Which is correct - Jirass or Giras?

Both are correct, but they’re used differently:

• Official Japanese name: Jirass

• Common Western / collector usage: Giras

Why this happens:

In Japanese, the monster’s name is written and pronounced closer to Jirass (ジラース).
When early Ultraman materials were translated, cataloged, or exported, the name often got simplified to Giras in:

• vintage toy boxes

• overseas dealer catalogs

• Western collector circles

So you’ll see:

• “Jirass” in official media, episode guides, and modern reference books

• “Giras” on toys, listings, and in the vintage kaiju market

CHARACTER CONTEXT

Giras is one of the most visually distinctive kaiju from the early Ultraman era, recognizable by its upright stance, reptilian body, and dramatic frill-like neck structure. The design reflects mid-1960s tokusatsu aesthetics: theatrical, bold, and engineered for silhouette impact on black-and-white television.

Bullmark’s interpretation translates this on-screen presence into a large-format mechanical tin figure, prioritizing mass, stance, and movement over fine surface detail—exactly as intended for kaiju play.

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MATERIAL, MECHANISM & BUILD

• Material: Lithographed tin body with molded and applied details

• Action: Remote control walking (original wiring and mechanism present)

• Scale: Large, floor-play oriented kaiju format

• Finish: Original factory paint with aged surface patina

Bullmark kaiju toys are known for thick-gauge tin, simplified but powerful sculpting, and robust internal mechanisms. Even in worn condition, intact mechanical kaiju from this maker remain highly desirable due to low survival rates.

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HISTORICAL PLACEMENT — ULTRAMAN & BULLMARK

Bullmark dominated the kaiju toy market during the late 1960s Showa explosion of tokusatsu media. While many competitors produced static figures, Bullmark pushed toward motion-based toys—walking, sparking, remote-controlled monsters that brought television battles into the home.

Giras figures sit firmly within Bullmark’s golden production window, when kaiju toys were still designed as physical experiences rather than shelf collectibles.

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WHY COLLECT BULLMARK KAIJU?

Serious kaiju collectors prioritize Bullmark for several reasons:

1. Era Authenticity
   Bullmark toys were produced during the original broadcast years—not nostalgia revivals.

2. Mechanical Complexity
   Remote control and walking kaiju represent the highest tier of Showa toy engineering.

3. Low Survival Rate
   Large tin kaiju were heavily played with; intact examples are scarce.

4. Monster-First Focus
   Unlike hero-centric toys, Bullmark elevated the kaiju themselves to main attraction status.

Giras, in particular, appeals to collectors seeking monsters beyond the usual icons, adding depth and variety to Ultraman-focused collections.

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COMPARATIVE CONTEXT

Compared to:

• Marusan vinyl kaiju: softer, more sculptural, less mechanical

• Yonezawa tin robots: hero-focused, not monster-centric

• Later soft vinyl releases: nostalgic, but not era-original

This Bullmark Giras sits at the intersection of mechanical tin engineering and kaiju mythology, a category that continues to outperform generic Showa toys.

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🐲 What is a kaiju?

Kaiju (怪獣) is a Japanese word that literally means “strange beast” or “mysterious creature.” In practice, it refers to giant monsters in Japanese film, TV, and pop culture—creatures so large and powerful that they overwhelm cities, armies, and even human understanding.

Kaiju aren’t just “big monsters.” In Japanese culture, they function as symbols, forces of nature, and moral metaphors.

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🧠 Core idea (the simplest definition)

A kaiju is a being that represents something humanity cannot fully control.

That “something” might be:

• nuclear power

• war trauma

• natural disasters

• pollution

• technological hubris

• fear of the unknown

The monster is the expression, not the point.

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🏗️ Origins of kaiju (why they exist)

Kaiju emerge from post–World War II Japan, especially after:

• Hiroshima & Nagasaki

• U.S. nuclear testing in the Pacific

• Rapid industrialization

The first and most important kaiju is Godzilla (Gojira), created as a living metaphor for nuclear devastation. His burned skin, atomic breath, and unstoppable march are not fantasy—they are memory.

From that point on, kaiju became a language for disaster.

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🧩 What makes kaiju different from Western monsters?

A kaiju is rarely “evil.”
It exists because conditions made it inevitable.

