Nobuyuki Yasumaru, Legendary Godzilla Suitmaker, Passes Away at Age 87

Nobuyuki Yasumaru in December 2018. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Nobuyuki Yasumaru, the Toho suitmaker who created the Gorosaurus suit for King Kong Escapes (1967) and Godzilla for Godzilla 1985 (1984), passed away on March 1. He was 87.

Teruyoshi Nakano with Nobuyuki Yasumaru in December 2018. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Yasumaru-san was born on January 24, 1935, in Toyama Prefecture. He joined Toho in the early 1960s, working on the tokusatsu side of such productions as Mothra (1961), King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962), and The War of the Gargantuas (1966). Yasumaru-san became a suitmaker in 1967. You can read much more about Yasumaru-san's career in this 2018 interview.

Nobuyuki Yasumaru in November 2016. Photo by Brett Homenick.

I was fortunate to have met Yasumaru-san several times over the years. The first time was in November 2016 at a book launch party for Toho SFX crew member Takashi Naganuma. I actually had a previous engagement that day, but, as soon as I heard that Yasumaru-san would be attending, I cancelled those plans so that I could join the party.

In December 2018, I was lucky enough to interview Yasumaru-san at a cafe near his home in Sagamihara, Kanagawa Prefecture. He gave me a small-press written about his life and career. After that, we exchanged New Year's cards, including this year.

I interviewed Yasumaru-san a second time last September, in which we revisited some topics (like Godzilla vs. Megalon) while covering new ground (The Last Days of Planet Earth). He had so much to say that I was even considering a third interview. Our last meeting in September was a lot of fun. He seemed as healthy as I'd ever seen him, and he was in great spirits. I'm very sorry to hear that he's passed. I will always cherish the memories I have.

RIP, Yasumaru-san.

Cherry Blossoms in Tokyo!

The cherry blossoms as seen from Meguro River. Photo by Brett Homenick.

The cherry blossoms have bloomed in Tokyo, and on March 28 I photographed the view from Meguro River. Enjoy!

A Great Sunday Afternoon with a Familiar Face!

Hiroyasu Yamaura. Photo by Brett Homenick.

On Sunday, March 27, I attended an event organized by screenwriter Hiroyasu Yamaura. It was a live chanson performance by a female singer. She was quite good, but the real draw for me was, of course, Yamaura-san himself.

I literally had only learned about this performance a week prior when Yamaura-san told me about it. Since I enjoy meeting him every chance I get, I couldn't pass up this opportunity. It was a lovely Sunday afternoon, followed up by a bit of DVD/Blu-ray shopping at Book Off. (Naturally, I spent too much money.)

An Evening with a Toho Screenwriter!

Hiroshi Kashiwabara. Photo by Brett Homenick.

On Saturday, March 26, after checking out the Yasuyuki Inoue exhibit, I went to a special event headlined by screenwriter Hiroshi Kashiwabara. The event centered around the hit TV series Abunai Deka, but I'm naturally much more familiar with his Toho work.

Kashiwabara-san is always a friendly gent, and I rarely miss a chance to hang out with him. As usual, we talked about a variety of movie topics, including recent films we had seen. Kashiwabara-san is a true movie buff.

 And that's a wrap. It was a busy Saturday for sure, but I had a lot of fun. But that's not all I did last weekend. Stay tuned for more!

Yasuyuki Inoue's 100th Anniversary at the Museum of Contemporary Art!

Poster art for the Yasuyuki Inoue gallery at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo. Photo by Brett Homenick.

On Saturday, March 26, I took in the Yasuyuki Inoue gallery at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo. Mr. Inoue was Toho's legendary tokusatsu production designer of the Showa era, and numerous blueprints, sketches, designs, scripts, and other items from his collection were on display. There was a lot of material -- almost too much to digest fully. It truly was amazing just how much of his work dating back to the 1950s and '60s survived. 

I picked up a few things at the gift shop at the end. All in all, it was a fun way to spend an afternoon. I just wish we were allowed to take more pictures of the exhibit itself. But here's what I was able to photograph. Enjoy!

Vantage Point Interviews Returns with Excellent New Content!

Hiroyuki Kawase. Photo by Brett Homenick.

