Nikkatsu Actress Masako Izumi Passes Away at 77

Masako Izumi in February 2015. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Nikkatsu starlet Masako Izumi passed away on July 9 at 1:03 p.m. at her home after a battle with an undisclosed form of cancer. She was 77.

Ms. Izumi, who was born on July 31, 1947, began her acting career in 1958 and quickly became a star when she signed with Nikkatsu Studios in the early 1960s. At Nikkatsu, she starred in such films as Toshio Masuda's tragic World War II drama Monument to the Girls' Corps (1968), Seijun Suzuki's Tattooed Life (1965), and Kirio Urayama's Each Day I Cry (1963).

Masako Izumi holds a poster for her film The Bride Is 15 Years Old (1964) in February 2019. Photo by Brett Homenick.

I was fortunate enough to meet Ms. Izumi multiple times at various events between 2015 and 2023. You can tell by the photos accompanying this blog post that she was always fun to spend time with. Unlike many Japanese actresses who attain a certainly level of fame, she was about as easygoing and unpretentious as it gets. 

Masako Izumi under a poster for her film Thank You for the Tears (1965) in January 2016. Photo by Brett Homenick.

A very interesting story that Ms. Izumi once shared is that she was offered a part in the movie Sanjuro (1962) personally by Akira Kurosawa. However, she had just signed with Nikkatsu Studios at the time, so she couldn't join Kurosawa's production. The part she was offered ended up going to Toho actress Reiko Dan.

With Masako Izumi in June 2023.

Another fun story is that Ms. Izumi watched some of the monster scenes in Gappa the Triphibian Monster (1967) being filmed at Nikkatsu. It was her first time to see the production side of tokusatsu in person, so it left quite an impression on her.

With Masako Izumi in January 2016.

Aside from being a prolific Nikkatsu Studios actress during the 1960s, she turned her attention to becoming an adventurer in the 1980s, attempting to become the first woman to visit the North Pole on foot and sled in 1985.

Masako Izumi poses with a poster for Toshio Masuda's Monument to the Girls' Corps (1968) in June 2023. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Unfortunately, she was not able to complete her attempt, and another woman, Ann Bancroft (not the actress with the similar name), became the first in 1986. Undaunted, Ms. Izumi became only the second woman to travel to the North Pole in 1989.

Masako Izumi in January 2016. Photo by Brett Homenick.

According to NHK, Ms. Izumi fell in May of this year and was hospitalized in Tokyo. While recovering at home, her health suddenly declined, and she passed away. 

Ms. Izumi leaves behind an acting legacy few Japanese actresses of the Showa era can match. May she rest in peace.

Yoko Yamamoto, Star of Nikkatsu's Kaiju Feature 'Gappa,' Passes Away at Age 81

A 1977 portrait of actress Yoko Yamamoto on display at the Yamamoto Noriten shop in Nihombashi, Tokyo. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Actress Yoko Yamamoto passed away on February 20 at a hospital in Atami, Shizuoka Prefecture (where she had been living since turning 70), at the age of 81. The exact cause of her passing has not been disclosed, with most sources simply reporting that it was due to an illness. Notably, she appeared on the television talk show Tetsuko's Room on February 2, and, according to media reports, her passing was sudden and unexpected by those who knew her. The same articles indicate that a funeral has not yet been held.

Yoko Yamamoto welcomes you to the Yamamoto Noriten shop in Nihombashi. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Yoko Yamamoto was born on March 17, 1942, and joined Nikkatsu Studios in 1963 (debuting in 1964) as part of the studio's 7th New Face class. While never quite reaching the levels of stardom attained by some of her contemporaries like Sayuri Yoshinaga, she went on to star in Nikkatsu's sole kaiju outing, 1967's Gappa the Triphibian Monster (a.k.a. Monster from a Prehistoric Planet). Also in 1967, Yamamoto signed a contract with Yamamoto Noriten, a company that specializes in seaweed products.

The Guinness World Records certificate om display at the Yamamoto Noriten shop in Nihombashi, Tokyo. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Almost 60 years later, Yamamoto remained the face of the company. In November 2009, she was officially recognized by Guinness World Records as being the longest-serving house model for the same company. In 2023, she celebrated her 60th anniversary in the entertainment business.

A 1975 portrait of actress Yoko Yamamoto on display at the Yamamoto Noriten shop in Nihombashi, Tokyo. Photo by Brett Homenick.

