Celebrating Godzilla's Birthday in a Big Way!

Hiroyasu Yamaura. Photo by Brett Homenick.

On Tuesday, November 3, I was able to catch the great Hiroyasu Yamaura perform a one-man show. He wrote and narrated it himself with the help of some background music he played during select scenes. 

Hiroyasu Yamaura with a copy of Ultra Seven (1967-68). Photo by Brett Homenick. 

The story, titled Mohei and Osan, was a period piece that takes place in Kyoto and featured a scandalous romance involving a married woman. Yamaura-san's story was based on Five Women Who Loved Love by Ihara Saikaku.

Hiroyasu Yamaura with a booklet for Ultra Q (1966). Photo by Brett Homenick.

Yamaura-san was nervous about performing the one-man show, as he'd never done something like this before. Usually, his plays are performed by other actors. But he did a great job telling the story for a little more than an hour. If you can't try new things when you're 88 years old, when can you try them?

After the performance, Yamaura-san very kindly sat down with my friend Jacob and me, as we chatted about random topics, and Yamaura-san answered various questions. Although his memories are limited about the subject, he recalled working on Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (1974) and even remembered being in California around the time of the 1989 earthquake in San Francisco.

Photo by Jacob Dow.

I pointed out that November 3 is Godzilla's birthday, so it was the perfect day for such a meeting. But the Ultra-series was represented, too, as I brought my Blu-rays of Ultra Q (1966) and Ultra Seven (1967-68) to get signed. It's simply amazing how much excellent tokusatsu Yamaura-san has written during his career. 

Yes, it was a fun chat. Photo by Jacob Dow.

When it was all said and done, we were the last ones in the building, except for the staff. Yamaura-san went above and beyond with his time, and I'm grateful for every moment of it. 

A wonderful moment. Photo by Jacob Dow.

I couldn't think of a better way of celebrating Godzilla's birthday. It was an afternoon very well spent. Thank you again very much, Yamaura-san!

Setting the Stage for a Great Evening!

With Hiroyasu Yamaura.

 

On Sunday, September 20, I attended a performance of Antony and Cleopatra as written and adapted by screenwriter Hiroyasu Yamaura. The show was held at the usual venue in Kawasaki City, and it was another fun one.

I hadn't seen Yamaura-san in about two and a half years, so he was surprised to see me again. When I arrived, I only intended to see the show, spend a few minutes visiting Yamaura-san, and then move on to the next thing.

But I didn't realize that there would be post-show dinner, and I got invited to it. Well, it changed the rest of my plans for that night, but it was an offer I couldn't refuse.

The show attracted a packed house, despite having other performances during the weekend. It was a hit with the audience, but then it was time to break everything down before going dinner.

I pitched in with taking down curtains and helping to erase the whiteboard with some information about the show. That might not sound like a whole lot, but, trust me, it took endless amounts of elbow grease to get anywhere near finished.

I don't know what they used, but it did not come off easily. By the time we left, the job wasn't even finished. I sure hope they never use that stuff again!

We made our way to a nearby Japanese restaurant with the cast, crew, and just a few others. I was privileged that Yamaura-san sat next to me for the night, and we had a fun conversation for the remainder of the evening. It was as if no time had passed at all.

When I we were leaving and saying our goodbyes, one of the stars of the shows said to me, "I love ikemen." I thought that was kind of her. I'm just glad she didn't say "ike boys."

And that's a wrap! Let's do it again really soon.

A GODZILLA SERIES STAR REHEARSES! Going Behind the Scenes with a Genre Legend!

Masaaki Daimon. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Yesterday (Tuesday, March 12), I was invited to visit actor Masaaki Daimon as he was rehearsing his upcoming stage play. Last year, I saw Daimon-san onstage at the same theater where this one will be performed, but I will unfortunately not be available to see any of the public performances due to my own scheduling issues. 

It was quite fascinating to see this group of actors rehearse. The cast gathered in a building in Edogawa Ward that was designed for such activities, which includes an area for building sets and props. Pretty nifty!

For a while, I thought this was my first time to see a rehearsal of a stage play in Japan, but then I remembered hanging out with Akira Takarada in 2013 when he was rehearsing one. So it's been more than ten years.

