A Memorial Celebration of Yosuke Natsuki

Toward the end of March, I received an invitation in the mail to attend a memorial celebration of Yosuke Natsuki. Naturally, I immediately decided to attend, and so I made the necessary arrangements.

The celebration was held today (April 12) at the Capitol Hotel Tokyu in Nagatacho, Tokyo. Many of Natsuki-san's colleagues from his acting days were in attendance, and there were a few I got to meet for the first time.

Many of Natsuki-san's personal items were on display in the entrance, but once you got to the main ballroom, it was filled with about 320 people who knew Natsuki-san onscreen and off-.

Many familiar faces were on hand, and it was certainly great to see them again. Below, I will talk about some of my personal experiences and encounters at this memorial event.

Yasuhiko Saijo. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

The first person I ran into was actor Yasuhiko Saijo, a supporting actor at Toho and one of the stars of Ultra Q (1966). While on my way to the main ballroom, I had a (very brief) encounter with Toho actress Yoko Tsukasa. After entering the main ballroom, I encountered director Tom Kotani and had a brief chat with him.

Machiko Naka. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

Toho actress Machiko Naka was also in attendance, as were a number of folks I hadn't met before. Director Minoru Kawasaki came up to me to say hello, and I later bumped into producer Shogo Tomiyama.

Akira Takarada and Yoko Tsukasa. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

Many of the event's VIPs spoke in honor of Natsuki-san. While Akira Takarada and Yoko Tsukasa's comments struck a lighter tone, Tom Kotani's comments underscored the sadness of Natsuki-san's passing.

With Akira Wakamatsu. 

Early on in the event, I approached Toho actor Akira Wakamatsu, whom I met for the first and only time three years ago. I was surprised to find that he immediately recognized me. He came all the way from Fukushima to attend.

With Daijiro Harada. 

I had an amusing chat with Natsuki-san's G-Men '75 (1975-82) co-star Daijiro Harada. He's better known in the West as Mechagodzilla's pilot in Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II (1993). We had a fun chat about the English he spoke in the film. We snapped the above photo right before Harada-san had to leave to be interviewed by the Japanese media.

With Yumi Mizusawa. 

One actress I met for the first time was Yumi Mizusawa, one of the regulars on Natsuki-san's popular TV series What Is Youth? (1965-66). She was selected as a member of Toho New Talent's 5th class in 1965 (along with Son of Godzilla's Bibari Maeda) and went on to become a prolific television actress and singer. While her credits are mostly non-genre, she appeared in episode 91 of Kamen Rider (1971-73) and episode 16 of Iron King (1972-73). Her most notable film appearance is in Kihachi Okamoto's Epoch of Murder Madness (1967).

During the event, a slide show was projected onto a big screen that featured many photos from Natsuki-san's life and career. One interesting photo was of Gene Hackman's visit to the set of a period piece with Natsuki-san and Toshiro Mifune. Another notable shot was a candid of Natsuki-san (in full Professor Hayashida garb) and Yasuko Sawaguchi that was taken (presumably with Natsuki-san's personal camera) on the set of Godzilla (1984). One of the final photos in the presentation was one that I took. You can see it above. Suffice it to say, it was quite an honor that one of my photos was used in the tribute to Natsuki-san's life.

Overall, it was an excellent event, and the organizers did a top-notch job. While the reason we gathered in this hotel ballroom was especially sad, the warmth and  kindness of those in attendance truly made this a celebration of a great man.

Yumi Shirakawa: One Glorious Day

Toho star Yumi Shirakawa in May 2015. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

Writing this blog entry will be difficult for a few reasons. First, there's a lot to say. Second, I don't want to say too much. Third, the news of Shirakawa-san's passing is still a bit too fresh in my mind. Still, some of my blog readers requested more details about my meeting Shirakawa-san, and I thought it was a splendid idea. Here goes.

Yumi Shirakawa breaks into laughter when presented with a piece of memorabilia for her to sign, as Yosuke Natsuki looks on. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

I met Yumi Shirakawa for the first and only time on Sunday, May 3, 2015. The event was Akira Takarada's 81st birthday celebration, which took place in a restaurant high up the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building (a.k.a. the Tax Towers). The event was a star-studded one, and it featured several celebrity guests who rarely (if ever) make personal appearances. The luminaries included: Yumi Shirakawa, Yuriko Hoshi, Yosuke Natsuki, Machiko Naka, Akira Wakamatsu, and several others. The guest who jumped immediately out to me was Yumi Shirakawa. There's a reason for that.

