Joining a Tsuburaya Pro Legend for Dinner!

Akihide Tsuzawa. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Tonight (Wednesday, March 27), I enjoyed the company of former child actor Akihide Tsuzawa with whom I ate dinner at a Jonathan's family restaurant near his home. Tsuzawa-san played Hoshino in the original Ultraman (1966-67) TV series, which makes me wish we could have met at a Hoshino Coffee instead!

I was surprised to find that Tsuzawa-san had another present for me. It was a pamphlet-size photobook of pictures his mother took on location during the shooting of Ultra Q (1966) and Ultraman. Apparently, this book will be on offer at an upcoming event in Japan, but I'm certainly privileged to have been given my own copy.

Akihide Tsuzawa. Photo by Brett Homenick.

There are a mixture of color and black-and-white photos in the booklet. Some of the photos were originally taken in color, while others were colorized for the pamphlet. 

We hung out for just under two hours and talked about many things, including Tsuzawa-san's interest in Japanese MLB players throughout the years (especially Otani and Nomo), my reaction to Godzilla Minus One (2023), which Tsuzawa-san hasn't seen, his recent trip to Lake Okutama (which I pointed out was a location in 1961's Mothra, which he didn't know), his busy professional life that left him little time to stop and smell the flowers, and many other things. 

Tsuzawa-san told me that his favorite director to work with on Ultraman was Toshihiro Iijima. He also drew a map on a napkin of where Toho was in relation to Tsuburaya Productions. I asked Tsuzawa-san if he watched any of the tokusatsu scenes being shot, but he said he didn't due to how hectic the drama side's shooting schedule was. While shooting took place at Tsuburaya Productions, the dubbing apparently took place at Toho.

Tsuzawa-san also talked about his nostalgia for old American TV shows like Lassie, Rawhide, and Superman. In fact, he wanted to see a photo of the Superman he grew up with, but, when I showed him a photo of George Reeves in costume, he said that wasn't it. So I thought maybe he was thinking of Kirk Alyn, but no dice. It wasn't until I showed him a photo of Reeves with Noel Neill as Lois Lane that it finally clicked.

Of course, we also touched on real-life issues, such as careers, relationships, the cost of health insurance, and other things like that. When it was all said and done, I paid for both our meals. Hey, it was the least I could do!

I'm so glad to have had the opportunity to hang out with Tsuzawa-san so soon after our last meeting in January. During the evening, Tsuzawa-san remembered the first time we met in 2016. All these years later, I'd say that's a tremendous feat. When I pulled out my phone to take Tsuzawa-san's photo, he beat me to the bunch by taking my picture first on his camera. (I won't remind you about what I always say about VIPs and guests who take photos of you.)

What a fun evening! Many thanks to Tsuzawa-san for his kind hospitality!

A Night at the Flicks Takes Us Back to the '80s!

Stand by Me (1986) at the Shin Bungeiza. Photo by Brett Homenick.

On Tuesday night, March 26, I decided to take a break from all the craziness going on in my life right now to catch two flicks I'd never seen before. The films in question were Stand by Me (1986) and St. Elmo's Fire (1985). The screenings took place at the Shin Bungeiza in Ikebukuro, and unfortunately they were apparently Blu-ray projections, although the picture quality for both films was surprisingly good.

The first movie was Stand by Me, and I have to admit that I didn't care a whole lot for it. For all the complaints about unlikable characters that the evening's other film has received over the years, I think Stand by Me certainly has it beat in that department. If the kids weren't obnoxious, they were unpleasant. The only thing that made the audience root for them is that they were up against a gang of older (and even worse) ne'er-do-wells.

Watching the flick did seem to bring back an old memory that I had long forgotten, though. I'm pretty sure sometime in the sixth grade that the campfire discussion the kids have about what kind of creature Goofy is sparked a similar debate in my class. (I guess the movie must have been shown on cable or whatever, and some of my classmates watched it.)

