Celebrating the New Year with a Toho VIP!

Toru Ibuki. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Tonight (Wednesday, January 10), I had the distinct privilege of spending the evening with former Toho actor Toru Ibuki. Would you believe it had been about five years since I last met him? Ibuki-san turns 84 at the end of the month, and I was pleasantly surprised to see that he was still looking well. 

Toru Ibuki signs autographs. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Ibuki-san stays healthy by going for long walks and doing squats every day, which is hard even for me at my age!

I was able to attend a beginning-of-the-year party, at which Ibuki-san was the guest of honor. Ibuki-san and his daughter gave me a Godzilla-themed T-shirt as a gift, which I wasn't expecting but was more than pleased to receive. In honor of Ibuki-san's upcoming birthday, I presented him with not one but two omiyage boxes.

Of his own movies, Ibuki-san named Operation Enemy Fort (1962) as his favorite, as well as talking about some of his memories of Frank Sinatra in America. I asked Ibuki-san if he'd seen any movies recently, which he hasn't. I also enjoyed speaking to Ibuki-san's daughter on a wide range of topics.

Naturally, I couldn't resist bringing a few items to get signed, which Ibuki-san graciously did. The items were Blu-ray sleeves (of Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster and Terror of Mechagodzilla), as well as Godzilla Store cards of Sea Monster and Monster Zero. I told the attendees that Ibuki-san had a beard in Terror of Mechagodzilla, and, when I asked him if it was a real beard, he said it was.

The party lasted just over two hours, and I enjoyed every bit of it. I can't tell you how good it was to see Ibuki-san again after such a long time. It felt even better to see that he was doing well. Tonight was certainly an evening for the history books.