A Fun Afternoon with a Seishun Starlet!

Tomoko Umeda. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Today (Sunday, February 4), I spent a fun afternoon at a Gusto restaurant next to Machida Station. There, I spent a couple of hours with actress Tomoko Umeda, her husband, and their daughter. Umeda-san would be best known in the West for playing Machiko Shima in Godzilla vs. Gigan (1972), though in Japan she is better known for her work on seishun (youth) TV programs in the late 1960s and early '70s.

Tomoko Umeda's signing Gigan-related memorabilia. Photo by Brett Homenick.

I first met Umeda-san way back in 2013 and hadn't seen met her again until today. I did briefly see her at the memorial celebration for actor Yosuke Natsuki in 2018, but I didn't have a chance to approach her. After I first met Umeda-san, I thought for sure I'd get to see her multiple times in Tokyo, but it just never worked out that way. Sometimes, life gets in the way of your plans.

During the conversation, when I mentioned that I wasn't married, Umeda-san expressed surprise and said I was handsome. Of course, it's always great to receive such a compliment, but shortly thereafter I started thinking about how, during eighth grade, I would often put Gigan on after school and watch various scenes from the movie. The fact that the leading lady from that film would eventually call me handsome while seated across from me at a restaurant was, when viewed through that lens, quite extraordinary. I told Umeda-san about that and thanked her for her kind words.

At another point, Umeda-san got up to refill her drink and asked me what I wanted. I said I'd be happy to get my own drink, but she insisted, which was very kind of her. So Umeda-san ended up bringing me back a fresh glass of Coke. It was delicious!

When we went our separate ways, Umeda-san and her husband stood in place and waved to me as I headed back to the station. I would look back every so often after taking a few steps, and they would still be standing there, waving to me. This went on for quite a well, and it was a great gesture on their part. They could have easily walked off when I did, but they waited around to see me off until I was completely out of sight. Suffice it to say, it was much appreciated.

Many thanks for the wonderful afternoon!