UCHUJIN TOKYO NI ARAWARU: WARNING FROM SPACE

Daiei’s 1956 feature UCHUJIN TOKYO NI ARAWARU 宇宙人東京に現わる(SPACEMEN APPEAR IN TOKYO)(WARNING FROM SPACE, MYSTERIOUS SATTLELITE) was Japan’s first full color sci-fi film. The star shaped aliens known as the Paira or Pairan, seen in the film were designed by artist, Taro Okamoto. Okamoto’s most famous design, “Tower in the Sun” was the center piece of Expo 70’. 

When a runaway planet “Planet R” is on a collision course with Earth, friendly aliens come to warn us before it’s to late. The one eyed, star fish, aliens, the “Paira”, are too frightening looking and freak people out when they are seen. One of the aliens takes the form of a famous singer/dancer so they can finally present us with the message of the impending doom that faces our planet. Apparently terrorist kidnap the scientist that designed a super weapon that could actually stop Planet R. It’s the Paira to the rescue!!! They save the scientist just in the nick of time and Planet R is destroyed.

UCHUJIN TOKYO NI ARAWARU is science fiction in it’s purest form. The visuals and cinematography is top notch, highlighting the beauty of Japan. For me even watching the grainy public domain version is enough to satisfy my taste for GOOD Japanese fantasy cinema with a thought provoking story.