Keizo Murase, Legendary Kaiju Suitmaker, Passes Away at 89

Keizo Murase in October 2020. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Longtime kaiju suitmaker Keizo Murase passed away on October 14 at 8:21 p.m. at the age of 89. According to news reports, the cause of death was decompensated cirrhosis of the liver. 

Keizo Murase poses with an old friend in April 2019. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Murase-san's credits in the word of tokusatsu as a suitmaker are second to none. But I'll let the master himself tell his own story in my interviews with him, which can be read here and here. Those Q&As tell Murase-san's story better than I possibly could in this blog post.

Keizo Murase in March 2016. Photo by Brett Homenick.

To the best of my knowledge, I first met Murase-san at an event in May 2013. I subsequently met Murase-san in and around Tokyo numerous times and enjoyed interviewing him at his company more than once.

Keizo Murase chats with kaiju beam animator Sadao Iizuka in March 2016. Photo by Brett Homenick.

While I wasn't as close to him as I was with other Godzilla series alumni (as I recall, we spoke on the phone only once, and I received a New Year's greeting card from his company once or twice), I always enjoyed his friendly presence at the events his attended.

Keizo Murase poses with Ultra-series director Toshihiro Iijima in March 2016. Photo by Brett Homenick.

When I first interviewed him in April 2018, I remember he essentially showered me with gifts, presenting me with a Cast Co. bromide card set with photos from his career, as well as a copy of his book. It was a gesture I've always remembered and appreciated.

Keizo Murase in March 2016. Photo by Brett Homenick.

After the interview, which was held in Murase-san's workshop way out in Mizuho, Tokyo, I still had to teach a group lesson on the 10th floor of the Shinjuku Sumitomo Building (the same structure Godzilla crashes into after his first encounter with the Super X) that evening. Murase-san, who picked my translator and me from the nearby train station in his car, drove us back to the station when we were finished. Miraculously, I somehow made it to the lesson literally in the nick of time. Had I arrived even a minute later, I would have been late. It still amazes me how perfect the timing was, given the distances (and various modes of transportation) involved. 

Keizo Murase at his workshop in February 2024. Photo by Brett Homenick.

My last encounter with Murase-san was in February of this year, just before I left Japan. I visited his workshop one more time to interview him again about his career. Even after the third interview, I still didn't get to cover all the topics I would have liked, but I was and still am grateful to have had the opportunity. The interview probably won't be published for quite a while (I have a massive backlog), but I look forward to getting it published sometime in the future.

With Keizo Murase in February 2024.

When I visited Murase-san that day, he was riding high on the fact that he had been selected to receive a special award at the Japanese Academy Film Prize on March 8 for his contributions to Japanese cinema. The timing of that award was impeccable, and I'm proud that Murase-san was able to receive such a prestigious accolade in his lifetime.

With Keizo Murase in March 2016.

While we were taking photos after the interview in February, Murase-san grabbed his phone and asked his son to take a picture of the two of us together. I've said it before, but it's always cool when a VIP asks to take a photo with you. 

With Keizo Murase in October 2020.

Murase-san created some of the most fantastic images of my childhood, and it was my privilege that I was able to spend some precious moments in his company. Rest in peace, Murase-san. 

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!

Revisiting Yokohama Marine Tower (and Other Locations)!

The exit that takes you to Yokohama Marine Tower. Photo by Brett Homenick.

During King Ghidorah's raid on Yokohama in the popular Godzilla series entry Ghidrah the Three-Headed Monster (1964), the space beast's gravity rays destroy a tower in one of the film's most impressive effects shots. That structure is Yokohama Marine Tower.

Yokohama Marine Tower is accessible by taking Exit 4 from Motomachi-Chukagai Station on the Minatomirai Line. It's only about a minute walk from the station. It's also very close to Yamashita Park. Best of all, it's so big that it's impossible to miss!

I paid my first visit to the tower in a few years, and it was a great opportunity to take in the sights again. While I didn't enter the tower, just seeing it from the outside was enough for me. After all, that's how we see it in Ghidrah! 

While in the area, I also saw Cosmo Clock 21, which is a humongous Ferris wheel, and the InterContinental Yokohama Grand, both of which appear in Godzilla vs. Mothra (1992). Also nearby was the Yokohama Bay Bridge, which is a GMK: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack (2001) location.

