YANAGI PARK! Rediscovering a 'Godzilla vs. Megalon' Filming Location!

Signage at Yanagi Park. Photo by Brett Homenick.

On Friday, March 10, I returned to Suzukakedai Station in Machida, Tokyo, for the first time in almost exactly eight years. The reason was simple: I wanted to revisit a Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973) filming location. The location in question is Yanagi Park (Willow Park in English), which is about a five-minute walk from the station.

More signage for Yanagi Park. Photo by Brett Homenick.

It was where the scene in which Rokuro (Hiroyuki Kawase) is kidnapped by the Seatopian agents while riding his Baby Rider. The location can also be seen when Hiroshi Jinkawa (Yutaka Hayashi) tries to catch up with the kidnapped brothers Goro Ibuki (Katsuhiko Sasaki) and Rokuro in his car, just before getting chased by other Seatopian agents. 

Even more signage for Yanagi Park. Photo by Brett Homenick.

When I first visited the location in March 2015, I didn't have much to go on, other than I knew that a sign for Yanagi Park could be seen in the movie. But the area had changed so much in the previous decades that it was just about impossible for me to look for actual shooting spots. As a result, I didn't think much about Yanagi Park for years after that and simply moved on to other things.

The Spirit of Willow monument in Yanagi Park. Photo by Brett Homenick.

After revisiting Tsukushino Park Road last week (which, by the way, is just one station down from Suzukakedai Station), however, I decided to research Yanagi Park again to see if I might be able to uncover any new details. As luck would have it, I was able to find a couple of comparisons of shots from the film and the present-day park made by Japanese fans interested in Showa-era shooting locations that basically solved the puzzle for me.  

The sidewalk on which Rokuro (Hiroyuki Kawase) rides his Baby Rider. Photo by Brett Homenick.

When I got to the park, it was easy for me to find the shooting spots. Obviously, a lot has changed in the last 50 years, but you can still sort of see the resemblance, at least in terms of the general slope of the road next to the park on which the Seatopian agents drive their car in the film. However, the real key to unlocking the mystery was the placement of the Spirit of Willow (Yanagi no Sei) monument. This monument can be seen very briefly when Rokuro is kidnapped, but it is much clearer when Hiroshi Jinkawa is driving past it after escaping his Seatopian captor. 

Yanagi Park's low-lying plaza. Photo by Brett Homenick.

The presence of the monument in the scenes removed any doubt in my mind about the authenticity of the spot as a shooting location for Godzilla vs. Megalon. It really sealed the deal for me. So it put to rest a years-long mystery, and it gave me a fun afternoon during which I was able to walk where Rokuro, Jinkawa, and various Seatopians once drove their respective vehicles.

Another shot of the sidewalk used in Megalon. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Yanagi Park opened on November 11, 1971, which would have made it about a year old at the time Megalon was filmed there. The area in general was just starting to be developed at the time, and it is almost completely unrecognizable now.

The intersection at which the Seatopian agents hastily turned after kidnapping Rokuro. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Another bit of trivia is that the plaza you can partially see in one of the photos above (which is lower than the surrounding area) is also used as a regulating pond in order to help prevent the area from flooding during torrential downpours. So the park is not just used to preserve Godzilla history.

I probably don't need to tell you how cool it was to see these shooting spots at long last. I remember being a bit disappointed during my first visit here because I simply couldn't recognize anything from the movie. But this trip more than makes up for whatever disappointment I may have felt back then.

I look forward to paying another visit here in the future. It is certainly well worth checking out again, and I couldn't think of a better way to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Godzilla vs. Megalon!

Vantage Point Interviews Returns with Excellent New Content!

Hiroyuki Kawase. Photo by Brett Homenick.

The first full-length, English-language interview with former child actor Hiroyuki Kawase has just been published on Vantage Point Interviews. In this brand-new Q&A, Mr. Kawase discusses how he got started as an actor, getting cast in Akira Kurosawa's Dodes'ka-den (1970), his memories of Godzilla vs. the Smog Monster (1971) and Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973), and much more!

Vantage Point Interviews proves once again that content is king. Check out this incredible interview today!

GODZILLA VS. MEGALON REUNION! Two of the Film's Stars Join Fans in Yokohama!

Actors Katsuhiko Sasaki (left) and Hiroyuki Kawase (right) reunite to celebrate Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973). Photo by Brett Homenick.

Today I attended a great event in Yokohama that saw a small Godzilla vs. Megalon reunion take place with two of the film's stars, namely Katsuhiko Sasaki (Goro Ibuki) and Hiroyuki Kawase (Rokuro Ibuki).

The event kicked off with a screening of an excellent 35mm print of Godzilla vs. Megalon. I've never seen the film look better, and I was able to notice small details I've never noticed before. Of interest, the "Action!" blooper that found its way into the American release was absent from this print.

If it's July, I must be hanging out with Katsuhiko Sasaki!

After the film screen, Sasaki-san and Kawase-san sat together and reminisced about the movie with the help of two interviewers. They discussed their memories of director Jun Fukuda, co-star Yutaka Hayashi, and some of the various locations used in the film.

