ULTRA ONE-MAN SHOW 2016! Meeting the VIPs!

With Bin Furuya.

As I mentioned in my previous blog post, there is much more to talk about from the Ultra One-Man Show 2016. So let's get to it!

With Nami Tamura.

One of the highlights for me was seeing actress Nami Tamura again. Although she is best known for her guest appearances in Ultra Q (1966) and Ultra Seven (1967-68), she was a Toho actress who appeared in numerous films for the studio, including the thriller Terror in the Streets (1970) along with a bevy of Kihachi Okamato actioners. 

With Minoru Kawasaki. 

Also on hand was Minoru Kawasaki, the director who created Monster X Strikes Back: Attack the G8 Summit (2008). Kawasaki-san was there promoting his new film, Daikaiju Mono (2016), and he took part as an emcee of some of the Q&A sessions.

With Hiroyuki Takano. 

Hiroyuki Takano co-starred in the Toei superhero series Barom-1 (1972) as Kentaro Shiratori. Takano-san has also appeared in episodes of Ultra Seven, Fight! Mighty Jack (1968), Operation: Mystery (1968-69), Spectreman (1971-72), Return of Ultraman (1971-72), Kamen Rider (1971-73), Silver Mask (1971-72), and Submersion of Japan (1974-75). Takano-san attended the show as a friend of Furuya-san.

Sojiro Uchino. Photo by Brett Homenick.

While there, I bumped into former child actor Sojiro Uchino, who appeared in episodes of Ultra Q, Ultraman, and Kaiju Booska (1966-67). I hadn't seen Soji-san since the summer, so I enjoyed chatting with him again.

With singer Grace Mika. 

I've gotten to know Grace Mika since last year, and I always enjoy her company. As always, it was a blast talking with her.

With Atsuko Tanaka. 

I met Tsuburaya Productions scripter Atsuko Tanaka at last year's Ultra One-Man Show, and I was fortunate enough to see her again. She thanked me for sending her photos from last year's event.

With Eiichi Kikuchi.

Last, but certainly not least, was Eiichi Kikuchi, the Return of Ultraman suit actor. He's a gentleman who always makes time for his fans.

And that's a wrap from the Ultra One-Man Show. What a great time it was!