The Showa series (昭和シリーズ Shōwa shirīzu?), also known as the Showa era and Showa period, is a term used to identify the years between 1926 and 1989 under the reign of Japanese Emperor Hirohito.
The Showa era saw many other film studios such as Daiei, Shochiku and Nikkatsu attempt to enter the new genres of Tokusatsu and kaiju films with their own creations, including Gamera, Daimajin, Guilala and Gappa.