Eizo Yamagiwa, Director of Various Ultra-Shows, Passes Away at 92

Eizo Yamagiwa in July 2022. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Longtime Ultra-series director Eizo Yamagiwa passed away on November 28 at a Tokyo hospital from sepsis due to old age. A private funeral has already been held. He was 92. 

Born on July 22, 1932, Eizo Yamagiwa began his career in the film industry at Shintoho in the mid-1950s as an assistant director. During his time at the studio, he worked on the seventh entry in the Starman film series, Super Giant: The Space Mutant Appears (1958), which was one of the three Starman features that was eventually edited into the American release Evil Brain from Outer Space. 

Ultra-series alumni Shozo Uehara (left), Toshihiro Iijima (center), and Eizo Yamagiwa enjoy a chat in March 2016. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Yamagiwa-san also worked as an assistant director under Teruo Ishii at Shintoho before launching his career as a director of film and television. At Tsuburaya Productions, Yamagiwa-san directed episodes 15, 16, 17, 22, 23, 28, 29, 34, and 35 of Return of Ultraman (1971-72), episodes 3, 4, 9, 10, 15, 16, 21, 22, 28, 29, 38, and 39 of Ultraman Ace (1972-73), episodes 1, 2, 3, 10, 11, 14, 20, 21, 24, 25, 39, 40, 47, 48 (as well as episode 28 as special effects director) of Ultraman Taro (1973-74), and episodes 50 and 51 of Ultraman Leo (1974-75).

Mitsuhiro Sano, Keiji Takamine, Eizo Yamagiwa, and Shigemitsu Taguchi gather at an Ultraman Ace reunion in February 2019. Photo by Brett Homenick.

He also helmed episodes 3, 4, 14, and 15 of Silver Kamen (1971-72), episode 4 of Horror Theater Unbalance (1973), episodes 11 and 13 (as well as episode 11 as co-scriptwriter with Ei Ogawa) of Jekyll and Hyde (1973), and episodes 8, 9, 16, and 17 of the Submersion of Japan TV series (1974-75).

I first met Yamagiwa-san in March 2016 at a book-launch party for an Ultra Q (1966) tome. There were numerous luminaries in attendance from the world of tokusatsu, and Yamagiwa-san was among them. Even though I didn't know who he was at the time, Yamagiwa-san seemed surprised that an American was at the event, so he approached me. He gave me his business card, and, bowled over that he would come up and introduce himself to me, I asked that we take a picture together. Of course, it didn't take long for me to become familiar with Yamagiwa-san's work.

Eizo Yamagiwa in February 2019. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Over the years, we met several times at events and a couple of times on a personal level. In fact, a month after we first met, we went to a Chinese restaurant in Shibuya together and ate dinner. At that dinner, Yamagiwa-san signed and gave me a book about Return of Ultraman in which he participated as an interviewee. We also talked about various movies from around the world we enjoyed. One title I recall that Yamagiwa-san cited was 8 1/2 (1963). However, when I mentioned Ed Wood (1994), another movie about moviemaking, he wasn't familiar with it, which was to be expected.

Shigemitsu Taguchi (left), Eizo Yamagiwa (center), and Akihiko Iguchi gather to discuss their work on the '70s Ultra-series in November 2016. Photo by Brett Homenick.

As Yamagiwa-san got older, however, it became more and more difficult to meet up. I'd still catch him at an event here and there, but, when I would call him, we couldn't seem to get our schedules to match.

Eizo Yamagiwa interviewed at his home in November 2020. Photo by Brett Homenick.

In 2020, I began doing interviews again in a big way, and I was pleased that Yamagiwa-san agreed to do one with me. In fact, in the beginning, he wasn't sure he would participate at all. I guess he felt he'd given enough interviews on his work in the Ultra-series and wasn't too keen on doing any more. So he wanted to see a sample of the questions I wanted to ask before accepting.

With Eizo Yamagiwa in June 2018.

My translator mailed him the translated version of my questions, which covered a wide variety of topics, including his early life and his work at Shintoho, with the Starman series. It was apparently enough to get him to agree to the interview, as we conducted it just a few weeks later.

