Chanson Strikes Again in Tokyo!

Yoshiro Uchida. Photo by Brett Homenick.

The evening of Tuesday, August 18, saw my going to see the great Yoshiro Uchida perform chanson on a humid evening. Regular readers of this blog know that this is a regular ritual of mine, and it is one I quite enjoy.

I brought a DVD set of Gamera movies for Uchida-san to sign, which had already been signed by Destroy All Planets (1968) star Carl Craig. It was wonderful to add Uchida-san's signature to the disc. While Uchida-san was signing it, other patrons were fascinated to learn that he had been in a Gamera movie and were amused by it. See, folks, Gamera brings people together!

Not only that, but I also had a brief chat with an employee who shared her memories of living in Idaho around the year 2000. After the show, I hung out outside the venue with Uchida-san as we had a fun chat. He commented on my wearing shorts, which is a bit rare for me, so it made me laugh. What a fun night!

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.

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.

Another Evening of Chanson in Tokyo!

With Yoshiro Uchida.

On Thursday, May 14, I paid a visit to Gamera series star Yoshiro Uchida, who was performing chanson at a local venue in Tokyo. I hadn't seen Uchida-san in well over two years, so it was great to see him again. 

I had originally planned to show up unannounced at one of his performances and surprise him, but by coincidence Uchida-san learned that I was back in Japan and contacted me about my return. Oh, well, at least it was a fun thought!

All that aside, it really felt like old times again, and I was overjoyed to see Uchida-san sing chanson. What a fun evening it was!

An Afternoon with Gamera, Daimajin, and Jim Morgan!

Carl Craig with his old friend. Photo by Brett Homenick.

On Sunday, April 5, I was able to spend the day with Carl Craig, who (I'm sure we all know by now) played Jim Morgan in Gamera vs. Viras (Destroy All Planets, 1968). We met at Chofu Station at 11:00 a.m. to take some photos in front of the Gamera murals there. After that, we moved on to Kadokawa Daiei Studios for more Gamera-related shenanigans.

When we explained to the security staff at the studio that Carl was the child actor from Gamera vs. Viras, we got some smiles but not that studio tour we were kind of hoping for in the back of our minds. Oh, well -- you win some, you lose some!

Following our brief trip to Kadokawa Daiei Studios, Carl wanted to go bullet train-shopping at Hobby Center Kato in Shinjuku. Once that was complete, we made our way to Roppongi, did some more shopping, and ate lunch at Saizeriya. Afterward, we said our goodbyes and parted ways. 

It was great to catch up with Carl not once but twice during his trip to Japan. I still can't believe it had been 20 years since we last hung out. That aside, today was an incredible day, and I've got the proof below!

Gamera's Jim Morgan Through the Years: 2005 and 2007

Carl Craig with a Destroy All Planets/Noriaki Yuasa tribute polo shirt in July 2005. Photo by Brett Homenick.

This next batch of photos of Carl Craig (Jim Morgan in Gamera vs. Viras, a.k.a. Destroy All Planets, 1968) covers his Chicago appearances in July 2005 and July 2007, though most of the photos in this blog post are actually from 2005. (The 2007 photos only cover the recording of the Retromedia Destroy All Planets commentary track.) In 2005, Carl and I hosted a panel discussion that paid tribute to Noriaki Yuasa, who had passed away the previous year in 2004, photos of which can be found below.

Posing with Carl Craig with props from Gamera vs. Viras.

Carl Craig at his table.

Carl Craig meets Godzilla vs. the Smog Monster (1971) director Yoshimitsu Banno in July 2005. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Carl Craig and yours truly host the Noriaki Yuasa tribute panel discussion.

The photos below are from July 2007 when we recorded the Destroy All Planets commentary:

Recording the Destroy All Planets commentary track. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Gamera's Jim Morgan Through the Years: 2003

Carl Craig in July 2003. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Seeing Carl Craig (Jim Morgan in Gamera vs. Viras, a.k.a. Destroy All Planets, 1968) made me want to dust off some old photos and share them here. This batch is from Chicago in July 2003, during which I met Carl for the first time. Also in attendance was Gamera director Noriaki Yuasa, whom Carl hadn't seen in 35 years. These photos were taken with a disposal camera and aren't of the best quality, but I wanted to preserve them, so here you go. 

Carl Craig with Noriaki Yuasa (and Viras). Photo by Brett Homenick.

Yours truly wearing Noriaki Yuasa's hat.

Gamera's Jim Morgan Returns to Japan!

Carl Craig with his film debut. Photo by Brett Homenick.

When I lived in Japan during my first go-round, one area of disappoint was the lack of visits to the country from folks I'd interviewed who'd been involved in Japanese movies in one capacity or another. Several people talked about making the trek and meeting up over here, but it ended up almost never happening. Well, I haven't been back all that long, and already my luck has improved.

 

On Saturday, March 28, I was privileged to spend the evening with Carl Craig, the former child actor who played Jim Morgan in Gamera vs. Viras (a.k.a. Destroy All Planets, 1968). I'd met Carl a number of times during the 2000s at conventions, but it's still hard for me to believe that I hadn't seen him in the flesh since 2007 when we recorded the commentary track for Retromedia's Destroy All Planets DVD. Where did all that time go?

We met up in Akihabara and walked around the area with his family. While Carl's daughters went shopping, he shared many stories from his days in Japan, the Air Force, and a host of other topics. 

It was surprisingly difficult for us to find a restaurant that could accommodate five guests. I suppose that's because it was Akihabara on a Saturday night, but I was taken aback by how many times we were turned away due to lack of available space. By this time, Carl's daughters wanted to eat at a nearby McDonald's which is what we did. (Even in Japan, you can't go wrong with a little Scottish cuisine.)

Of course, there were obligatory photos taken and autographs signed. All in all, it was a fun evening with a friend I hadn't seen in person in nearly -- gulp! -- 20 years. I hope our next visit doesn't take another 20.