Otherwise, I found the movie mostly unremarkable.

St. Elmo's Fire (1985) at the Shin Bungeiza. Photo by Brett Homenick

St. Elmo's Fire, on the other hand, was pretty good. I enjoyed quite a bit of the film's humor, and there were story lines that I couldn't predict. There aren't any easy answers for the characters, and they don't always get what they want, but the movie ends in a happily-enough way for them. I definitely wouldn't say it's a great work of art or some kind of masterpiece, but it held my attention much more than the other flick. See it if you haven't.

Revisiting an Okamoto Classic with a Classic Screenwriter!

Hiroshi Kashiwabara. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Tonight (Monday, March 25), I paid another visit to screenwriter Hiroshi Kashiwabara at his cafe. The topic of the evening was originally scheduled to be Catch-22 (1970), which is what I was expecting when I entered the venue. However, when I arrived, I discovered that the plans had changed due to the recent passing of actor Minori Terada.

 

Instead, the topic was Kihachi Okamoto's The Human Bullet (1968), which stars Terada. There are things to admire in The Human Bullet, but I can't say it's a great film or even completely successful. The story does drag at times, and I think it could have easily been tightened. It's not a bad film by any means, just an imperfect one. 

I've seen Catch-22 twice. The first time was back in 1997 when I hadn't yet read the book, so the film basically went completely over my head and made no sense to me. The second time was around 2019 on DVD when the film was much more understandable. I think a better film could have been made from the source material, but there are great moments in it. (Hey, that sounds like exactly what I wrote about The Human Bullet!) 

After that, there was the usual conversation among the attendees, and the subject of tokusatsu was naturally on the agenda. It was fun chatting with the various folks about the movies and TV shows they watched as kids.

As I was saying goodbye to some people, Kashiwabara-san pulled out his phone and took a couple of photos of me, which he later sent to me. (You know what I say about VIPs who take pictures of you.) A big thanks to Kashiwabara-san for tonight. I hope our next meeting won't be too far in the future.

An Evening in the Village with a Village Singer!

Kazuomi Sasai. Photo by Brett Homenick.

After meeting up with Yamamoto-san today (Monday, March 25), I made my way over to Ningyocho Station to meet with Kazuomi Sasai, a member of the Village Singers. If Sasai-san seems a bit familiar to you, that's because he should be. We met just a few days ago.

I figured that meeting with Sasai-san would be the only one before leaving the country. But then the next day Sasai-san messaged me and offered to meet me again on either the 25th or 26th at Futako-tamagawa, a train station near my home.

I was pleasantly surprised to receive this offer, and I eagerly accepted. A few days later, I asked Sasai-san to tweak the schedule, as I would be coming a bit closer to Sasai-san's home, and it would fit perfectly in my schedule. Sasai-san accepted my proposal, and we met as planned.

Sasai-san wasn't too familiar with the area and asked where I wanted to go. Coincidentally, there was a big advertisement for a burger shop called Brozers' near the exit where Sasai-san was waiting, which looked pretty enticing. 

Inside Brozers'. Photo by Brett Homenick.

I pointed it out to Sasai-san, but, when he asked me if I knew where it was, I admitted that I didn't. So Sasai-san took out his phone and called the establishment. They gave him directions, and off we went.

We were looking for a police station, at which we were supposed to turn right, but the police station never appeared. Sasai-san asked a random shop employee where it was, and he found out it was in the opposite direction. So we had to change direction and try again. 

Ultimately, we found the police station, so Sasai-san called back to get the rest of the directions. Thankfully, the restaurant was basically a stone's throw from the police station, so we got there without further incident. 

I was quite amused by the layout of the restaurant. All the posters on display had a "brother" theme to them. When I pointed out the Blues Brothers poster to Sasai-san, he mentioned that one of the pair was dead. 

While we were there, I asked Sasai-san about the Village Singers' performance of "The Midnight Special." It wasn't performed in the 1960s or '70s but sometime in the 2000s. I still would have loved to  have seen it, though.

