A Celebration of Kikaider at 50!

Daisuke Ban. Photo by Brett Homenick.

The legendary Toei superhero program Kikaider (1972-73) enjoys its 50th anniversary in 2022, and what better way to celebrate this milestone than with the program's star himself, Daisuke Ban? That's exactly what a few of us lucky fans got participate in on Saturday, August 20, at a special event in Shinjuku.

Ban-san not only starred in Kikaider but also Inazuman (1974) and went on to play Battle Cossack in Battle Fever J (1979-80). I first met Ban-san at a similar event in Los Angeles way back in 2010, but thankfully our paths have crossed several times in Japan, too.

Daisuke Ban. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Not only did Ban-san share some memories of Kikaider, as well as the other tokusatsu programs he acted in, but he also sang, too! What a rare treat for us to enjoy.

It was a lot of fun to see Ban-san again. He's always in great spirits when I see him. What a cool way to celebrate the show's 50th anniversary!

SHOWA HEROES ASSEMBLE! Kikaider and Moonlight Mask Join Forces in Tokyo!

Daisuke Ban (left) poses with fellow TV hero Koichi Ose. Photo by Brett Homenick.

On Sunday morning, October 6, I headed to Nakano, Tokyo, for a special event headlined by two of television's greatest heroes: Daisuke Ban and Koichi Ose. 

Koichi Ose. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

Ose-san starred in Moonlight Mask (1958-59) as the titular hero. He later starred in another Senkosha-produced series called The Samurai (1962-65) as the heroic Shintaro Akikusa, the samurai of the program's title

Daisuke Ban. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Ban-san starred in Kikaider (1972-73) and Inazuman (1974) and went on to play Battle Cossack in Battle Fever J (1979-80).

It's also worth noting that both heroes have strong international followings. Kikaider was a big hit in Hawaii and still has a sizable fandom to this day. In Australia, The Samurai is still remembered well by many fans. In recent years, both Ban-san and Ose-san have made trips there to meet their respective fan bases.

I was especially pleased that Ose-san remembered me, as I'd met him two times before. All I know is, when I get to be his age, I hope I look half as good as he does.

TALKIN' TOEI! Toei Heroines Return to the Fight!

 With Yumiko Tanaka.

On Saturday, October 13, I attended a special event headlined by actress Yumiko Tanaka. Tanaka-san starred in Kamen Rider Super-1 (1980-81) as Harumi Kusanami and also appeared in Godzilla (1984). Here, she performed in a stage play and, in the second half of the show, did some singing (along with other performers).

She also gave me the present she'd been meaning to give me for the last few months: a really cool hand towel. It's a nice thing to add to my collection.

Lisa Komaki. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Lisa Komaki was also on hand. Komaki-san played Peggy Matsuyama on Himitsu Sentai Goranger (1975-77) and was the suit actor and voice for Miss America (as played by Diane Martin) on Battle Fever J (1979-80). It was great to see her after such a long time, too.

Many thanks for a fun night of Toei stars!

THE LADIES OF SUPER SENTAI! Three Decades of Toei Action Heroines in the House!

Yours truly with Ultraman 80 and Dynaman actress Sayoko Hagiwara. 

Today, I attended an event with a plethora of alumni from Toei's long-running Super Sentai series. of course, most Americans are only familiar with Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, but Super Sentai is where it all started.

One of the guests I was interested in seeing again was Sayoko Hagiwara. As readers of this blog ought to know by now, Hagiwara-san played Yullian on Ultraman 80 (1980-81) and Dyna Pink on Kagaku Sentai Dynaman (1983-84). I was rather surprised when Hagiwara-san greeted me with a hug. Suffice it to say, that's not something one often gets an event like this!

With Goranger and Battle Fever J star Lisa Komaki. 

Also on hand was Lisa Komaki. Komaki-san played Peggy Matsuyama on Himitsu Sentai Goranger (1975-77), the original Super Sentai series. She was also the suit actor for and voice of actress Diane Martin as the heroine Miss America on Battle Fever J (1979-80).

With Gingaman actress Juri Miyazawa.

Finally, I enjoyed meeting actress Juri Miyazawa for the first time. Miyazawa-san played Ginga Pink on Seiju Sentai Gingaman (1998-99). It was a great event with very friendly guests. Can't wait to do it again in the future!

SHOWA HERO EVENT IN NAKANO! Battle Fever J Cast Members Reunite for Their Fans!

Battle Fever J alumni Kenji Ohba, Narimitsu Kurachi, and Daisuke Ban converge on the Nakano Sun Plaza for a special reunion event! Photo by Brett Homenick.

Sunday, April 10, saw a special event that reunited principal cast members of the hit Super Sentai program Battle Fever J (1979-1980). Held in the Nakano Sun Plaza in Nakano, Tokyo, many fans of Super Sentai gathered for this extraordinary event. The official title of the meeting was Showa Hero Talk and Sign, and it was a big hit with attendees.

Actor Narimitsu Kurachi poses with fans of Battle Fever J for photos. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Narimitsu Kurachi portrayed Battle France on Battle Fever J, but he also appears in Toho's The Imperial Navy (1981) and Toei's The Imperial Japanese Empire (1982). On television, Kurachi-san can be seen in guest appearances on Toei's Spider-Man (1978-79), Denshi Sentai Denziman (1980-81), and Space Sheriff Gavan (1982-83).

Kurachi-san was a very friendly and personable guest. He even performed a bit of flamenco dancing onstage! Of the three guests, I spent the most time speaking with Kurachi-san. He's a true gentleman!

Actor Daisuke Ban gives a thumbs-up to Battle Fever J and its many fans! Photo by Brett Homenick.

Also in attendance was Daisuke Ban, a prolific tokusatsu star who is well known among American fans for his starring roles in Kikaider (1972-73) and Inazuman (1974). Ban-san went on to play Battle Cossack in Battle Fever J.

Ban-san was likewise very friendly, but having already met him at a special Kikaider event in Los Angeles in 2010 and (very briefly) at a Super Festival a couple of years ago, I already knew that! It's always great to meet this legend of tokusatsu.

Kenji Ohba poses with two different generations of fans! Photo by Brett Homenick.

The guest who seemed to attract the most attention was Kenji Ohba. Ohba-san's resume could easily take up the rest of this blog post. He appears in Golgo 13: Assignment Kowloon (1977), Legend of the Eight Samurai (1983), and Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003), among many other credits. Ohba-san started as a suit actor on such classic Toei programs as Kamen Rider (1971-73), Kikaider, and Robot Detective (1973). As a regular performer, Ohba-san appears on Battle Fever J (as Battle Kenya), Denshi Sentai Denziman, Space Sheriff Gavan, and Space Sheriff Sharivan (1983-84).

Ohba-san took his time with his fans, giving each person quite a bit of attention. Many fans brought multiple items for him to sign. Even though he is not as well known in the West as the Toho stars, the Japanese fans certainly are aware of his accomplishments, and it was great to see their reaction to him.

Many thanks to Ms. Kojima for staging another great event. I hope to attend the next one!