Eizo Yamagiwa next to his bookshelf in November 2020. Photo by Brett Homenick.

We did the interview at Yamagiwa-san's home in Eifuku. It was a fascinating history, and I'm very glad he shared it with me. I was especially interested in hearing about his work on the Starman series. In fact, after the interview, I told Yamagiwa-san how I first saw clips of the Starman movies on the old Muppet Babies cartoon show in America. I wanted to point out how the Starman movies became part of American pop culture in surprising ways. His reaction? I'll do my best at an exact quote from memory: "If that had been Japan, I would have tried to sue them." I guess my anecdote didn't go over very well.

Ultra-series veterans Susumu Kurobe (left), Mitsuko Hoshi (center), and Eizo Yamagiwa share the stage in June 2018. Photo by Brett Homenick.

My other memory from the interview is that Yamagiwa-san wanted his photo taken next to his bookshelf so that people could see his collection. I guess he was quite proud of it!

I last saw Yamagiwa-san at an event in July 2022. It was great to see him again there, and I finally was able to get him to sign something Starman-related. I had a DVD sleeve made from cardstock from an old Mill Creek 50-movie pack that included Evil Brain from Outer Space. I brought it for Yamagiwa-san to sign, and I told him it was the U.S. version of the Starman movie he worked on. I remember he did a great job of reading the U.S. title out loud from the DVD sleeve, which was fun to see.

After the event, I bumped into him again by chance as he was getting into a taxi as he was leaving. I said goodbye to him again as he entered the vehicle to go home. Little did I know I'd never see him in person again.

With Eizo Yamagiwa in November 2020.

To the best of my memory, I called him in May 2023, asking to meet up. He told me he was too old, so he had to decline my request. When I knew I was leaving Japan, I asked a mutual friend to try to arrange a meeting, hoping he would have better luck, but that didn't work, either. I wish I could have met him again before I left.

With Eizo Yamagiwa in July 2022.

Rest in peace, director. Your legacy in film lives on.

A Special 'Ultraman Ace' 50th Anniversary Event in Tokyo!

Shunichi Okita. Photo by Brett Homenick.

On Sunday, July 3, I attended a special book-launch event for a new tome chronicling the history of Ultraman Ace (1972-73), which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year.

One of the guests on hand was Shunichi Okita. Okita-san portrayed TAC member Ichiro Yamanaka in Ultraman Ace, but, prior to his signature role, Okita-san began as a Nikkatsu actor. He appears in the highly acclaimed crime thriller Tokyo Drifter (1966) and later appeared in a couple of Kihachi Okamoto films at Toho: Red Lion (1969) and Battle of Okinawa (1971). It had been years since I last saw Okita-san, so it was great to see him again.

Eizo Yamagiwa. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Another great guest was Tsuburaya Productions director Eizo Yamagiwa. Earlier in his career at Shintoho, Yamagiwa-san worked on the seventh Starman actioner, Super Giant: The Space Mutant Appears (1958), which was later edited into the cult classic Evil Brain from Outer Space. At the end of the 1960s, Yamagiwa-san joined Tsuburaya Productions as a director, helming such TV programs as Return of Ultraman (1971-72), Ultraman Ace, Ultraman Taro (1973-74), and Ultraman Leo (1974-75), among others. He also directed episodes of Silver Kamen (1971-72) and the Submersion of Japan TV series (1974-75).

I brought a DVD sleeve from the Tales of Terror Mill Creek Entertainment 50-movie pack that had Evil Brain from Outer Space for Yamagiwa-san to sign. I explained that it was the American version of the Starman movie he worked on, and he read out the title of the movie in English. 

Eiichi Kikuchi. Photo by Brett Homenick.

A surprise guest was Eiichi Kikuchi, who is principally known as Ultraman Jack's suit actor in Return of Ultraman. Kikuchi-san also donned the Ultra Seven suit in Ultra Seven (1967-68) for two episodes (14 and 15). He also tussles with Sean Connery in You Only Live Twice (1967).

