TOEI HISTORY! Oizumi-gakuen Station Honors the Japanese Studio's Heritage!

Oizumi-gakuen Station. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Today (Sunday, November 5), I stopped by Oizumi-gakuen Station in Nerima, Tokyo. Oizumi-gakuen Station is the home of Toei Movie Studios, as well as Toei Animation, so the area is replete is film and television history. Much of that history is on display at the train station itself, which not only salutes many of Toei Animation's famous characters but a number of Toei's live-action movies, too. For example, Oizumi Anime Gate features several bronze statues of Toei characters that is well worth checking out. From Astro Boy to Ken Takakura, Oizumi-gakuen Station has you covered!

An Ultra-Cool Evening with Two Icons of Japanese Television!

Bin Furuya. Photo by Brett Homenick.

On Saturday, February 18, I was lucky to attend a special dinner party with none other than Bin Furuya, the legendary Ultraman suit actor from the original Ultraman (1966-67) series, as well as a bevy of other movie and television roles at Toho and Tsuburaya Productions throughout the 1960s. To be honest, I hadn't been expecting to attend this event due to my work schedule. But then I found out that a dinner party would be held after the event itself, which meant that I could attend after all once I'd finished work.

I last met Furuya-san briefly in December 2021, but our time at that event was so brief that it wasn't very memorable. I was a bit surprised that Furuya-san seemed so glad to see me again, as it appeared he was a bit concerned (I'm not sure that's the right word to use, but I'm having trouble coming up with something more appropriate) that he hadn't seen or heard from me in a while.

Well, I mailed him a New Year's greeting card, as I always do, as well as sending my best wishes to him for a happy New Year via email. But it's true that I've missed all his events since the end of 2021. It was really just a timing issue. Suffice it to say, though, that I was more than impressed that he genuinely seemed to care so much. 

Furuya-san was in a great mood, and his energy rubbed off on me. He introduced me to several new faces and told them about the time I escorted him and Akira Takarada around Chicago in July 2012, pitting his hands on my shoulders as he recounted his memories. For someone who has done as many events in the U.S. as Furuya-san has, it also impressed me that his first visit still holds such a prominent spot in his heart. 

With Mari Shimizu.

Also on hand was another legend -- voice actress Mari Shimizu. Shimizu-san is certainly best known as the original voice of Astro Boy in the 1963-66 anime series of the same name. I hadn't seen her in many years, and unfortunately she didn't recognize me when we met. No worries, though -- our last encounter was a long time ago. Prior to meeting her again, though, I was surprised to find that her father was actor Gen Shimizu. 

Who is Gen Shimizu? Well, it's great you asked. Gen Shimizu appears in numerous Akira Kurosawa films, including Stray Dog (1949), Seven Samurai (1954), I Live in Fear (1955), Throne of Blood (1957), The Bad Sleep Well (1960), Yojimbo (1961), Sanjuro (1962), and High and Low (1963).

Other notable films on Mr. Shimizu's resume include Gate of Hell (1953), Chushingura (1962), A Woman's Story (1963), and Rise against the Sword (1966). He even appeared in the occasional tokusatsu outing, including Ghost Man (1954), Buddha (1961), Monster Zero (1965), Ultra Q episode 8 (1966), The Space Giants (1966-67), and Godzilla vs. Gigan (1972) as the commander of the Self-Defense Force. Mr. Shimizu passed away on December 20, 1972, at the age of 65, just months after Godzilla vs. Gigan was released in theaters.

I mentioned to her that her father appeared in Gigan, but she wasn't aware, pointing out that he is much better known for his Kurosawa roles, which naturally makes a lot of sense. But I can't help it if his most iconic role for me was his part in Jun Fukuda's 1972 kaiju romp. As cool as it is that she is an anime icon, her being Gen Shimizu's daughter is right up there, too.

What a fun evening! It certainly had been too long, so let's all do it again soon!

JAPANESE HEROES WALK THE MIRACLE MILE! A Who's Who of Fandom Celebs Attends a Jazz Concert!