The Iron Claw is going to get delivered to you ... in burger form. Photo by Brett Homenick.

We also spent a great deal of time talking about California. He loves the beaches in the L.A. area and remembers the names of many of them. He especially loves Laguna Beach. We talked about California, as well as my family. It was a great discussion. 

Sasai-san expressed interest in visiting California again, and of course I encouraged him to come. I insisted on paying for our dinner, and then we walked back to the station. Sasai-san and I will stay in touch, and hopefully we will meet again in the near future. 

ONE YEAR LATER! Hanging Out with Yamamoto-san Again in Koenji!

Hiroshi Yamamoto. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Today (Monday, March 25), I was pleased to spend a couple of hours with Hiroshi Yamamoto. We met up near his home in Koenji and went to cafe to have a lengthy discussion about his career in the entertainment industry. Back in April of 2023, we hung out again for the first time in about eight years, so I'm glad we managed to get together before another eight years had passed.

Hiroshi Yamamoto poses with a VHS copy of Gamera Super Monster (1980) from his personal collection. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Yamamoto-san and I first met at an event for the late Sonny Chiba in April 2013 and have kept in touch on and off since then. Yamamoto-san worked in the post-production end of numerous tokusatsu productions, both on film and television, from the late 1970s through the early '90s.

Of particular note, Yamamoto-san has worked with director Kinji Fukasaku on projects like Message from Space (1978), Samurai Reincarnation (1981), and Legend of the Eight Samurai (1983). Some of his other credits include Gamera Super Monster (1980), G.I. Samurai (1979), and numerous Toei superhero programs, lending those projects his company's expertise in video techniques.

One interesting tidbit I learned was that Yamamoto-san is especially proud of his work on Samurai Reincarnation, and it's his favorite of his own work. I've never seen that film, so now I've got to check it out.

Before we parted ways, Yamamoto-san gave me a VHS copy of the live-action tokusatsu actioner 8 Man (1992), on which he worked as a producer. Yamamoto-san insisted I take it, and, since he has another copy at home, I felt it was OK to accept. 

It was a great afternoon with a wonderful gent. I hope we'll get a chance to hang out again someday.

A Visit with One of Tokusatsu's Greatest Art Directors!

Yoshio Suzuki. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Today (Sunday, March 24), I was privileged to meet art director Yoshio Suzuki, a veteran of Godzilla (1954) and numerous other Toho and Tsuburaya Productions works. Suzuki-san was one of the members of the modeling staff who worked on the original Godzilla suit, so to say that he is a living cinematic legend would be the understatement of the year.

Yoshio Suzuki signs a Godzilla (1954) mini poster. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Suzuki-san brought quite a few fascinating items with him. The most interesting thing had to be the photobook with various Mighty Peking Man (1977) stills in it, most likely taken by official Shaw Brothers photographers. I'd never seen any of those photos published anywhere before, so it was a rare glimpse into the history of that particular Hong Kong production.

Suzuki-san's wife Mitsuyo was also on hand for the meeting, and she was quite lovely. Suzuki-san was interested in seeing the photos of Pulgasari that I showed him on my phone again, so I arranged to send the photos to Mitsuyo-san before leaving. Mitsuyo-san also snapped a few photos of me on her phone when I was talking to her husband.

Suzuki-san was very lively and energetic for our two-hour-plus get-together. Would you believe he turns 90 next year? I wouldn't! Then again, on the way to our meeting room, we passed a friend of the Suzukis who was singing karaoke in the rec room of the building. That friend is 99 years old. The 100-year life is truly a reality in Japan.

A big thanks to the Suzukis for making this afternoon one to remember. 

Remembering a Toho Legend at His Final Resting Place

The grave of Sadao Iizuka. Photo by Brett Homenick.

 

Today (Sunday, March 24, I was invited to join a small group of Sadao Iizuka's fans and friends to pay tribute to his memory at his grave near Chitose-karasuyama Station. This day marked the first anniversary of his passing, so it was an especially momentous occasion.