As you can see, he loves striking various Ultra-poses for the gathered paparazzi!

There were also some cool items on display, like Okita-san's TAC uniform from Ultraman Ace.

Various scripts from the show were on display, too.

In the end, though, hanging out is what it's all about! That's the highlight of any such event for me, and I think these photos demonstrate that very well.

I was especially happy to see Yamagiwa-san doing well. He turns 90 years old later this month!

Yes, I'd say the guests had a great time...

... by looking at these photos.

 And that's all for now. See you next time!

Eizo Yamagiwa Q&A Now Up at Vantage Point Interviews!

With Eizo Yamagiwa.

Another brand-new interview is now live at Vantage Point Interviews: my November 2020 Q&A with Tsuburaya Productions director Eizo Yamagiwa. Yamagiwa-san discusses his early life during World War II, as well as his start at Shintoho in the mid-1950s. At Shintoho, he worked on the seventh Starman actioner Super Giant: The Space Mutant Appears (1958), which was later edited into the cult classic Evil Brain from Outer Space.

At the end of the 1960s, Yamagiwa-san joined Tsuburaya Productions as a director, helming such TV programs as Return of Ultraman (1971-72), Ultraman Ace (1972-73), Ultraman Taro (1973-74), and Ultraman Leo (1974-75), among others. He also directed episodes of Silver Kamen (1971-72) and the Submersion of Japan TV series (1974-75). Yamagiwa-san discusses these productions and much more in our interview. 

With such incredible, in-depth interviews, Vantage Point Interviews continues to prove that content is king!

An Ultra-Afternoon with an Ultra-Director!

Eizo Yamagiwa in his home. Photo by Brett Homenick.

I had the distinct privilege today of conducting a lengthy interview with Ultra-series director Eizo Yamagiwa in his home. We covered a variety of topics -- not just on his work on the '70s Ultra-series, but also going back to working at Shintoho in the 1950s. We covered all that and much more.

It was a very enlightening interview with one of the most accomplished directors in TV tokusatsu history.  I'm very excited to share it on Vantage Point Interviews in the near future.

Shozo Uehara, Prolific Japanese Superhero TV Writer, Passes Away at 82

Shozo Uehara in March 2016. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Legendary Japanese television writer Shozo Uehara, whose career spanned decades and involved both tokusatsu and anime, passed away on January 2 of liver cancer. He was 82.

Shozo Uehara was born on February 6, 1937, in Naha, Okinawa. During his career, he wrote episodes of Ultra Q (1966), Ultraman (1966-67), Ultra Seven (1967-68), Return of Ultraman (1971-72), Ultraman Ace (1972-73), Zone Fighter (1973), and Ultraman Taro (1973-74) before penning many of the Super Sentai, Kamen Rider, and Metal Hero series for Toei Studios.

Shozo Uehara (left) shares a laugh with Ultra-series directors Toshihiro Iijima and Eizo Yamagiwa. Photo by Brett Homenick.

I had the privilege of meeting Uehara-san in March 2016 at a launch party for an Ultra Q book. Many veterans from Tsuburaya Productions were on hand for the event, and it was great to see the camaraderie among them. 

In between Tsuburaya Productions writers Shozo Uehara (left) and Hiroyasu Yamaura.

Uehara-san leaves behind a legacy that few others could match, and his imagination has influenced more tokusatsu and anime productions in the last several decades than those of most other writers. Thank you for the years of entertainment. Rest in peace, Uehara-san. 

YAPOOL, BEWARE! An Ultraman Ace Reunion Flies into Tokyo!

Mitsuhiro Sano, Keiji Takamine, Eizo Yamagiwa, and Shigemitsu Taguchi gather at a recent Ultraman Ace reunion. Photo by Brett Homenick.

On Sunday, February 17, I attended a Showa Hero event that featured a reunion of four key alumni of Tsuburaya Productions' Ultraman Ace (1972-73) that featured the series' director, main writer, star, and co-star.

Shigemitsu Taguchi. Photo by Brett Homenick.