 Meeting Hiroyuki Kawase again after director Yoshimitsu Banno introduced us a few weeks ago.

Following the Q&A session, the special guests signed autographs for the fans. I had a couple of items signed, but seeing the goods brought in by the other attendees made me feel completely unprepared! I saw some pretty incredible posters, production stills, and lots of other cool items in tow.

Sasaki-san and Kawase-san sign autographs for lucky fans. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Once folks had their swag signed, it was time to eat dinner with the guests. Everybody enjoyed gabbing with the guests, who were completely friendly and accessible, which is the way it should be.

Thanks to everybody who made this event one for the history books. On to the next one!

ON HOLY GROUND! The Ibuki House from Godzilla vs. Megalon Today!

The House That Goro Built still stands in Tokyo to this day. Photo by Brett Homenick.

One of the most interesting and memorable filming locations in the entire Godzilla series was the house used for inventor Goro Ibuki (played by Katsuhiko Sasaki) and his much younger brother (played by Hiroyuki Kawase). I've been asked about it in the past, but with no information available at the time, it seemed just about impossible to find it (if it even still existed).

Well, I'm pleased to say that it does exist to this day. As a matter of fact, it looks largely the same as it did in the movie (just without all the paintings). The biggest change I noticed is that the house now sits in the middle of a bunch of other houses in a residential area. In the film, the house appeared to be rather isolated, out in the middle of a field.

The stairs that Hiroshi Jinkawa (Yutaka Hayashi) ran down, as they appear today. Photo by Brett Homenick.

The house is still used as somebody's private residence, and as such I was politely asked not to divulge any info regarding its specific location. That's fair enough; I certainly wouldn't want to trouble the owners by directing a bunch of crazy fans their way.

Of all the locations I've visited in Japan, I would have to rank this one as my favorite. I honestly thought I'd never get to see it in person for myself. I've never been happier to be wrong!

GODZILLA BEATS THEM ALL! Dining with Godzilla Series Actor Hiroyuki Kawase!

Yours truly with former child actor Hiroyuki Kawase, the star of two Godzilla movies from the 1970s. 

The first human character I ever saw in any Godzilla movie was played by Hiroyuki Kawase. As Rokuro in Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973), he gave young viewers like myself at the time a character with whom to identify. I would later see Kawase-san in Godzilla vs. the Smog Monster (1971), Akira Kurosawa's Dodeskaden (1970), and Kihachi Okamoto's Battle of Okinawa (1971).

The director and his star! Hiroyuki Kawase (left) and Yoshimitsu Banno (right) talked Smog Monster among many other topics. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Tonight I was lucky enough to have dinner with Kawase-san. Joining us for the dinner was Godzilla vs. the Smog Monster director Yoshimitsu Banno. Banno-san had already met Kawase-san a couple of months ago, but it was rather impressive to see the director and his star talking shop 44 years after the film was released!

Hiroyuki Kawase as he appears today. Photo by Brett Homenick.

I finally remembered to ask Banno-san about the older people who watch the concert at the foot of Mt. Fuji just before the final battle between Hedorah and Godzilla. He explained that they were peasant farmers and that they were shown to emphasize the generational gap. The concert in the film was based on a real one (or a series of concerts) that took place at the foot of Mt. Fuji around that time.

Kawase-san was extremly friendly and approachable. Naturally, he doesn't think of himself as a movie star, having left the business altogether in the mid-'70s to focus on his schoolwork. But, given his connection with such icons as Godzilla and Akira Kurosawa, it's hard to see him as anything else.

ANOTHER GODZILLA VS. MEGALON FILMING LOCATION! Highlighting Yanagi Koen in Machida, Tokyo!

Yanagi Koen in Machida, Tokyo. Photo by Brett Homenick.

In late March, I paid a visit to Yanagi Koen, a small park in Machida, Tokyo, that was seen in Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973). During the sequence in which Rokuro (Hiroyuki Kawase) rides his Baby Rider (just before he is kidnapped by the Seatopian agents), signage for Yanagi Koen can be seen in the background.

A lot can change in 42 years, but if Kawase-san was actually riding on the sidewalk next to Yanagi Koen, it is practically unrecognizable these days.  As you can see from the photos, it looks like a completely different area from what we see in the film.

Naturally, it is rather difficult to find comparison photos of Yanagi Koen from the time Godzilla vs. Megalon was shot, but it is possible that the park underwent some major changes over the years. Otherwise, perhaps the sign was pointing visitors in the direction of the park. Whatever the case, at least we can say with some certainty that Yanagi Koen does play a part in the film.

Yanagi Koen is about a five-minute walk from Suzukakedai Station on the Den-en-Toshi Line. While I would not consider it a major filming location, it is nonetheless an interesting part of Godzilla history, especially for those wanting to check out more than just the routine kaiju locations like Tokyo Tower.

It's also just a nice park to visit, even if it is off the beaten path. But, for those Japan travelers who have seen and done it all, it is well worth a look.