Chanson on a Humid Tokyo Evening!

Yoshiro Uchida. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Tonight, Tuesday, July 21, was another musical night of chanson with Yoshiro Uchida. I'm sure I say it a lot, but these performances are always a blast to attend.

Uchida-san sang two of his staple songs, "Ame" and "Ikiru," which I told him were beautifully performed. He thanked me for my praise, and we took the above photo. Not much else to say, other than these nights on the town are always something to look forward to.

Toku in the House!

Eiichi Asada. Photo by Brett Homenick.

 

On Saturday, July 18, I attended an event with former Toho SFX director Eiichi Asada, whom I hadn't seen in more than two years. It was a fun reunion, and I updated Asada-san on my comings and goings during that time.

There wasn't much toku talk this time, but I did learn that Asada-san is a fan of actress Jean Simmons from Spartacus (1960). Now that's a name you don't hear thrown around a lot these days, unless you're talking about the guy from KISS with the similar name.

It's always fun to learn about the Western films that Toho tokusatsu legends admire. For example, I never would have even heard of the family drama Our Very Own (1950), featuring a very young Natalie Wood, had Teruyoshi Nakano not named it as one of his favorite films.  

Overall, it was great to see Asada-san again. It truly had been too long.

An Evening of Song and Dance in Tokyo!

Yumi Yoshiyuki. Photo by Brett Homenick.

On Wednesday night, July 15, I attended a singing performance by director-actress Yumi Yoshiyuki, with whose work I am not too familiar, but I certainly hope to change that very soon. But who is Yumi Yoshiyuki, you might be asking yourself?

Yoshiyuki-san has directed numerous pink eiga since the 1990s but has also appeared onscreen herself in countless roles, including director Akio Jissoji's adaptation of an Edogawa Rampo story, Murder on D Street (1998), for which she won the Best Supporting Actress Award from the Yokohama Film Festival for her portrayal of Tokiko Sunaga, as well as playing Noriko Murakami in Takashi Shimizu's V-cinema horror classic Ju-On: The Curse (2000). She can also be seen in episode 40 of Ultraman Tiga (1996-97) and episode 37 of Ultraman Dyna (1997-98).

Yoshiyuki-san didn't know me from Adam when I arrived, but she invited me to sit next to her, which I did for the next two hours. I got to know her during the evening, and we had a fun chat after the show. I most definitely look forward to seeing her again!

Talking Movies and Japan in a Room with a View!

The view from the sixth floor of the Palace Hotel Tokyo. Photo by Brett Homenick.

In the evening on Tuesday, July 7, I had the distinct privilege of spending some time in the company of actor Mike Starr, who recently visited Japan with his family. I met Mr. Starr at the Palace Hotel Tokyo, which I'd never visited before. After meeting in the lobby (where he gave me a big hug!), we made our way to a bar on the sixth floor and shared some non-alcoholic drinks.

I gave Mr. Starr a DVD copy of Gloria (1999), a Sidney Lumet movie in which he appears. I found it in a Book Off a few weeks ago. It was one of the CD-size releases from back in the day, and not only is Mike Starr credited on the back, but his photo also appears there. I thought it would make the perfect gift, so I picked it up for him.

I really enjoyed hearing about how much he was enjoying his trip to Japan, as well his stories from the old days. In particular, I loved hearing about the direction Tom Kotani gave his actors on the set of The Bushido Blade (1981) -- "Don't smile." I wish that had been included on our interview!

With Mike Starr.

While we were sitting and chatting, I was fascinated by the realization that my approaching his autograph table at the Hollywood Show in January 2025 eventually led to our hanging out at a fancy hotel bar in Tokyo a year and a half later. Suffice it to say, that's something I never would have predicted.

One thing I also lamented about my previous stay in Tokyo was that relatively very few friends came over from the U.S. and hung out. I've only been back a couple of months, and I've already hung out with two who came from the U.S. So far, so good!

You'd never guess it by the characters he played in many of his films, but Mike Starr is one of the nicest gentlemen you'll ever meet. He introduced me to just about everyone we encountered as his friend who lives out this way. All I can say is, I'm grateful.

Another Great Night of Chanson Entertainment!

Yoshiro Uchida. Photo by Brett Homenick.

On Tuesday, June 30, I attended another chanson performance by the one and only Yoshiro Uchida. It's been great to get into the rhythm of attending his performances again after being away for about two years.
 

There were some new performers on hand who came up and introduced themselves to me. I guess it's a rare sight to see an American at shows like this. It's always nice to be surrounded by such friendly and pleasant people when you're unwinding from a long day at work.

Not a whole lot to say, other than it was another fun night hearing Uchida-san perform. After the show, I had dinner at Gusto -- the perfect way to end an evening like this.