DINNER WITH ULTRAMAN! Bin Furuya Holds Court in Kichijoji!

Ultraman suit actor Bin Furuya signs an Ultraman mask for a lucky fan in Kichijoji. Photo by Brett Homenick.

On Friday, February 19, I hightailed it to Kichijoji, Tokyo, after work to attend a dinner with Ultraman suit actor Bin Furuya. Several fans were in attendance, and a great time was had by all. When I arrived, I was invited to sit next to Furuya-san, so he and I got to chat quite a bit throughout the evening.

Only the Controller of Planet X could come up with a signature like this! Photo by Brett Homenick.

One fan brought several Toho pamphlets from the '60s, and there was a montage of many familiar Toho stars with their autographs. Yoshio Tsuchiya's signature was so interesting that I had to photograph it. Take a look for yourself!

As always, Furuya-san was extremely outgoing and fan-friendly, going out of his way to make sure I was eating enough food. (I ate enough and then some!) I particularly enjoyed throwing out the names of Toho/Tsuburaya actors and getting his memories of them. Furuya-san has worked with so many legends!

This is what fandom is all about, and I can think of no better place to celebrate it than Japan. Many thanks to Furuya-san and my fellow tokusatsu fans for making Friday night one for the history books!