Bin Furuya, Mari Shimizu, and Hiroyuki Takano pose for photographers during intermission at a jazz concert in Tokyo. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Saturday, November 21, saw a jazz concert take place at Hotel Molino near Shin-Yurigaoka Station. Mirai Miracle performed a number of jazz songs for a lively audience. In fact, toward the end of the show, most of the audience was dancing and singing right along with the music. It was truly a sight to behold!

Mirai Miracle sings jazz songs in both English and Japanese. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Although I've attended many jazz shows in Japan, the aspect that stuck out the most for me was the presence of several notable Japanese genre celebrities. Bin Furuya, Yuriko Hishimi, Hiroyuki Takano, and Mari Shimizu were all in attendance. I've talked about these folks so many times on this blog that introducing them all again seems beyond redundant. Still, if you'd like info on their careers, you'd do well to check this blog's archives.

Yours truly with the original Ultraman suit actor, Bin Furuya.

During the show, I was seated at Bin Furuya's table, and joining us were many familiar faces in Japanese fandom. We shared many laughs and great conversations.

Actress Yuriko Hishimi gets in on the fun as the audience starts dancing with the music. Photo by Brett Homenick.

As I mentioned earlier, the concert got especially fun when most of the people in the crowd began dancing and even singing with the music. That certainly never happened at any of the other jazz shows I've attended!

Japanese heroes Bin Furuya and Hiroyuki Takano shake hands and agree to save the world once again. Photo by Brett Homenick.

I was especially pleased to get to know actress Grace Mika. Even though I saw her perform on the stage last year alongside Bin Furuya, this was my first time to talk with her. She was born in Hawaii and speaks English very well (despite being raised in Japan).

Yours truly with actress-singer Grace Mika, who has co-starred with Bin Furuya onstage.

When all was said and done, many of us went to a nearby karaoke place and sang a variety of songs. We were briefly joined by Yuriko Hishimi, but Hiroyuki Takano stayed until the end and probably had more energy than the rest of us combined!

Hiroyuki Takano belts out the theme to Barom-1 during a karaoke after-party. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

As for me, I sang "We Didn't Start the Fire" by Billy Joel. Takano-san later told me that his favorite Billy Joel song is "New York State of Mind." 

It was a great evening in so many ways, and I'm very glad to have attended. I'm also glad to have caught the train home in time! We were out so late it seemed entirely possible I could have missed it!

AND THEY SAY HE'S FROM BOURBON STREET! Ultraman Suit Actor Bin Furuya Throws a Tokyo Bourbon Party!

Ultraman suit actor Bin Furuya addresses the gathered audience at the Brown Horse in Harajuku. Photo by Brett Homenick.

On Saturday, October 10, Ultraman suit actor Bin Furuya hosted a bourbon party at the Brown Horse in Harajuku, Tokyo, with an after party held at a Japanese restaurant in Naka-Meguro. Given that I usually work on Saturdays, I had to miss the first couple of hours of the shindig, and by the time I arrived, attendees were starting to make arrangements to attend the after party. Despite that, I enjoyed the evening immensely.

Astro Boy voice actress Mari Shimizu (left) poses with Barom-1 star Hiroyuki Takano (right). Photo by Brett Homenick.

In attendance were two celebrity guests: Mari Shimizu, the original voice actress who played the titular character in Astro Boy (1963-66), and Hiroyuki Takano, a former child actor who starred in the Toei tokusatsu series Barom-1 (1972) and guest-starred in episode 45 of Ultra Seven (1967-68), among other movie and TV roles.

I've met Shmizu-san several times at events over the years, and it's always great to catch up with her. She's still as energetic and lively as ever, and even when events were winding down late at night, she showed absolutely no signs of slowing down. When I get to be her age, I hope I have half her energy!

I had only met Takano-san once before, but he remembered me, and he tried out his English with me. (It's better than my Japanese, that's for sure!) Even though Takano-san is not so well known in the West, his career as a grownup and child actor touches many of the TV series that American tokusatsu fans are interested in, such as Ultraman Tiga (1996-97), Return of Ultraman (1971-72), Spectreman (1971-72) -- the list goes on!

Aside from the guests, I was saw many familiar faces who usually attend these events, and I even met new friends. Many interesting discussions were held, primarily about future events.

As always, Furuya-san was a total gentleman. I look forward to meeting him every chance I get. He went out of his way to make sure I had what I needed last night, and for that I am extremely grateful.

