ULTRAMAN UNMASKED! Spending a Memorable Evening with the Superhero from M78!

Bin Furuya. Photo by Brett Homenick.

On Saturday, March 9, I attended another special event headlined by the original Ultraman suit actor Bin Furuya. Furuya-san got his start as a Toho New Face in 1960 alongside future Ultraman (1966-67) cast member Masanari Nihei. 

By the time I arrived, the first half of the event was already winding down. I brought a few items for Furuya-san to sign (two vintage Ultraman cards along with a vintage Ghidrah the Three-Headed Monster one), and luckily there was still time to get them signed. Afterward, we posed for pictures with Furuya-san.

Bin Furuya. Photo by Brett Homenick.

When that portion of the event wrapped, Furuya-san asked me to join him onstage (to the extent you could call the platform he was standing on a stage, I suppose) and asked me to say a few words to the gathered audience in Japanese, which I did my best to do. He then said a few words of his own, which, as you'd expect, were very heartfelt and generous.

After that, we moved on to the dinner event. Furuya-san sat down next to me early on and asked me about where I'd be living in California.

Bin Furuya. Photo by Brett Homenick.

We used the little dishes holding various food items to represent various cities, and I essentially made a map of California (and even Arizona and Nevada), using the dishes to mark the location of the cities, such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, Phoenix, Las Vegas, etc. I pointed out how far it would take to drive from my home to these particular places, which was something Furuya-san was particularly curious about.

One of the dishes contained radish, and, when my tablemate encouraged me to eat it, I said, "Daikon haiyu," which means "radish actor" in Japanese. A "radish actor" in Japan means a rather stiff performer, which got a laugh out of Furuya-san. (I certainly wasn't talking about him!)

Given that this was an event with Furuya-san, the topic of James Dean eventually came up. Furuya-san mentioned the film East of Eden (1955) in Japanese, so I mentioned how to pronounce Eden in English, which (naturally) is a bit different from the Japanese way. Furuya-san seemed interested to learn the English pronunciation and repeated it a few times during the evening.

While we were sitting next to each other, Furuya-san took out his phone and asked the person sitting across from us to take our photo. I've said it countless times before, but it's always a blast when one of the guests at events like this wants to get a photo with you.

During the evening, Furuya-san mentioned the sheer number of actors I've met throughout the years and how many autographs I've gotten. He seemed quite impressed, especially with some of the rarer folks who don't usually do events. Well, it's a lot of fun!

We also spent a little bit of time talking about Furuya-san's days as a New Face at Toho and some of his early roles at the studio. Of course, he doesn't remember much about some of his more obscure appearances, like Gorath (1962), very well. Then again, he was essentially an extra during that time, so what would there be to say after all these years?

We also reminisced about the time Furuya-san visited Gifu Prefecture in 2013. Someone at the table asked me if that was the first time I met Furuya-san, but it certainly wasn't. By that time, I'd traveled halfway across the world with him!

At the end of the evening, Furuya-san asked me to stand up and again addressed the audience with me next to him (though, technically speaking, I was positioned in front of him this time). Suffice it to say, it was a great evening with a great gentleman, whom I hope to visit again very soon.

ULTRAMAN FLIES AGAIN! Another Fun Evening with the Superhero from M78!

Bin Furuya. Photo by Brett Homenick.

 

Last night (Saturday, February 17), I attended another event with Ultraman suit actor Bin Furuya. I arrived late due to my work schedule, and by the time I arrived the festivities were already winding down. Luckily, I was able to attend the after-party that started immediately thereafter. 

When Furuya-san arrived at the izakaya for the after-party, he asked me to stand up and proceeded to tell the folks in attendance about my March plans. He also shared a story about going to a restaurant in Chicago with Akira Takarada and me, recalling how much I ate and drank there. Well, it was a fun memory for me, too!

Furuya-san sat with my table two separate times during the evening, during which he was seated directly next to me. We talked about his interest in James Dean, the movie Shane (1953), and Japanese pro wrestler Rikidozan. There was also a fascinating talk about some of his recent signing events. 

Funnily enough, Furuya-san  recalled the time he called me on my cell phone when I happened to be on a date with a girl in December 2021. I guess he thought things were a lot more serious between her and me than they actually were! (But, hey, who could blame him?)

It was also pretty fun to hear Furuya-san use more English words. I'd actually never heard him use so many before. It was quite fascinating to hear due to the fact that it's rather rare in my experience.

Furuya-san was also great about putting his arm around your shoulder or making physical contact in some other way. After all, who wouldn't want to get that kind of affirmation from Ultraman himself?