The first full-length, English-language interview with former child actor Hiroyuki Kawase has just been published on Vantage Point Interviews. In this brand-new Q&A, Mr. Kawase discusses how he got started as an actor, getting cast in Akira Kurosawa's Dodes'ka-den (1970), his memories of Godzilla vs. the Smog Monster (1971) and Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973), and much more!

Vantage Point Interviews proves once again that content is king. Check out this incredible interview today!

Vantage Point Interviews Returns with New Content!

Toru Murakawa. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Toru Murakawa has enjoyed a decades-long career as a film and television director in Japan, but he got his start in the late 1950s at Nikkatsu Studios, working as an assistant director on such features as Gappa the Triphibian Monster (a.k.a. Monster from a Prehistoric Planet, 1967), Toshio Masuda's World War II drama Monument to the Girl’s Corps (1968), and the 20th Century-Fox-produced Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970).

Mr. Murakawa discusses his work on these and other films in this November 2021 interview now available on Vantage Point Interviews.

Godzilla Sightings in Shinjuku!

Godzilla and Jet Jaguar prepare for the end of the school year and cherry blossom season. Photo by Brett Homenick.

On Monday, I paid a visit to the Godzilla Store Tokyo in Shinjuku and saw a new Godzilla-themed vending machine next to the Hotel Gracery Shinjuku. The Godzilla Store, in particular, had a lot of amusing displays on hand. Let's take a look!

Gigan celebrates his 50th anniversary in style. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Godzilla brings all the requirements needed to enter a certain Chicago-area autograph line. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

Photo by Brett Homenick.

The Nightmare Alley poster displayed at Toho Cinemas Shinjuku. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Shinjuku's new Godzilla-themed vending machine. But where's the Bireley's? Photo by Brett Homenick.

A Great Afternoon with a Sci-Fi Scribe!

Hiroyasu Yamaura. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Today, I attended a one-man show written by Hiroyasu Yamaura. Yamaura-san is a prolific writer who has written many tokusatsu movies and TV shows. He's also a great person to meet, and I was very happy to see him again.

I arrived just a few minutes before the start, and Yamaura-san waved to me as I was taking my seat. We spoke briefly during intermission, but, after the performance, Yamaura-san signed a couple of items for me and took a few pictures. It was a fun afternoon, and I hope we can do it again soon.

'Godzilla vs. Space Godzilla' Actor Edward Sardey Passes Away at Age 73

Photo © Edward Sardey.

Edward August Sardey, who played United Nations delegate Eric Gould in Godzilla vs. Space Godzilla (1994), passed away on March 23, 2021. He was 73.

Mr. Sardey was born on July 24, 1947. Growing up in Mentor, Ohio, he attended Mentor High School before joining the U.S. Navy in 1965, becoming a radioman and a petty officer first class.

Edward Sardey at 19 years old aboard the USS Ranger (CVA-61). Photo © Edward Sardey.

His exploits with the Navy took him all over the world, but he chose to settle in the Land of the Rising Sun. After living in Japan for 23 years, he returned to the U.S. and retired to Las Vegas, NV.

Edward Sardey with his sweetheart Tamayo Katsube in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, on January 17, 1972. Photo © Edward Sardey.

According to his social media accounts, Mr. Sardey married his wife Tamayo Katsube on September 17, 1971 (which, given the differing date, would indicate that the photo above was apparently taken after they had already been legally married). Tamayo Katsube Sardey was born on November 3, 1932, and passed away on July 3, 2018.

Photo © Edward Sardey.

I was in touch with Mr. Sardey starting around 2010 and sporadically thereafter via Facebook. I'd wanted to interview him about his life and memories of Godzilla vs. Space Godzilla, but we were never able to work out a time to do it properly.

Edward Sardey as Santa Claus in an advertisement for Japan Railways that was shot at a hot spring near Mt. Fuji.

In more recent years, he stopped posting to Facebook. I tried reaching out by phone a few times in 2020, but I was never able to get a hold of him.

Edward Sardey and his wife Tamayo at Las Vegas' Flamingo Hotel for his 59th birthday. Photo © Edward Sardey.

The information above comes from Mr. Sardey's social media postings, as well as public records available online. Any additional information and/or corrections would be most welcome. 

I'm grateful for the brief time Mr. Sardey and I were in touch, and I've always enjoyed his small but memorable role in Space Godzilla. Rest in peace.