ONE YEAR LATER! Hanging Out with Yamamoto-san Again in Koenji!

Hiroshi Yamamoto. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Today (Monday, March 25), I was pleased to spend a couple of hours with Hiroshi Yamamoto. We met up near his home in Koenji and went to cafe to have a lengthy discussion about his career in the entertainment industry. Back in April of 2023, we hung out again for the first time in about eight years, so I'm glad we managed to get together before another eight years had passed.

Hiroshi Yamamoto poses with a VHS copy of Gamera Super Monster (1980) from his personal collection. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Yamamoto-san and I first met at an event for the late Sonny Chiba in April 2013 and have kept in touch on and off since then. Yamamoto-san worked in the post-production end of numerous tokusatsu productions, both on film and television, from the late 1970s through the early '90s.

Of particular note, Yamamoto-san has worked with director Kinji Fukasaku on projects like Message from Space (1978), Samurai Reincarnation (1981), and Legend of the Eight Samurai (1983). Some of his other credits include Gamera Super Monster (1980), G.I. Samurai (1979), and numerous Toei superhero programs, lending those projects his company's expertise in video techniques.

One interesting tidbit I learned was that Yamamoto-san is especially proud of his work on Samurai Reincarnation, and it's his favorite of his own work. I've never seen that film, so now I've got to check it out.

Before we parted ways, Yamamoto-san gave me a VHS copy of the live-action tokusatsu actioner 8 Man (1992), on which he worked as a producer. Yamamoto-san insisted I take it, and, since he has another copy at home, I felt it was OK to accept. 

It was a great afternoon with a wonderful gent. I hope we'll get a chance to hang out again someday.

A Fun Evening Hearing About Tokusatsu History!

Hiroshi Yamamoto. Photo by Brett Homenick.

On Thursday night, April 13, I spent the evening with Hiroshi Yamamoto, a friendly gent I met almost exactly 10 years ago. We first met at an event for the late Sonny Chiba in April 2013, and who would have guessed that we'd still be hanging out 10 years later?

Yamamoto-san worked in the post-production end of numerous tokusatsu productions, both on film and television, from the late 1970s through the early '90s. He talked about how meticulous director Kinji Fukasaku was on projects like Message from Space (1978) and Legend of the Eight Samurai (1983), while noting how gentle and even passive Noriaki Yuasa was during the making of Gamera Super Monster (1980). He also described the kindness of Toei/Tsuburaya tokusatsu director Nobuo Yajima, whom he got to know quite well.

It'd been quite a few years since I last visited Yamamoto-san, which I really regret. I'm glad we had a chance to catch up again after so many years. Yamamoto-san updated me about his current pursuits in the entertainment business. At 77, I'm glad he is staying active.

I look forward to meeting Yamamoto-san again soon!

An Evening with a Gamera Series Legend!

Mach Fumiake. Photo by Brett Homenick.

On Saturday evening, December 4, I had the privilege of meeting the star of the first Gamera movie I ever saw: Gamera Super Monster (1980). The actress in question is Mach Fumiake, who helped make Gamera Super Monster a childhood favorite of mine.

Fumiake-san is extremely outgoing and friendly, so it was easy to chat with her. I told her about how much I enjoyed Super Monster as a youngster and how excited I was to meet her.

Of course, it wasn't just Fumiake-san on hand. Another featured guest was none other than Toho SFX legend Eiichi Asada!

Eiichi Asada. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Of course, I've gotten to know Asada-san quite well over the years, and hanging out with him is always a lot of fun. He's certainly one of the friendliest people I've met in Japan.

What a fun evening! It far exceeded my expectations and was probably the most fun I'd had at event in a long time. I just hope to have the chance to do it again!

GAMERA RETURNS! Visiting a Super Monster Filming Location!

The Shinjuku Sumitomo Building (left) and the Shinjuku Mitsui Building (right). Photo by Brett Homenick.

Many Godzilla fans know that the Shinjuku Sumitomo Building was prominently featured in Godzilla 1985 (1984), as Godzilla not only collapses into it following his first confrontation with the Super X, but Godzilla also pushes the building onto the Super X after he defeats it. 