Suffice it to say, it was another fun evening with the man from M78. Of course, my interest in Furuya-san is as much rooted in his early Toho roles as it is with his more impressive turns at Tsuburaya Productions, but I'll happily take both. Many thanks to Furuya-san for another great evening!

Kicking Off the New Year with Ultraman!

Bin Furuya. Photo by Brett Homenick.

On the evening of Saturday, January 20, I attended an event hosted by Ultraman himself, Bin Furuya. Due to my work schedule (how often have you heard me say that?), I arrived late. When I arrived at the first venue, Furuya-san was sitting with some event staff members at a table while the rest of the attendees were in a screening room, watching a video.

When I arrived, Furuya-san greeted me in English, which I've rarely heard him do over the years. I sat with Furuya-san for a few minutes at his table before the video ended, and the audience came back out. He even kindly bought me a sports drink from a nearby vending machine during that time -- how cool is that?!

After the first event wrapped, many of the attendees headed out to an izakaya for an after-party. Furuya-san, of course, came, too, and he was happy to mix and mingle with the attendees. The photos above and below will attest to that.

Despite the cold and dreary weather (there were some predictions it would snow, but thankfully it just rained), it was well worth attending, and I hope to do it again soon!

Paying Respects to the Actor Behind 'Ultraman's' Ito

A young mangaka, Akiko Fukushima, and Bin Furuya. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Yesterday (Thursday, November 23), I was able to join a unique event held in Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture, celebrating the life of the actor Masanari Nihei. Billed as a "garden party," this event was actually held at Nihei-san's home where his family still lives. It was an incredible opportunity and one I couldn't pass up.

Akiko Fukushima with a shikishi board featuring a drawing of her late husband. Photo by Brett Homenick.

For those of you not in the know, Nihei-san got his big break in 1966 when Ultraman (1966-67) was launched on Japanese television. Playing Science Patrol member Ito (Ide in the Japanese version), he would ultimately become one of the most recognizable characters in the Ultra-franchise.

With Bin Furuya.

After arriving at Kamakura Station, I took a taxi directly to the Nihei home. The taxi ride was a bit longer than I expected, and the route back to the station was -- shall we say -- a bit less than clear to me. Thankfully, though, I left the event with the group, so I could find my way back with no issues whatsoever.

On hand for the festivities were his widow Akiko Fukushima and one of their two daughters, Kazuka. Fukushima-san, a professional photographer, married Nihei-san in 1972, and they stayed married until his passing on August 21, 2021. The pair prepared and served food and drinks to the guests in backyard of their home.

The view of the Pacific Ocean from a point near the Nihei home. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Bin Furuya, the legendary suit actor who portrayed the original Ultraman, as well as Amagi in the follow-up series Ultra Seven (1967-68), was the guest of honor. He was a fellow Toho New Face with Nihei-san in the same class. So, suffice it to say, their history together dates back much further than Ultraman. 

Another view of the Pacific Ocean with Mount Fuji in the distance. Photo by Brett Homenick.

A young female mangaka was in attendance, and she gave Nihei-san's widow a wonderful drawing of her late husband on a shikishi board (which you can see in photo that's second from the top of this blog post). 

Bin Furuya studies a toy of his alter ego. Photo by Brett Homenick.

As the event was winding down, our group headed to the nearby cemetery to pay our respects to Nihei-san at his grave. While there, we were mesmerized by the view of the ocean from a particular viewing spot from which you could also see Mount Fuji in the distance. What a sight it was!

I took a lot of photos at the garden party, so I'll just let them speak for themselves. There's really not much else to say -- we were there to hang out and have fun. 

I guess I should add that we all got a souvenir for attending -- a commemorative mini poster (about a fraction of the size of an average sheet of paper) on glossy stock with the aforementioned mangaka's rendering of Nihei-san and Furura-san on it, signed by Furuya-san himself. It's quite a cool keepsake!

A Reunion of Two Toho and Tsuburaya Pro Legends!

Bin Furuya poses with actress Wakako Tanabe in front of a Gamera Super Monster (1980) poster. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Saturday, August 12, was an interesting day for me. I had to work that day, as usual, but I also committed to attend a dinner in Daikanyama with some of my work colleagues. After I agreed to attend, however, I found out about an event with Bin Furuya, the original Ultraman (1966-67) suit actor himself, and actress Wakako Tanabe to be held in Jimbocho. I was in luck, however, because the timing of the event ensured that I had just enough time to finish work, stop by Jimbocho for about an hour, and then head over to my dinner. Ultimately, everything worked out according to plan. 