In March 2018, I visited the Yamamoto Noriten shop in Nihombashi and took some photos relevant to Ms. Yamamoto's career, which you can see in this blog post. While I never had the privilege of meeting Ms. Yamamoto in the flesh, I've always enjoyed her performance in Gappa, which is a perennial favorite of mine.

A 1975 portrait of actress Yoko Yamamoto on display at the Yamamoto Noriten shop in Nihombashi, Tokyo. Photo by Brett Homenick.

RIP, Yoko Yamamoto.

A Dramatic Reading Gets Much More Dramatic Afterward!

Masanori Machida. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Last night (Saturday, January 27), I made my way to another dramatic reading performed by Masanori Machida. This time, Machida-san's story was less a recital of a script and more like a miniature play, featuring several other actors who weren't reading from a script. The story centered around an old woman who wanted to look young and beautiful, so she sought out plastic surgery. It was quite interesting and was a nice change of pace.

Suffice it to say, I came to the venue prepared. After the performance, I brought quite a few DVDs and Blu-rays that feature Machida-san. Most were public-domain releases of Monster from a Prehistoric Planet (1967), which is one of my favorite kaiju movies. On one release, it's paired with Yongary, Monster from the Deep (1967), as well as the Roger Corman edit of the Soviet film Voyage to the Prehistoric Planet (1965), another favorite.

I thought it would be cool to have Machida-san pose with these various releases before signing them. The photos turned out great, as did the autographs. With that said, here are some of the shots I was able to get. Enjoy!

Another Fun Evening of Dramatic Readings!

Masanori Machida. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Earlier tonight (Sunday, October 22), I attended another dramatic reading with the great Masanori Machida. As always, it was great to see him again.

Masanori Machida. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Next month, there's an event centered on a movie in which he appears, so I asked him if he would join that event. He told me he wouldn't have a chance due to his stage acting. It's too bad, but at least I got my answer.

One of the performers didn't use a script when she spoke. But there was an assistant behind the curtain who would feed her her lines when she forgot them. You could hear the assistant whispering the lines more than a few times throughout her performance. It was pretty awkward to see, but also slightly amusing. 

Not much else to say, so that's a wrap. It's still only October, but it's gotten quite cold in Tokyo, so it looks like winter's starting early this year.

All the Drama You Can Take at a Dramatic Reading!

Masanori Machida. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Earlier tonight (Sunday, August 27), I went to another dramatic reading with Masanori Machida. It'd been a while since I last saw him at one of these readings, and as always it was a lot of fun. Not much else to say, really, so let's look at the highlights.

Attending a Live Performance That Was All the Way Live!

Masanori Machida. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Earlier tonight (Sunday, May 28), I attended another live performance by Masanori Machida. These events are always a fun way to spend a Sunday afternoon or evening. Machida-san is always a cool cat.

I actually wasn't sure whether I would attend just because I found myself a bit busy earlier in the day, but, when I finished with enough time to attend, I decided to do it. I couldn't attend last month's performance because it was held on a Thursday, and it interfered with my work schedule. 

Tonight more than made up for that, however. As always, it was great to spend some time with Machida-san. Can't wait to do it again!

Clark Kent Comes to Tokyo? No, It's Machida-san!

Masanori Machida. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Earlier tonight (Sunday, March 26), I attended another dramatic reading featuring the great Masanori Machida. Actually, I arrived late to the show, but I was quite surprised to find that the show was literally wrapping up as I entered! I was particularly surprised because last month's performance went on much longer than I expected. Perhaps the heavy rains kept a performer or two away -- in any case, it was interesting that the show ended so soon.

Masanori Machida. Photo by Brett Homenick.

I had a few screen grabs on my phone from The Green Slime (1968), in which Machida-san played one of the aliens. I wanted to confirm that he played the very first alien that we see in the film in its full form -- the one writhing on the floor next to the "Danger High Voltage" sign that Robert Horton wants to shoot with a laser gun before he's talked out of it. (A net is fired on in instead.) Machida-san looked at the grabs and confirmed that was him.

I told Machida-san that he looked cool in his costume and that he looked like a detective. He told me that, in today's story, he played a character who wants to become Superman, so he dressed like Clark Kent. I thought that sounded great, and it made me regret that I missed his performance. 

Despite the miserable weather, it was a fun evening. Many thanks to Machida-san!