When I arrived via taxi, Daimon-san's manager (Imai-san) met me outside and led me into the premises. Shortly after I sat down, Daimon-san approached me and shook my hand. Then, for about the next hour and a half, I watched the rehearsal.

The story is about two men (one of whom is played by Daimon-san) who inexplicably undergo a time slip back to their younger days in the early 1970s. In fact, actress-singer Ayumi Ishida gets name-checked in the script, which I found pretty amusing. 

The other cast members were quite friendly, too, including Mai-san, who came up to me, introduced herself, and proceeded to have a lengthy chat with me. In fact, she joined us later for dinner! Don't you just love it when you make new friends so easily?

After the rehearsal was finished, I was asked to stand up and introduce myself to the cast in Japanese, which I did. Then we all posed for a photo in which I'm seated next to Daimon-san, and Mai-san was directly behind me. I haven't gotten a copy of this photo yet, so I hope to receive it soon.

Masaaki Daimon. Photo by Brett Homenick.

After that, the four of us (including Daimon-san, Imai-san, Mai-san, and yours truly) gathered in Imai-san's car as we went out for dinner. The night's fare was Japanese, which I found pretty tasty. Before we ate, Daimon-san asked the staff to take a photo of our group on his phone. As I've said countless times, it's always great when someone of Daimon-san's caliber wants to take a photo with you.

We must have spent a couple of hours there, but I lost count. It really was a fun evening, with Daimon-san sharing some stories about his career, as well as some of his upcoming goings-on. He also very generously signed a few autographs for me and went out of his way to make sure he spelled my name correctly in English on them.

At the end of the evening, Imai-san paid for the dinner, which was enormously generous of him. We also posed for a few more photos before piling back into Imai-san's car. We drove out to an area around Shinjuku Station (very close to the Hotel Gracery Shinjuku, in fact), at which point Mai-san and I were dropped off. I shook hands with Daimon-san before parting ways. 

What an incredible evening! After I got home, I exchanged some texts with Imai-san, who told me that Daimon-san expressed his wish that I could see one of the cast's public performances of the play. I wish I could, too, but you can't always get what you want, as Mick Jagger once told us. This evening, however, was certainly what I needed.

UPDATE (3/14): Though a bit tiny, here's the group shot I mentioned elsewhere in this blog post.

All the World's a Stage ... Even in Japan!

Hiroyasu Yamaura. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Yesterday (Monday, February 12), I attended a special performance written by and co-starring Hiroyasu Yamaura. It'd been quite a while since Yamaura-san's last performance, so it was a wonderful opportunity to visit with him again.

Hiroyasu Yamaura. Photo by Brett Homenick

The play's title could be translated as "Counseling Macbeth and His Wife," which, I'm sure you can guess, is based on the Shakespeare play. In this version, King Macbeth and Lady Macbeth visit a psychosomatic clinic to deal with their various issues.

Hiroyasu Yamaura. Photo by Brett Homenick

In a funny twist, the counselor was played by Yamaura-san himself. It's always a lot of fun seeing Yamaura-san act in the plays he writes, and this time he's basically onstage the whole time.

Hiroyasu Yamaura. Photo by Brett Homenick

The staging was quite intriguing. The actors were always facing the audience, yet they were supposed to be speaking face to face. Obviously, you can't have an actor with his or her back to the audience when delivering lines, so I thought this was a clever workaround. So long as you bring your suspension of disbelief, it's not that distracting.

When I entered the venue, Yamaura-san, who was already seated onstage from which he would perform, got up and approached me to shake my hand. Naturally, when he offered me his hand, I stood up to shake it I'd already told Yamaura-san about my plans for March. Since the show was still being set up at the time, he didn't have much time to chat, but thankfully there would be ample time afterward.

Yamaura-san ended his performance by quoting Shakespeare's famous line, "All the world's a stage," in Japanese. After the show, Yamaura-san asked me how to say the line in English, which I told him. 

I asked Yamaura-san to sign some postcards from the Godzilla Store with a lobby card design. He was a bit curious and asked me about them. He was surprised to see that they were just postcards and to hear how cheap they were. They certainly do look impressive!