Naturally, I arrived a bit late. Shortly after I took my seat (toward the back of the room), Furuya-san saw me and gave me a shout-out in the middle of his interview. After Furuya-san wrapped up talking about his days at Toho, it was time for Tanabe-san to talk about her days as an actress at Toho and Tsuburaya Productions.

Tanabe-san would be best remembered by kaiju fans in the U.S. as the unfortunate victim who gets eaten by Gaira at the airport in War of the Gargantuas (1966). She played Torahata's companion while he speaks to Kumayama on the phone in Godzilla vs. the Thing (a.k.a. Mothra vs. Godzilla, 1964), as well as a Kilaak in Destroy All Monsters (1968). Her other action/tokusatsu credits include: The Lost World of Sinbad (1963), Ironfinger (1965), episode 19 of Ultra Q (1966), episode 45 of Ultra Seven (1967-68), episode 21 of Fight! Mighty Jack (1968), episode 8 of Operation: Mystery! (1968-69), Konto 55: Space Adventure (1969), and episode 12 of Horror Theater Unbalance (1973).

In between Wakako Tanabe and Bin Furuya.

Tanabe-san presented a slideshow featuring photos taken in more recent years with actors Yosuke Natsuki and Hisaya Morishige, as well as director Shue Matsubayashi. She described her relationship with these Toho legends toward the end of their lives and what they were like offscreen.

When I got close enough in line for Tanabe-san to see me, she said "Wow!" and instantly recognized me, even though we'd only met twice before (including our 2018 interview). When I knelt down next to her to take our photo, she asked if I recognized her, which obviously I did. (I mean, how could I not?!) The only downside is that there wasn't much -- OK, any -- time to chat, as the line had to keep moving, and I had to leave. But it was well worth it, even if our interaction was all too brief.

With director Minoru Kawasaki. Photo by Brett Homenick.

And, as an added bonus, director Minoru Kawasaki showed up, too, to join the festivities. All in all, it was a great event (especially for the limited time I was able to spend there), and I'm relieved the timing worked out as well as it did. I hope to see Tanabe-san for a longer period of time soon!

Ultraman Soars in Kamakura!

The toy store Choppe along Komachi-dori in Kamakura. Photo by Brett Homenick.

On Saturday, August 5, I went to Kamakura to attend an event with Bin Furuya, the original Ultraman suit actor himself. Along the way, I passed Choppe, one of my favorite sights in Kamakura. The old-fashioned toy store has been in business since 1924!

It'd been a long time since I was in Kamakura (the last visit was in those pre-pandemic days), so it was nice to walk around an area I used to visit quite frequently. 

A Science Patrol uniform on display. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Also in attendance was Masanari Nihei's daughter Kazuka, whom I met earlier this year. It was great to see her again, and I also met her husband for the first time.

A collage of Masanari Nihei photos. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Interestingly, it turns out that he has never seen his father-in-law in the original Ultraman (1966-67) series, though he did say that he plans to change that soon.

I was at the venue for a few minutes before Furuya-san showed up. He gave me a surprising, long-lasting bear hug from behind. 

Yours truly posing with all the Ultraman items on display.

I was so surprised by it that I compared him to the late Japanese pro wrestler Rikidozan. 

Kazuka, Masanari Nihei's daughter. Photo by Brett Homenick.

At the beginning, all attendees introduced themselves for about three minutes each. When it came to me, I talked about my hometown, where I live now, my interest in Japanese movies, talked about how Shigeo Kato used to live in Kamakura and how he was an actor in many Akira Kurosawa movies.

Bin Furuya. Photo by Brett Homenick.

I also pointed out that Furuya-san appeared in a Kurosawa movie, too, before handing the floor back to Furuya-san, who then commented on how much my Japanese has improved since we first met. (I guess it technically has, but really not by much.)

The venue was a bit small and was fully packed with attendees, which isn't a great combination on a hot August night in Japan. So Furuya-san and a couple of other attendees took a break outside, and I took the opportunity to join them. 

We posed for some obligatory photos while continuing the chat from earlier on. By this point, two hours had passed, so I decided it was time to begin my long journey home. 

And that's a wrap! Everyone was quite friendly, and the guests were a lot of fun. It was also great to visit Kamakura again after a few years.

Oh, I guess I should mention that there was a huge train delay getting back home, which naturally I wasn't thrilled about, but ultimately it didn't matter much. It just made sitting on a packed train in the middle of August even less enjoyable, but there you go.

The event itself went smoothly, which is all you can ask for. And it was great to see Kamakura again.

The scene from Kamakura Station. Photo by Brett Homenick.

I took this photo from the train platform of Kamakura Station. Can't wait to go back there!