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🧬 Types of kaiju (important distinction)

🌋 Nature-born kaiju

• Earth spirits

• Ancient creatures

• Natural balance gone wrong
  Example: volcanic or oceanic monsters

☢️ Science-created kaiju

• Nuclear mutation

• Experiments gone wrong
  Example: Godzilla, many Showa-era monsters

👽 Alien kaiju

• Invasions

• External threats
  Common in late Showa films

🤖 Mechanical kaiju

• Artificial responses to fear
  Example: Mechagodzilla
  (technology trying—and failing—to control chaos)

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📺 Kaiju in Japanese media

Kaiju dominate tokusatsu (special effects media), especially:

• giant-suit performances

• miniature city destruction

• practical effects over realism

They appear in:

• Godzilla films

• Ultraman series

• Gamera films

In Ultraman, kaiju are weekly threats—manageable fears.
In Godzilla, the kaiju is the trauma itself.

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🧭 Cultural meaning (this is the key)

Kaiju allow Japan to ask questions like:

• What happens when progress goes too far?

• Who pays the price for power?

• Can humans coexist with forces greater than themselves?

Rather than heroes conquering monsters, kaiju stories often end with:

• uneasy balance

• sacrifice

• containment, not victory

That’s very different from “monster slayed, problem solved.”

🕯️ In one sentence

A kaiju is not just a monster—it is a warning made visible.

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WHY COLLECT BULLMARK KAIJU

Bullmark kaiju occupy a singular position in the history of Japanese pop-culture artifacts. They are not merely toys, nor are they simplified representations of television monsters. They are industrial expressions of Showa-era imagination, produced at a moment when Japanese manufacturing, television, and childhood play converged into something entirely new.

Unlike later soft vinyl kaiju, Bullmark monsters were designed with weight, motion, and physical consequence. Thick tin bodies, internal motors, and remote-control walking mechanisms transformed kaiju from screen icons into living presences within domestic space. These were not shelf objects. They were engineered to stomp, turn, spark, and collide.

Bullmark also treated kaiju as protagonists in their own right. While many manufacturers centered heroes, Bullmark elevated the monsters themselves—granting them scale, mechanical complexity, and visual authority. A Bullmark kaiju does not feel secondary to Ultraman; it feels like an equal adversary.

From a collector standpoint, Bullmark kaiju represent a perfect storm of scarcity, fragility, and cultural importance. Large tin monsters were heavily played with, dented, rewired, or discarded. Surviving examples—especially those retaining original mechanisms—are inherently rare. Each intact piece is a survivor of both time and childhood.

Culturally, these objects sit at the foundation of modern kaiju fandom. Long before designer toys or adult collectors, Bullmark kaiju taught an entire generation how monsters should look, move, and feel. Their silhouettes still echo in contemporary kaiju design.

To collect Bullmark kaiju is not to chase nostalgia—it is to acquire primary artifacts of the Showa imagination, objects that shaped how monsters were experienced in the physical world. They are heavy, imperfect, mechanical, and alive in a way few collectibles ever are.

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Authenticity & Stewardship

Evaluated under the Japonista Authentication Framework™:

• Material, carving, and surface-study comparison
• Iconographic and stylistic verification
• Condition and stability review (surface integrity)
• Construction assessment and handling-risk evaluation

Guaranteed 100% Authentic. Covered by the Japonista Lifetime Authenticity Warranty™.

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A Note on Stewardship and Collecting

At Japonista, we approach Buddhist statues, sacred images, and ritual objects not merely as collectibles, but as cultural and spiritual artifacts deserving of respect, understanding, and careful presentation. Every piece we offer is thoughtfully examined, researched, and curated with sensitivity to its origin, meaning, and historical role.

Our role is not only to offer access to rare and meaningful objects, but to serve as responsible custodians—connecting the right works with collectors who value depth, intention, and authenticity.

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Inquiries, Availability, and Private Consideration

Some of the cultural and heritage works may allow room for discussion, while others are held firmly due to rarity, condition, or cultural importance. All inquiries are reviewed personally and discreetly, and we welcome thoughtful questions or expressions of interest.

If you are exploring a particular theme, deity, lineage, or period—or seeking guidance in building a focused collection—our concierge team is always available to assist with quiet expertise and care.

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Concierge Support & Collector Guidance

Japonista Concierge™ provides personalized assistance for collectors seeking deeper understanding, thoughtful acquisition, or long-term curation strategies. Whether your interest is devotional, scholarly, or aesthetic, we are here to help guide your journey with clarity and respect.

For select high-value or historically significant works, private reservation or structured payment arrangements may be available on a case-by-case basis. Please reach out to discuss eligibility and discreet options.

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Before Proceeding

We kindly encourage collectors to review our shop policies and house guidelines, available through the links in our website footer, which outline shipping, handling, and conditions specific to vintage, sacred, and collectible works.

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A Closing Note

Thank you for exploring Japonista’s collection of Oriental Cultural Heritage and arts. We are honored to share these meaningful works and to help place them where they may continue to be appreciated, studied, and respected.

If you have questions or wish to explore related works, please feel free to contact Japonista Concierge™ at any time.