A Windy Evening in the Company of a Great Performer!

Masanori Machida. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Earlier tonight (Sunday, February 26), I attended yet another dramatic reading featuring actor Masanori Machida. Actually, by the time I arrived, Machida-san had already given his performance, so I missed it, unfortunately. Interestingly, there were probably more people in attendance than I'd ever seen before, and there seemed to be mostly brand-new staff members there, too, as there were plenty of new faces and very few people I recognized.

I brought a flyer for the Laputa Asagaya's Science Fiction Film Festival for Machida-san to sign. Since The Green Slime (1968) was one of the featured films in the program, it was certainly a relevant item for him to sign. I was surprised to find out that Machida-san didn't know about the screenings. I figured he must have known about it, so I regret not giving him a heads-up about it.

After signing the flyer, Machida-san stepped away to greet other audience members and then came back to me and asked me if I wanted to take photos. Of course I did! As usual, it was quite fun. A big thanks to Machida-san for another fun evening!

A Dramatic Reading for a Cold Evening in Tokyo!

Masanori Machida. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Earlier tonight, Sunday, January 29, I met Masanori Machida again for the first time this year. I arrived to his performance later than usual, due to my having to squeeze it in between two film screenings. (The agony of having so many things to do at the same time!)

Masanori Machida. Photo by Brett Homenick.

I arrived after Machida-san gave his dramatic reading, and only got to see the last half or so of the performance of another actor. After he finished, the entire cast came out to thank the audience and to promote whatever they had to promote. One performer came out dressed as a telephone (!), so I probably missed something quite amusing in that performance.

When Machida-san wasn't busy chatting with other attendees, I asked him to sign a Gappa bromide card, which he graciously did. Gappa is a favorite kaiju flick of mine, and it still amazes me that Nikkatsu's sole kaiju outing turned out as entertaining as it did.

We posed for the obligatory photos afterward, and it was Machida-san's idea to do the pose in the above photo. Hey, it's the perfect time to get into the kaiju spirit!

Ending 2022 with Excellent Company!

Masanori Machida. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Earlier tonight (Sunday, December 11), I attended another dramatic reading with Masanori Machida, which was the last one of the year. Unfortunately, I missed Machida-san's performance, but that didn't hamper the evening at all. In fact, it was still a lot of fun!

Masanori Machida signs bromide cards. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Earlier in the day, I went to Nakano Broadway and bought some Gappa the Triphibian Monster (1967) bromide cards (among other kaiju-related bromides) for Machida-san to sign. He commented that it would be a bit of a waste for him to sign the cards, but, on the contrary, I think it makes them even more special. Besides, one of the cards had some kid's doodle on the back, so it's not like these things are in pristine condition.

After signing the cards, I gave Machida-san a Christmas card. It's a 3D card of a Christmas tree that you can fold out and use as a display, and, once he realized that, he seemed rather amazed by it. It was certainly not your average Christmas card!

Another performer named Kyoko joined our conversation. She had never seen Gappa but was fascinated to see Machida-san in the cards I brought as a child actor. She confessed that she really hasn't seen any of Machida-san's movies. Interestingly, though, she did see several Heisei-era Godzilla films in real time.

And that's all for this fun evening. I always enjoy seeing Machida-san, and I think you can see why. What a cool cat!

A Dramatically Good Dramatic Reading!

Masanori Machida. Photo by Brett Homenick.

On Sunday, October 30, I took in yet another dramatic reading by actor Masanori Machida, one of my favorite people to visit in Japan. Machida-san always gives it his all, and this time was no exception.

After the performance, I spent some time chatting with Machida-san, who again told me a bit about an upcoming tokusatsu project he appears in that will come out fairly soon. I look forward to seeing it! He also mentioned a Q&A event that he will be participating in during the month of November.

 

I also asked Machida-san to sign a couple of items, which he did with no hesitation -- a really cool guy! As you can see from these photos, he enjoys mugging for the camera. He's always a blast to see, and I look forward to the next time I can!

Nikkatsu Studios in Chofu!

The entrance of Nikkatsu Studios. Photo by Brett Homenick.

I hadn't been to Nikkatsu Studios in many years when I visited the studio again on September 30. The studio certainly isn't glamourous, as you will see in the photos. But it's always fun to see where some great movies were made, including Gappa the Triphibian Monster (a.k.a. Monster from a Prehistoric Planet, 1967). Enjoy!