Yamaura-san informed me of the sad reason he took a break from doing these shows, which was depressing to hear. But he pointed out that he still has many friends in his social circle and that writing still gives him purpose. I was overjoyed to see Yamaura-san doing well and doing what he loves.

Many thanks to Yamaura-san for spending those precious moments with me after the performance!

GODZILLA RETURNS TO MONSTER ISLAND: The '74 Godzilla Suit Actor Retires from Public Life

Isao Zushi in February 2017. Photo by Brett Homenick.

On Wednesday, December 28, Godzilla suit actor-turned-restauranteur Isao Zushi permanently closed his izakaya. The 72-year-old Mr. Zushi is one of the handful of Showa-era Godzilla suit actors who played the King of the Monsters in Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (1974), as well as on the tokusatsu TV series Zone Fighter (1973).

"Two Godzillas -- what does it mean?!" Heisei-era Godzilla suit actor Kenpachiro Satsuma talks shop with Mechagodzilla '74 Godzilla suit actor Isao Zushi in July 2020. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

Mr. Zushi and his wife Kiyoko opened his restaurant/bar in 1977 in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture. In fact, the name of the restaurant, Seasonal Cuisine Kiyohama, is a portmanteau of Kiyoko and Yokohama. The name of the establishment perfectly encapsulates the family-oriented theme of the izakaya.

Isao Zushi in June 2017. Photo by Brett Homenick.

I was fortunate to visit the restaurant numerous times over the years, starting in May 2016. My visit in July 2020, during which Godzilla series suit actors Kenpachiro Satsuma and Hurricane Ryu also attended, was the last time I would see Mr. Zushi there. The next time I returned, sometime in 2021, Mr. Zushi was surprisingly absent, and he would never return.

The facade of Seasonal Cuisine Kiyohama in December 2022. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Mr. Zushi's health has apparently declined in recent times, although no details are available. Kiyoko and the couple's son Teru continued to run the restaurant after Mr. Zushi stepped away, but the family has ultimately decided to close the restaurant. 

Kiyoko and Isao Zushi behind the counter of the restaurant, presumably in the late 1970s. Photo by Brett Homenick.

In order to attend the last evening before closing, you needed to make a reservation ahead of time, so I decided to visit the restaurant on December 27, the izakaya's penultimate evening in business. It also was a much better fit for my schedule. As usual, Kiyoko and Teru were making the food and the serving the drinks. (To my knowledge, the restaurant has never employed workers outside the family.)

Godzilla watches over Kiyohama in December 2022. Photo by Brett Homenick.

I had a nice time chatting with them. Teru in particular was interested in a 10-DVD set of classic horror movies that I happened to pick up at Book Off earlier in the day. He commented that he appreciates the handmade quality of older films, as opposed to the overuse of CG today. 

Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla memorabilia was always proudly on display, as it was here in December 2022. Photo by Brett Homenick.

After I ate my dinner, I said my farewells to Kiyoko and Teru. It was truly sad to see the restaurant close, but, after 45 years in business, the family has more than earned the right to call it a day. I wished them well and thanked them for their years of hospitality.

Meeting Mr. Zushi for the first time in May 2016.

But what about Isao Zushi himself? Well, much to my regret I never got to do a proper interview with him. Believe me when I say it wasn't for lack of trying. In January 2019, he sent my translator a postcard in which he agreed to answer written questions about his career. That January proved to be a particularly busy time for Mr. Zushi and his family, as they welcomed their first grandchild on New Year's Day. 

With Isao Zushi in August 2018.

Of course, I was overjoyed that Mr. Zushi accepted my request, but, regrettably, I would never receive those answers. 

Isao Zushi in August 2018. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Despite being a warm and welcoming gentleman, and, despite his obvious affection for his suit-acting days, he was never interested in doing personal appearances at events or other forms of publicity. Many have tried to convince him otherwise, and all fell flat on their faces in failure. That simply was never going to happen, much to the chagrin of greedy promoters who wanted to profit from him.

With Isao Zushi in February 2018.

I always knew getting an interview from Mr. Zushi was an unlikely prospect, and -- admittedly -- I got further with it than I ever expected I would, but I can't say I'm surprised it never happened. He wasn't after publicity, and you have to respect his decision.