First was Shigemitsu Taguchi. Among other series, Taguchi-san has written for Return of Ultraman (1971-72), Mirrorman (1971-72), Ultraman Ace, Jumborg Ace (1973), Ultraman Taro (1973-74), and Ultraman Leo (1974-75).

Taguchi-san is a great guy, and I always enjoy seeing him. I brought a DVD booklet from Ultraman Leo for him to sign.

Eizo Yamagiwa. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Next was director Eizo Yamagiwa. Yamagiwa-san worked as an assistant director with Teruo Ishii and went on to direct numerous episodes of Return of Ultraman (1971-72), Ultraman Ace, Ultraman Taro (1973-74), and Ultraman Leo (1974-75) at Tsuburaya Productions. He also helmed episodes of Silver Kamen (1971-72) and the Submersion of Japan TV series (1974-75).

I've met Yamagiwa-san several times since 2016. I was particularly glad to see that he's doing well and is still very healthy. Even though he can seem reserved quite often, he is very friendly, as the above photo demonstrates.

Mitsuhiro Sano. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Also on hand (as a surprise guest) was Mitsuhiro Sano, who played Terrible Monster Attacking Crew (TAC) member Kozo Yoshimura on Ultraman Ace. Sano-san also can be seen in episodes of Kaiketsu Zubat (1977), Star Wolf (1978), Kamen Rider Ryuki (2002-03), and Kamen Rider Decade (2009).

Coincidentally, prior to this event, I'd been thinking about how I should visit Sano-san again soon, as it had been several months since last seeing him. I still need to do that, but I'm pleased I had a chance to visit with him here.

Keiji Takamine. Photo by Brett Homenick.

I had met all the other guests on previous occasions, but this was my first time to meet Keiji Takamine, who starred in the series as TAC member Seiji Hokuto, one half of Ultraman Ace's human alter egos. 

Our meeting was rather brief, but it was still great to meet Takamine-san. I brought three items for him to sign, one of which was my Ultraman book I bought in 2015 at an exhibit in Yokosuka. It's been signed by an incredible number of alums who've worked on all the Showa-era Ultra-series in one form or another.

Overall, it was a great event, and almost 50 years later, Ultraman Ace still flies!

AN ULTRA-COOL EVENT! Ultraman Flies with Showa Hero!

Ultra-alumni Susumu Kurobe, Mitsuko Hoshi, and Eizo Yamagiwa share the stage. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

Today, I attended a great Showa Hero event featuring a trio of Ultra-guests. On hand for the event were Susumu Kurobe, Mitsuko Hoshi, and Eizo Yamagiwa. The event began with a Q&A. One anecdote of particular interest is that when the interview asked Kurobe-san which monster he liked, Kurobe-san immediately answered Dada. I found that quite fascinating.

 With Eizo Yamagiwa.

Early in his career, Yamagiwa-san worked as an assistant director with Teruo Ishii and went on to direct numerous episodes of Return of Ultraman (1971-72), Ultraman Ace (1972-73), Ultraman Taro (1973-74), and Ultraman Leo (1974-75) at Tsuburaya Productions. He also helmed episodes of Silver Kamen (1971-72) and the Submersion of Japan TV series (1974-75). I hadn't seen Yamagiwa-san in a while, and I was very happy to see that he's still doing well.

 With Susumu Kurobe.

We all Susumu Kurobe as Shin Hayata in the original Ultraman (1966-67), but I'm more familiar with his Toho work. With credits like Ghidrah the Three-Headed Monster (1964), Son of Godzilla (1967), King Kong Escapes (1967), Destroy All Monsters (1968), and Latitude Zero (1969), it shouldn't be hard to see why. I brought a DVD sleeve of Adventure in Kigan Castle (1966) for him to sign, which features him on the cover. He spent quite a bit of time looking at it and seemed surprised that he was on the cover. It was great to meet Kurobe-san again.

With Mitsuko Hoshi.

