Noriaki Yuasa, the son of a stage actor, began his career as a child actor, but after attending university, he decided that the life of an actor was not for him. He joined Daiei Studios in 1955, where he studied under renowned directors Yuzo Kawashima, Koji Shima, and Umeji Inoue.
In 1964, Daiei promoted Yuasa to director, and he helmed the musical comedy Shiawasanara te o tatake (If You're Happy, Clap Your Hands). He was subsequently tasked with making Dai gunju Nezura (The Great Rat Swarm),a film that would feature real rats crawling over miniature cities. However, the rats brought with them fleas, which led to an epidemic that made the project impractical.
With the miniatures already built, Daiei had to come up with a new idea to destroy them. Studio chief Masaichi Nagata suggested a giant flying turtle, which screenwriter Nisan Takahashi and director Yuasa developed into Daikaiju Gamera (1965). The film was a surprise hit and became the first serious competitor to Toho's Gojira character.
Yuasa went on to direct all but one of the seven Gamera sequels until 1980, with the exception of Gamera tai Barugon (1966),for which he only handled the special effects. As the series became more juvenile, Yuasa actually enjoyed it more, as he found making entertainment for children more appealing than creating more serious monster movies.
His favorite film of his own was the first and most obviously childish of the sequels, Gamera tai uchu kaiju Bairasu (1968). After Daiei's financial collapse in 1971, Yuasa has directed only television work.