Isao Zushi in July 2017. Photo by Brett Homenick.

I looked all over for any notes I may have taken after my visits with Mr. Zushi, and I just couldn't find any. Maybe I never took any notes. Since (obviously) no recording was made of the conversations, and I (apparently) didn't take contemporaneous notes, please forgive my incomplete memories. But I will try to present some information about Mr. Zushi that (to the best of my knowledge) is accurate. 

With Isao Zushi in June 2017.

Isao Zushi was born on August 15, 1950. He scored the role of Godzilla after being recommended for it by Koichi Kawakita, who worked with Mr. Zushi on Ultraman Ace (1972-73). Mr. Zushi said that he did not wear the Godzilla suit for the scenes with the imposter Godzilla in Mechagodzilla so that its movements would be noticeably different from those of the real Godzilla. 

With Isao Zushi in February 2017.

He also said that Godzilla's unique walk was based on movements he did as a judo practitioner. Moreover, according to this blog, Mr. Zushi shot his scenes as Godzilla in 10 days. 

Isao Zushi, with a photo from his suit-acting days, in December 2016. Photo by Brett Homenick.

An appropriate grain of salt might be necessary for the above information, since it's so hard to verify. I wish I could present something more comprehensive and detailed (and, perhaps, accurate), but this is all I've got. 

With Isao Zushi in August 2016.

I'm grateful I got to spend several evenings with the suit actor who portrayed one of my favorite Godzillas. When you're able to walk into a restaurant and hang out with one of your favorite Godzilla suit actors, you start taking it for granted, and it seems like it'll be that way forever. This is a stark reminder that nothing could be further from the truth.

Isao Zushi in October 2019. Photo by Brett Homenick.

I'll close by reiterating what I told Kiyoko and Teru last night -- that I appreciate their hospitality over the years. I only found out recently that the restaurant would be closing for good, so it was a huge shock to me. I was confident that Mr. Zushi would eventually return to the izakaya once his health recovered, but it simply isn't to be. All I can say is that I'm grateful for the memories I have.

Isao Zushi in April 2019. Photo by Brett Homenick.

In the 1970s, Isao Zushi was the King of the Monsters. But he traded in that prestigious title to live a quiet and rewarding life as a restauranteur, which he did successfully for 45 years. It's a retirement well earned.

With Isao Zushi in April 2019.

Thank you, Zushi-san, for your kindness, and I wish you all the best in the future.

Genji Returns in a New Recitation Drama!

Hiroyasu Yamaura. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Sunday, September 25, was a busy day for me. But it all started by taking in a two-person dramatic reading of a play based on Hikaru Genji (of The Tale of Genji). In this story, Genji has to deal with the various conflicts involving his wife and family. 

Hiroyasu Yamaura poses with the classical musicians and his co-star, Sana Mitsui. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Also there was a group of musicians performing Bach chamber music. In fact, the first 30 or so minutes was strictly a mini classical concert, after which the recitation drama began. They likewise performed their music during the play at specific moments in the show. 

I didn't realize that Yamaura-san would perform as Genji, so I was pleasantly surprised to see him act. He did a great job! Unlike last week, Yamaura-san seemed more determined to put on another show next year, so we'll see what happens. All in all, it was a great way to start my Sunday!

A Fun Afternoon with a Legendary Writer!

Hiroyasu Yamaura. Photo by Brett Homenick.

On Sunday, September 18, I attended a special concert that was produced prolific writer Hiroyasu Yamaura. The concert was nice, and it had a good turnout, but the real reason I went was to visit Yamaura-san again.

I hadn't seen Yamaura-san in several months. He told me a few months ago that he wouldn't host another show until September, so I waited quite a long time for this one. When it was all said and done, I voluntarily helped cleaning up, which Yamaura-san said I didn't have to do, but I did it, anyway!

The good news is that Yamaura-san's next show isn't too far from now. The not-so-good news is that he plans to take it easy after that and currently has no plans for anything else in the future. I suppose that could always change, but I'd imagine there will be nothing else until at least sometime next year. We'll have to see how that goes.

In the meantime, it certainly was a lot of fun to see Yamaura-san again!