However, the Shinjuku Sumitomo Building makes another appearance in a kaiju flick from the '80s, but this time it's Gamera's turn! In Gamera Super Monster (1980), when Gamera makes his first appearance in the movie, he flies over these dueling skyscrapers in Shinjuku -- the Shinjuku Sumitomo Building and the Shinjuku Mitsui Building.

Many of the scenes in Gamera Super Monster were filmed in Shinjuku, but when you consider all the changes that have taken in the last thirty-plus years, most of the locations are no longer recognizable. At least these two office buildings still look the same!

I always get a kick out of seeing these filming locations in person. There are plenty of places still out there to visit, but you won't find the best ones in any English-language publication. I'll continue to dig these locations up, so stay tuned!

DINING AND TOKUSATSU TALK! Meeting an Old Friend for Food and Fun!

Hiroshi Yamamoto holds a copy of the tokusatsu actioner 8 Man (1992), on which he served as producer. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Last night I enjoyed dinner with Hiroshi Yamamoto, a true gentleman who was worked on numerous tokusatsu films and TV programs. I first met Yamamoto-san at the Sonny Chiba birthday celebration in April 2013, and we've stayed in touch since then.

Yamamoto-san shows off his coveted Ultraman ring, a rare memento only given to those lucky few who work for Tsuburaya Productions, as he did. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

Yamamoto-san worked on such films as Message from Space (1978), Gamera Super Monster (1980), Time Slip (1979), and numerous Toei superhero programs, lending those projects his company's expertise in video techniques. For example, he helped with the SFX for the scene in which the heroes are swimming in space in Message from Space, as well as the opening shot of Gamera Super Monster in which the Zanon spaceship does its best Star Wars imitation.

Aside from his professional accomplishments, Yamamoto-san is a kaiju eiga fan, much like myself. We talked a lot about the Toho classics from the 1950s and '60s, with which he is very familiar. Many thanks to Yamamoto-san for such an enjoyable dinner!

NIISAN TAKAHASHI: 1926-2015

Screenwriter Niisan Takahashi left an indelible mark on the history of Japanese monster movies. Photo by Brett Homenick.

I'm very saddened to report the passing of Showa Gamera series scribe Niisan Takahashi on May 5, 2015. He was 89. Takahashi-san was a screenwriter at Daiei Studios during its heyday, and he wrote all the screenplays for the early Gamera films, starting with Gammera the Invincible (1965) and culminating with Gamera Super Monster (1980).

Takahashi-san speaks about his life and career during a rare interview. Photo by Brett Homenick.

I had the distinct privilege of meeting Takahashi-san on two occasions (in the fall of 2012 and spring of 2013). Both times, my friend Yasushi and I went to a Coco's restaurant near his home in Chigasaki, Kanagawa. During our first meeting, I learned something quite fascinating about Takahashi-san, which I posted about elsewhere on this blog and will quote here:

The most fascinating thing I learned is that Mr. Takahashi has a middle Christian name. No, he wasn't born with it, but he took it on after a tragic event happened in his life. On December 31, 1982, his wife passed away after a lengthy illness. She was a Christian, so Takahashi-san researched notable Christians who also passed away on New Year's Eve. One he discovered was Pope Sylvester I, who died on December 31, 335. Takahashi-san decided to make Sylvester his adopted middle name in honor of his wife.

Posing for photos with Takahashi-san after completing an interview in the spring of 2013.

Takahashi-san was extremely friendly, giving me many gifts he had acquired over the years related to the Gamera series. These items included books and DVDs, and he was quite happy to sign anything we asked. During our last meeting, he wanted to sing the theme song he wrote for a movie called I Am Five Years Old (1970), which was also directed by Gamera series director Noriaki Yuasa. He was always proud of this song and wanted to share it with me.

My friend Yasushi and I conducted a lengthy interview with Takahashi-san, and I hope it will eventually get completed.

Rest in peace, Takahashi-san. I will always remember your kindness.