For a teetotaler like me, a bourbon party would be about the last place you'd find me. But if Bin Furuya is there, then there's no question that I'll show up, too. He's the real deal. In fact, he's Ultraman!

ULTRA BIRTHDAY SHOW! Ultraman Suit Actor Bin Furuya Hosts a Special Birthday Event!

Original Ultraman suit actor Bin Furuya strikes his familiar Specium Ray pose at his birthday celebration in Ginza. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

Sunday, July 12, marked a special event in Ginza that honored Bin Furuya's 72nd birthday. The event attracted several notable faces from the entertainment industry, and it was great to watch them interact with Furuya-san.

Bin Furuya was the original Ultraman suit actor from the original 1966-67 series from Tsuburaya Productions, and he portrayed Amagi in the followup series Ultra Seven (1967-68). Prior to his work with Tsuburaya, he worked at Toho mostly as an extra in many kaiju and tokusatsu films, though he had a bigger role in Ghidrah the Three-Headed Monster (1964).

The event began with an autograph signing, and fans were welcome to bring their items for Furuya-san to sign. On sale at the event were familiar bromide cards, but surprisingly larger 8x10s were being sold, as well. These glossies are very unusual to find in Japan.

Throughout the evening, Furuya-san came out in different clothes, first appearing in a traditional kimono, and then later appearing in two different suits. During the evening, special tribute was paid to designer Tohl Narita, and a slide show of Furuya-san's career was presented.

Monster X Strikes Back: Attack the G8 Summit (2008) director Minoru Kawasaki praises Furuya-san during the suit actor's birthday party. Photo by Brett Homenick.

While attendees were eating dinner, special guest speakers took the stage to honor Furuya-san. The first of these was director Minoru Kawasaki, who cast Furuya-san in the goofy Monster X Strikes Back: Attack the G8 Summit (2008). The two had good chemistry together, and they shared quite a few laughs.

Original Astro Boy voice actress Mari Shimizu praised her longtime friend Bin Furuya. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Next, Mari Shimizu (the original voice of the character Astro Boy) and Yoko Mizugaki (the original voice actress for Astro Boy's sister Uran) stepped onstage and shared their memories of Furuya-san. It was a lot of fun to see these icons of Japanese sci-fi interacting with each other, and the three of them seemed to enjoy it, too!

Ultraman Ace actor Mitsuhiro Sano wishes a happy birthday to Bin Furuya. Photo by Brett Homenick.

After that, Ultraman Ace (1972-73) actor Mitsuhiro Sano joined his fellow Tsuburaya Productions alumnus and, like the previous speakers, heaped praise on the original Ultraman.

Your humble blogmeister poses in between original Astro Boy voice actresses Yoko Mizugaki (left) and Mari Shimizu (right).

Overall, it was a very enjoyable event, and Furuya-san was in great spirits. I became reacquainted with several folks I had lost touch with over the years and even made some new friends. As I was leaving, Furuya-san gave me a big hug, which was one highlight out of many. Happy birthday, Furuya-san!

As the event was held in Ginza, I had to take an obligatory photo of the Hattori Clock Tower, as seen in Godzilla (1954). Even at an Ultraman event, Godzilla still finds a way to make an appearance!

ASTRO BOY AND GIGAN: Two Japanese Icons Meet!

Yours truly with Mari Shimizu, the original voice of Astro Boy!

July 20 saw an event take place in Ginza, Tokyo, of mammoth proportions. The one and only Mari Shimizu (a voice actress who is iconic in Japan for breathing life into the anime character Astro Boy) attended a singing event and talk show. The promoter of the event personally invited me to attend, and I was only too happy to oblige!

As a Godzilla fan, what excited me most was the prospect of meeting actress Tomoko Umeda, who played Machiko Shima in Godzilla vs. Gigan (1972). Ms. Umeda was very warm and friendly, and I got to know her husband and daughter at the event. I believe an interview with Ms. Umeda can't be too far behind!

 An autographed photo from a Godzilla series actress was just one of the many highlights.

A fun time was had by all!

All in all, it was a great event, and I got to do more than my share of networking. Actually, my entire trip to Tokyo was filled with things to do, and I can't wait to return!