I was surprised to learn that Iizuka wasn't his birth name. His last name at birth was actually Ikeda (as the grave suggests) but later took the name of his adoptive father, which is how he became Sadao Iizuka. 

The members of our group placed incense sticks in his grave, poured water on top of it, and prayed. It was very moving, and it was my first time to visit a grave and pray in a traditional Japanese way. 

Remembering the Life of a Toho Great with Another Toho Great!

Eiichi Asada (left) and Tabata Kei. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Tonight (Saturday, March 23), I attended another event with former Toho SFX directpr Eiichi Asada. The theme of this event was celebrating the life of Sadao Iizuka, who passed away last year. Iizuka-san's manager, Tabata Kei, was on hand to represent his his life and career.

While there, I purchased the first volume of a biographical interview book on Asada-san that's just been published. Asada-san asked me if I could read it in Japanese, but, when I showed him how a smartphone could instantly translate the text in English, he was quite amazed. It sure beats studying kanji for years and years!

The event also served as a birthday celebration for Asada-san, whose 75th birthday was a few days ago, so cake was also served. I must say that Asada-san seems much younger than his age would suggest. 

I took many photos with the attendees, as it will be my last visit to the venue for a long time. I was asked to say a few words at the end of the event, which I found harder to do than I expected. I certainly will miss the fun and camaraderie that always went with these events. But time has a way of moving on.

Below are the other photos I took of this event. Enjoy!

An Ultra-Good Morning with Two Very Special 'Ultraman' Alums!

Atsuko Tanaka. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Today (Saturday, March 23), I woke up bright and early to go to Shibuya and meet with two veteran Tsuburaya Productions script supervisors, Atsuko Tanaka and Noriko Shishikura. Our meeting was scheduled to start at 11:00 a.m., but it turned out that I arrived much earlier than they did. 

 

A few minutes later, they made their entrance, and we sat down for a bit less than an hour before Shishikura-san had to move on to her next appointment. 

Noriko Shishikura. Photo by Brett Homenick.

I was pleasantly surprised to see that Shishikura-san had dug up some old photos of her career at Tsuburaya Productions and Nikkatsu Studios. It was truly fascinating to see these vintage pictures that may never have been published anywhere else.

Before I knew it, our time was up, and we both had to move on to our next appointments. Right before I left, we posed for the mandatory photos that are always a necessity for this blog. Besides, they're a lot of fun to take!

Noriko Shishikura and Atsuko Tanaka. Photo by Brett Homenick.

I should point out that the cafe we used is on the second floor of Toho Cinemas Shibuya. In fact, it was the same cafe where I met with the late Kenpachiro Satsuma in November 2014. While I've walked past the cafe many times since then, I think this was the first time I've been inside it since that meeting. It only took me about 10 years!

Actor Minori Terada, Veteran of Toho and Tsuburaya Productions, Passes Away at Age 81

Minori Terada in February 2020. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Actor Minori Terada, a prolific performer whose acting career dates back to 1961 and continued into the current year, passed away on March 14 due to lung cancer, his agency, CES Entertainment, has announced. He was 81.

Minori Terada in August 2019. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Born on November 7, 1942, Terada would join the theater company Bungakuza in 1961 and began performing onstage. By the mid-1960s, he started acting in movies, embarking on a decades-long career that saw him collaborate with some of Japan's most talented directors.

Terada stars in Kihachi Okamoto's The Human Bullet (1968) as "Him," but he is also known for his supporting parts in such films as Okamoto's Red Lion (1969), Zatoichi and Yojimbo (1970), Battle of Okinawa (1971), Station (1981), Hayao Miyazaki's Castle in the Sky (1986), Akio Jissoji's Tokyo: The Last Megalopolis (1988), and Ultra Q: The Movie (1990). On TV, he guest-starred in Ultraman (1966-67) episode 14 as the truck driver's assistant.