Yosuke Natsuki and Yumi Shirakawa, two Toho stars who remained close friends for decades. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

Yumi Shirakawa is my favorite actress. She an aura and a presence onscreen unlike any other actress I've seen. Watch her in The H-Man (1958) and The Secret of the Telegian (1960), and you're likely to see what I mean. She was beautiful, feminine, vulnerable, and ethereal. There was something about her that appealed to me more than any other Toho actress. She seemed a bit mysterious to me, and I liked that.

In fact, when I was planning a move to Japan, Yumi Shirakawa was at the top of the list of actors and actresses I wanted to meet. No joke. She was always in the number-one spot. I knew it wouldn't be easy, but it was a challenge I couldn't refuse. It was worth doing.

A fun group shot featuring Yumi Shirakawa and many of her co-stars. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

I didn't get my opportunity until four years into my stay. Yosuke Natsuki gave me a big assist, and I will always be grateful for his help. Not only did Natsuki-san personally introduce me to her, but he invited me to sit at the table reserved for the special guests with him and Shirakawa-san. I was the only fan at the event invited to do so. So I essentially got to spend the entire afternoon with Shirakawa-san, and even though she didn't speak English, I most certainly enjoyed our time together.

Actresses Yuriko Hoshi and Yumi Shirakawa listen to a speech. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

What impressed me most was how unlike her screen persona she was. She was open-minded, down-to-earth, and friendly -- not at all like the reserved and shy presence I saw in the movies. She also seemed to have an impish sense of humor. She was very close with Natsuki-san, and I snapped many photos of the two of them together on her camera. Of course, I was more than happy to make myself available to her for anything she needed.

Bin Furuya and Yumi Shirakawa pose for pictures. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

When the party moved to a nearby restaurant, Shirakawa-san was the only female guest to join us. When attendees and guests were taking seats, I intentionally tried to sit at a different table from Shirakawa-san and Natsuki-san (in order to give other fans a chance), but Natsuki-san wouldn't hear of it, and he insisted I sit with them. At the restaurant, Shirakawa-san posed for many photos (including a few with Bin Furuya) and signed many shikishi boards and DVDs. She seemed amused by seeing so many fans of her movies. When I asked a few of my friends who their favorite guest of the day was, they unanimously said Yumi Shirakawa. I agreed.

Yours truly with Yumi Shirakawa.

Look at this picture, and you'll see why. A picture truly does speak a thousand words -- and more. I couldn't tell you how excited I was to meet her, but she looks much more excited than I do! Unfortunately for them, a lot of tokusatsu fans in the Western world never seemed very interested in Shirakawa-san, probably because she never starred in a Godzilla movie. Those people truly missed out on an exceptional person, someone I am honored to have met.

And now she's gone. I took the news of her passing pretty hard. She gave me a lot to look forward to, as I was confident our paths would cross again. The world seems like a darker place without her. Seems like? Okay, I'll say it. It is a darker place without her.

Rest in peace, Shirakawa-san. Your life brought joy to so many others. I'll always remember.

MORE PHOTOS FROM THE AKIRA TAKARADA BIRTHDAY BASH! An Extra Look at This Extraordinary Celebration!

Akira Takarada and Yosuke Natsuki share a laugh while Akira Wakamatsu looks on in the background. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

Having taken many pictures at the birthday celebration for Toho star Akira Takarada last Sunday, there was not nearly enough room to include even most of the highlights from my last report. So I will present an additional look at the celebration in this blog post with even more photos. After all, they're worth a thousand words!

The delightful Yumi Shirakawa and Akira Takarada share the stage. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

Yuriko Hoshi honors Akira Takarada. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

Shogo Tomiyama poses with actress Machiko Naka. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

Akira Takarada addresses the audience. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

Yuriko Hoshi, Yosuke Natsuki, and Yumi Shirakawa pose for the paparazzi. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

Machiko Naka and Yuriko Hoshi, both veterans of the Young Guy series, pose for a picture. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

This dynamic group shot only shows a few of the folks in attendance. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

Yosuke Natsuki offers some words of praise for Akira Takarada at the after-party. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

Akira Takarada addresses the gathering. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

Yosuke Natsuki has a chat with Bin Furuya at the after-party. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, AKIRA TAKARADA! The Toho Legend Hosts an All-Star Birthday Bash in Shinjuku!

