.
Villa in Misaki, Kanagawa Prefecture, 120.02 square meters, 57 million yen.
Sake:
About half a bottle at a time. Favorite whiskey is Ballantine 17 year old. Favorite brandy is Martell’s Cordre Bleu. For aperitif, Bloody Mary. For after-dinner drinks, Quantro.
Cigarettes:
“I smoke 50 Pall Malls a day, using a cigarette holder (Dunhill).”
Contents of wallet:
“I always have 50,000-60,000 in my wallet. When I go out to sea, it’s about 200,000.”
Watches:
“I wear a Vacheron, a Piaget, or a Patek when I’m in a tuxedo. I usually wear Rolex or Omega.”
Works:
“I made Yamato with the theme of the way of life of a teenager. I would like to make more works about the way of life of people in their 20s and 30s. I like making things — I will continue to make things as long as I have the strength.”
On fishing: “I once caught a 150 kg black marlin off the coast of Kozushima.”
Currently, he is a Class 2 Captain. “I got my own boat seven years ago, when I started scuba diving.”
In addition to the Harley, he owns a Cadillac convertible and a Cadillac limousine. “For when I want to be alone…”
On shoes: “Basically slip-ons. Both suede and leather.”
On slander:
“It’s overwhelming. To be honest, it bothered me until I was in my 20s. I thought it would be better if people liked me a little more. But after meeting Lumbrezzo, I realized that I didn’t have time for people who don’t have a real relationship with me. I just didn’t have time for that. That’s all I could do.”
“In my 20s, I don’t think more than 1 out of any 20 people were on my side. In my early 30s, I had 2 out of 20, and in my late 30s, maybe 5 would understand me. But now, I think 8 out of 10 people, including the troublemakers, will say bad things about me.”
On cats:
“I don’t like them because they’re selfish and look like me.”
On rival producer Haruki Kadokawa:
“I’m good friends with him, and I don’t feel any rivalry with him. He is more of a promoter, and I’m more of a creator.”
A producer’s words:
“There is a big difference between being attentive and being considerate.”
“Don’t think that you can ask someone to do something and expect them to do it right away.”
“Don’t make excuses.”
Yamato Land:
“Whether it’s feasible or not, I want to build something exactly like Yamato and store all the materials of Yamato in it. I’m now thinking of leaving something tangible to the 4-5 million people who saw the film.”