Last but certainly not least is Mitsuko Hoshi. She played TAC member Yuko Minami in Ultraman Ace (1972-73), one half of Ace's human alter ego, in episodes 1-28, 38, and 52. She can also be seen in episode 8 of Iron King (1972-73), episode 39 of Ultraman Taro (1973-74), episodes 39-52 of Denjin Zaborger (1974), and episode 44 of Ultraman Mebius (2006-07). She also appears in the movie Great Decisive Battle! The Super 8 Ultra Brothers (2008). Hoshi-san is a rare guest at events, so I was especially enthusiastic to meet her. She certainly did not disappoint and seemed just as enthusiastic as everyone else was to meet her.

Immediately after this event, I quickly made my way to the next one. More on that in the next blog post.

ULTRA-LEGENDS GATHER! Three Major Figures from the 1970s Discuss Ultraman!

Shigemitsu Taguchi, Eizo Yamagiwa, and Akihiko Iguchi gather to discuss their work on the '70s Ultra-series. Photo by Brett Homenick.

On Sunday, November 6, I was excited to attend an event that focused on the '70s Ultra-series. The guests of honor were three gentlemen who were instrumental in guiding the series in such a direction that they remain popular to this day. They were director Eizo Yamagiwa, writer Shigemitsu Taguchi, and designer Akihiko Iguchi. 

Akihiko Iguchi discusses his kaiju designs. Photo by Brett Homenick.

The event opened with screenings of an episode from three separate Ultra-series: Return of Ultraman (1971-72), Ultraman Ace (1972-73), and Ultraman Taro (1973-74). All three episodes were directed by Yamagiwa-san, written by Taguchi-san, and featured design work by Iguchi-san.

Shigemitsu Taguchi recalls writing the Ultra-series. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

The episodes were enjoyable, though I had already seen the Return of Ultraman and Ultraman Ace episodes that were screened. Following the screenings, a Q&A was held with all three guests in which they discussed their history with the various '70s Ultra-series and beyond.

Director Eizo Yamagiwa listens intently to a question. Photo by Brett Homenick.

When the Q&A wrapped, it was time for autographs. I had two Ultraman Taro DVD sleeves signed by all three guests. While taking pictures of the proceedings, Iguchi-san (whom I've met several times over the years) asked me to e-mail him copies of the photos I was taking. Consider it done!

Yours truly with all three guests of honor.

It was another excellent event. I'd met Iguchi-san and Yamagiwa-san several time in the past, but I met Taguchi-san for the first time. I was very pleased to meet him.

Hanging with Akihiko Iguchi. 

Shigemitsu Taguchi is a television writer whose credits cover most of what made '70s TV as cool as it was. He wrote episodes of Return of Ultraman, Mirrorman (1971-72), Ultraman Ace, Jumborg Ace (1973), Ultraman Taro, Ultraman Leo (1974-75), and many others. Taguchi-san was very friendly and happy to share his ideas that went into the Ultra-series.

With director Eizo Yamagiwa. 

For most of the evening, I sat with Iguchi-san and Yamagiwa-san during dinner. Iguchi-san in particular was a blast to hang out with. He's always has a great sense of humor! Toward the end of the evening, I joined Taguchi-san and got to speak with him about the Christian symbolism in Ultraman Ace.

A first-time meeting with Shigemitsu Taguchi.

I'd imagine a gathering like this won't happen very often again in the future, so whenever there's a chance to attend such events, I do my best to go. This one was another treat. Many thanks to everyone involved!

ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA IN TOKYO! A New Take on Shakespeare's Classic!

With longtime Tsuburaya Productions director Eizo Yamagiwa. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

On Sunday, I attended a play written by Hiroyasu Yamaura, a veteran screenwriter who has been involved with many tokusatsu productions on the big and small screen. Also in attendance was Eizo Yamagiwa, a director who helmed episodes of the various '70s-era Ultraman programs.

With Hiroyasu Yamaura.

The play itself was a lot of fun. It was a comedic play-within-a-play, ostensibly about Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra, but it was really about the love triangle (quadrangle, really!) involving the actors. Even though there were no monsters anywhere to be seen, it was extremely enjoyable.