Out and About in Ginza!

The Hattori Clock Tower stands atop the Wako Department Store, a notable location featured in the original Godzilla (1954). Photo by Brett Homenick.

I spent the evening in Ginza tonight, so I had the opportunity to check out a few sights. Here's what I saw. Enjoy!

Seeing the lovely and talented Grace Mike perform at a Ginza nightclub.

Could that be King Kong monkeying around in Ginza? Photo by Brett Homenick.

Or maybe it's Queen Quong! Photo by Brett Homenick.

Visiting a Hideko Takamine Gallery in Ginza!

Signage for the Hideko Takamine gallery outside Mikimoto Ginza Main Store. Photo by Brett Homenick.

I saw an ad on social media for this special exhibition entitled "Words and Life Hideko Takamine" that would be taking place on the 7th floor of the Mikimoto Ginza Main Store (right behind the Wako department store) and thought it would be worth checking out. Hideko Takamine was a Toho actress during the 1950s and '60s, although her filmography usually doesn't overlap with the genre films that the studio produced. The exhibition will be taking place from April 12 through May 12, and today (Friday, April 21) I had time to stop by and take a look.

The first thing you see at the entrance of the exhibition. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Unfortunately, photography wasn't allowed, except for what you see in this blog post. The gallery contained many personal items from Ms. Takamine's collection, including some jewelry (not surprising, given the location is a jewelry store), art supplies, eyeglasses, and even her luggage! The exhibition also displayed numerous blow-ups of her and her screenwriter-husband Zenzo Matsuyama relaxing at home or on the go in Europe. I never realized that Ms. Takamine was so into art and painting. But, seeing her work up close, she had a real talent for it!

That's about all I have to say. It was interesting to see once, but I don't think most folks reading this blog would be all that enthralled by it. That said, it was an intriguing look into the personal life of one of Japan's most famous actresses. 

A Night of Chanson in Ginza!

Yoshiro Uchida. Photo by Brett Homenick.

On Saturday, June 18, I attended another special chanson performance by actor-singer Yoshiro Uchida in Ginza. As usual, it was a lot of fun.

This performance was particularly special because it was attended by Uchida-san's daughter, whom I met briefly. It's always great to see Uchida-san!

Ultra Father in Ginza!

Ultra Father in Ginza. Photo by Brett Homenick.

 

On Saturday evening, I spotted Ultra Father (a.k.a. Father of Ultra) in Ginza, urging passersby to Chap Up. Enjoy!

Ghostbusters in the Park!

Ghostbusters in the Park. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Here's something I discovered quite by accident. Ginza Sony Park is hosting a special exhibition related to the Ghostbusters franchise that runs until December 8. The most interesting display was that of a few screen-used props from the 2016 Ghostbusters reboot (the photos of which are below). The power of Patty compels you to look at them.

Dude, it's Holtzmann's glasses! Photo by Brett Homenick. 

Watch Out for Godzilla at Wako!

As part of the King of the Monsters' 65th anniversary (as well as the 20th anniversary of the creation of its Spring Drive technology), Grand Seiko has recently announced its Godzilla 65th anniversary limited-edition watch. It's certainly a nice-looking watch, but at a reported 1.3 million yen, I'll have to take a pass. The watch is set for release on November 9 in Japan.

What's really cool, however, is this promotional Godzilla head in the storefront of Wako. Best of all, it's totally free to see. Take a look.

Out and About in Hibiya and Ginza

Last night, I was out and about in Hibiya and Ginza, and while I was there, I took some shots of sights that ought to be familiar to readers of this blog. It's all pretty self-explanatory by this point, so I'll let the photos do the talking. Enjoy!

Out and About in Ginza

The Yurkakucho Mullion Building. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

While walking around Ginza today, I took some photos of a couple of familiar locations. One was the Yurakucho Mullion Building (as seen in Godzilla 1985), and the other was the Hattori Clock Tower atop the Wako department store (as seen in Godzilla '54). Enjoy!

HATTORI CLOCK TOWER AND YURAKUCHO MULLION! Two Iconic Kaiju Locations!

The Hattori Clock Tower (atop the Wako department store) was featured prominently in Godzilla (1954). Photo by Brett Homenick. 

While walking around Ginza, I couldn't resist the urge to photograph some familiar locations. It was a beautiful day, which made any resistance nearly impossible. It truly was perfect weather for photography. Anyhow, here are some shots of the Hattori Clock Tower (as seen in the original Godzilla) and the Yurakucho Mullion Building (as seen in Godzilla 1985). Enjoy!