It was a lot of fun to see these places again in person. Here's what I saw. Enjoy!

The Cosmo Clock 21 (the Ferris wheel on the left) and the InterContinental Yokohama Grand (the crescent-shaped structure on the right). Photo by Brett Homenick.

The Yokohama Bay Bridge. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Celebrating the New Year with a Toho VIP!

Toru Ibuki. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Tonight (Wednesday, January 10), I had the distinct privilege of spending the evening with former Toho actor Toru Ibuki. Would you believe it had been about five years since I last met him? Ibuki-san turns 84 at the end of the month, and I was pleasantly surprised to see that he was still looking well. 

Toru Ibuki signs autographs. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Ibuki-san stays healthy by going for long walks and doing squats every day, which is hard even for me at my age!

I was able to attend a beginning-of-the-year party, at which Ibuki-san was the guest of honor. Ibuki-san and his daughter gave me a Godzilla-themed T-shirt as a gift, which I wasn't expecting but was more than pleased to receive. In honor of Ibuki-san's upcoming birthday, I presented him with not one but two omiyage boxes.

Of his own movies, Ibuki-san named Operation Enemy Fort (1962) as his favorite, as well as talking about some of his memories of Frank Sinatra in America. I asked Ibuki-san if he'd seen any movies recently, which he hasn't. I also enjoyed speaking to Ibuki-san's daughter on a wide range of topics.

Naturally, I couldn't resist bringing a few items to get signed, which Ibuki-san graciously did. The items were Blu-ray sleeves (of Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster and Terror of Mechagodzilla), as well as Godzilla Store cards of Sea Monster and Monster Zero. I told the attendees that Ibuki-san had a beard in Terror of Mechagodzilla, and, when I asked him if it was a real beard, he said it was.

The party lasted just over two hours, and I enjoyed every bit of it. I can't tell you how good it was to see Ibuki-san again after such a long time. It felt even better to see that he was doing well. Tonight was certainly an evening for the history books.

Seeing 'Ghidrah the Three-Headed Monster' in 35mm!

Ghidrah the Three-Headed Monster (1964) at Ikebukuro Humax Cinemas. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

On Friday, September 29, I attended a special screening of Ghidrah the Three-Headed Monster (1964) in 35mm at Ikebukuro Humax Cinemas. It was, as you'd expect, part of the promotional push for the upcoming Godzilla Minus One, which comes out in just over a month from now on November 3. 

In fact, Minus One director Takashi Yamazaki was on hand for the festivities. Director Yamazaki was joined by kaiju suitmaker Keizo Murase, who was assisted by Daisuke Sato. Murase-san shared his memories of working with Eiji Tsuburaya, as well as working on the suit for King Ghidorah.

Photographs of the guests weren't allowed, so you'll just have to take my word for it that they were there. After their Q&A, Ghidrah was screened to a packed house. To be honest, I was surprised at how many people showed up for the screening.

The print was in overall pretty good shape, although a few flaws were evident. The biggest one I noticed was a jump at the end of the opening credits. Otherwise, however, I was more than satisfied with it. And how cool was it to watch the movie on such an enormous screen.

One fun detail I noticed is that Shigeo Kato can be spotted as an extra in the Ueno Park scene when Akiko Wakabayashi is getting heckled for claiming to be a Venusian. Kato-san, of course, has a couple of lines a bit later in the film when he plays a tourist on Mount Aso just before Rodan appears. (In the English version, he's the one who quips, "Well, that's goodbye hat!"

One other slightly interesting note is that the "monster talk" scene elicited a few guffaws from the audience, who were otherwise silent during the screening. Obviously, that part of the movie is quite silly, so a reaction like that is to be expected, but I thought I'd point it out here. (Interestingly, when I saw Ghidrah screened at a theater in the L.A. in the summer of 1998, I don't recall any laughter during that scene. That L.A. audience was actually rather well behaved, which was a pleasant surprise to me at the time.)

Overall, a fun evening at the movies. Well, I've seen many Godzilla movies in theaters during my years in Japan, it's not all that common to see them projected on a screen of this size, so I welcome any opportunity I can get. Let's do it again!