Yuriko Hishimi (left) and Bib Furuya (right) reminisce about their days as Ultra-heroes. Photo by Brett Homenick.
June 12 saw at great event take place at Shinjuku's Inoki Saka-Bar. The featured guests were Ultraman suit actor Bin Furuya and Ultra Seven heroine Yuriko Hishimi (Anne Yuri). The two actors have done many events together, and this was another fun experience.
Bin Furuya gives his heroic alter ego the once-over. Photo by Brett Homenick.
During the first part of the event, Furuya-san recounted his early experiences as a suit actor and the advice that Haruo Nakajima gave him. At one point, Furuya-san was joined on the stage by Eiichi Kikuchi, the Return of Ultraman suit actor. The two Ultra-heroes had great chemistry together.
Actress Yuriko Hishimi smiles at the emcee. Photo by Brett Homenick.
In the second part of the event, Ultra Seven actress Yuriko Hishimi came onstage and answered questions about her career. Hishimi-san was particularly lively and had great interactions with the audience.
Yours truly with screenwriter Wataru Mimura.
During the event, there were just as many stars in the audience as onstage. I was pleasantly surprised to see Godzilla series screenwriter Wataru Mimura there. We gabbed for a bit about a few topics. It's always great to see him.
Posing with Return of Ultraman suit actor Eiichi Kikuchi.
Even though he took the stage as an official guest, Eiichi Kikuchi spent most of his time in the audience, mingling with the people.
In between director Minoru Kawasaki and screenwriter Masakazu Migita.
I had a blast shooting the breeze with director Minoru Kawasaki and his screenwriting partner Masakazu Migita. We talked about everything from the Young Guy movies series to various places around Tokyo. It was my first time to meet Migita-san. Aside from screenwriting the majority of Kawasaki-san's movies (Monster X Strikes Back: Attack the G8 Summit, The World Sinks Except Japan, etc.), he's also written for the Ultra-series, including Ultraman Tiga, Ultraman Dyna, and Ultraman Gaia.
Of course, it was great to see and spend time with Furuya-san again. He keeps enormously busy these days, but he always has time for his fans. Following the event, I was invited to attend Furuya-san's after-party, and naturally I accepted the invitation.
Furuya-san's kindness and generosity is second to none. He gave me a valuable gift during the after-party that I wasn't expecting, but it's something I'll always remember and appreciate. Thank you very much, Furuya-san!
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