I was privileged to meet Mr. Terada twice. I remember that he wanted to talk to me about Akira Kurosawa movies, as well as the works of other Japanese directors. He was quite friendly and seemed genuinely interested in knowing my opinions. My second meeting with Terada-san is also notable because it was one of the last ones before the COVID-19 lockdowns started in Japan.

With his passing, Minori Terada leaves behind a body of work that few actors could hope to match. Rest in peace, and thank you very much for the decades of entertainment.

Welcome to My World...

A poster for Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (2024) at Aeon Cinema Shinyurigaoka. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

I had some time to kill today, so I stopped by Aeon Cinema Shinyurigaoka just to look around. I saw the above poster for Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (2024), which caught my attention, so I decided to post it here. My expectations for this film couldn't be any lower, but we'll see how it is soon enough.

Oh, and "The Prequel" was also getting advertised at the theater. It will get released in Japan on March 29.

Getting the Party Started with Takahashi-san as Our Host!

Yoko Takahashi. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Today (Friday, March 22) was also notable as the day that actress Yoko Takahashi hosted a party for me as I prepare to leave Japan. Takahashi-san was a prolific actress in the 1970s, with her best-known work in the West being the Oscar-nominated Sandakan 8 (1974). She also can be seen in Kon Ichikawa's The Devil's Ballad (1977).

Yoko Takahashi. Photo by Brett Homenick.

I first met Takahashi-san in 2016, as her starring role in Sandakan 8 was intriguing to me. Not only was it an Oscar-nominated film, but it was also named by film critic Gene Siskel as the third-best film of 1976 and boasts a score by the great Akira Ifukube. In fact, I saw a photo from this film in a fanzine article about the composer when I was 14 years old, and, while Takahashi-san herself wasn't seen in that photo, it nonetheless fascinated me at a young age.

I arrived at the cafe just after 3:00, but it turned out that Takahashi-san was stuck in traffic and apparently a bit lost. (She had never been to this venue before, and it's some distance outside Tokyo.) Thankfully, the cafe owner happened to be our mutual friend, so he painstakingly guided her over the phone with all the necessary directions. Takahashi-san ultimately arrived at about 5:00, at which point the party could truly start!

Takahashi-san's lemon cake. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Takahashi-san brought a delicious lemon cake to celebrate, which we shared between the three of us. She also bought me a coin purse as a gift, which was an unexpected surprise. But, most importantly, she gave me a handwritten note in English that expressed her sincere feelings. Now that is a treasure I will always keep with me!

Make a wish!

I believe the party lasted until about 8:00. It was a lot of fun, so the time just flew by. We discussed many topics, including Takahashi-san's favorite films from America. (She has an encyclopedic knowledge of American films from the 1970s and told me about movies I'd never heard of, such as 1973's Cinderella Liberty, starring James Caan.) I told Takahashi-san about Gene Siskel and how he named Sandakan 8 the third-best movie of the year. She was especially impressed to see that Siskel ranked it above Taxi Driver (1976).

While she isn't exactly an expert on kaiju movies (and hasn't seen Godzilla Minus One), she knows enough about the genre to be able to sing a few bars of The Peanuts' Mothra song. I was pleased to have Takahashi-san sign my DVDs of Sandakan 8 and Africa's Light (1975), which I happened to find at a Book Off just prior to coming.

When it was time to leave, Takahashi-san kindly drove me home in her car. It's been a while since I've been driven home by a Japanese movie star, but it's always a lot of fun when it happens! At one point, when we came to a sign pointing the way to Nagoya, I blurted out that we should go there instead, which seemed to amuse Takahashi-san. 

Takahashi-san seemed quite motivated to visit California in the future, and I hope I can meet her there. Otherwise, I hope we can meet again in Japan someday. Even though tonight was a low-key affair, it was a great way to relieve some of the stress of the past couple of days. Many thanks to Takahashi-san for hosting this party -- it's one for the history books!