Yours truly with Akira Takarada at his birthday bash in Shinjuku.

Sunday, May 3, saw an incredible all-star birthday celebration of one of Japan's biggest stars, Akira Takarada. Held on the 45th floor of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building (a.k.a. the Tax Towers), it was a once-in-a-lifetime affair, and certainly the most star-studded event I've ever attended in Japan.

Takarada-san greets fellow Toho actors Yuriko Hoshi (middle) and Machiko Naka (right). 

Among the guests were Yuriko Hoshi (Godzilla vs. the Thing, Ghidrah the Three-Headed Monster), Machiko Naka (the Young Guy series, Godzilla's Revenge), Yosuke Natsuki (Ghidrah the Three-Headed Monster, Godzilla 1985), Akira Wakamatsu (Mothra, Dogora the Space Monster), Shogo Tomiyama (Godzilla series producer), and (at the after-party) Bin Furuya (Ultraman, Ultra Seven).

With actress Yuriko Hoshi, the star of many films from Toho.

As the party was just beginning, Natsuki-san invited me to join him at the VIP table with him, Shirakawa-san, and Wakamatsu-san. Natsuki-san and I jumped right in to talking about the latest news and what we were both up to.

Natsuki-san introduced me to Shirakawa-san and Hoshi-san (whom I last met in August of last year), and I introduced myself to Naka-san. I interviewed Naka-san about her acting career by correspondence several years ago, and pointed out that I was the one who interviewed her. As I expected, Naka-san was very kind and warm.

The two stars of Godzilla vs. the Thing reunite with an old colleague. Photo by Brett Homenick.

In the best Japanese I could muster, I spoke to Hoshi-san about her fellow Toho alumnus Tatsuyoshi Ehara, as well as her involvement in a few Toho films. Hoshi-san was more than happy to mix and mingle with her fans.

With actress Machiko Naka.

Each of the special guests took the stage (one by one) and addressed Takarada-san, wishing him a happy birthday. The chemistry between the guests and Takarada-san was palpable, and the audience could sense a feeling of genuine admiration between them.

Yosuke Natsuki (left) shares a laugh with actor Akira Wakamatsu. Photo by Brett Homenick.

I enjoyed meeting all the guests, and everyone went out of his and her way to accommodate the fans. Given that many in attendance simply never attend public events, many fans were eager to get their items signed and photos taken. But I'd like to single out one guest in particular who went above and beyond the call of duty.

A picture is, indeed, worth a thousand words. Yumi Shirakawa and I pose for a photo.

Yumi Shirakawa was exceptionally friendly with her fans and admirers. I'd often heard that she was an open-minded person, but never having a chance to meet her myself, I couldn't be sure until I got such a chance. But, after Natsuki-san introduced us, it became clear that she was very open-minded ... and then some! I mean, just look at the above picture!

One of the highlights for me was borrowing her camera and taking pictures of some of the goings-on at the party. It was truly my pleasure to be in her company.

Hanging with Shirakawa-san and Natsuki-san at the after-party. 

After the main celebration completed, many of the attendees and a few of the guests moved to another building for the after-party. Natsuki-san and Shirakawa-san were the first to arrived, followed by Takarada-san and later Bin Furuya. Once again, Natsuki-san invited me to sit at the VIP table with him, which was another honor for me.

With Bin Furuya, who flew in from M78 for the occasion!

The after-party was much more laid back, and guests and fans freely hung out and spoke with one another. I congratulated the organizers on a job well done, and I hope more such events will take place in the future. After the after-party, Bin Furuya and a few of us (including Takarada-san's secretary and Kyoko Ifukube, the composer's daughter) went to a Japanese restaurant for perhaps an after-after-party. This gathering was even more relaxed, and many laughs were had by all.

Yum! That birthday cake looks good! Photo by Brett Homenick.

All in all, it was an excellent event. The phrase "once in a lifetime" is thrown around a lot these days, but this celebration certainly had all the earmarks of such a description. It was the perfect way to cap off what was already an amazing week.

Happy birthday, Takarada-san!