THE NAGASAWA FILTRATION PLANT REVISITED! A Filming Location for Many Tokusatsu Productions!

The Nagasawa Filtration Plant. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Today (Tuesday, March 19), I braved heavy winds to pay another visit to the Nagasawa Filtration Plant (a.k.a. the Nagasawa Purification Plant) in Kawasaki, Kanagawa. This particular building was used as a filming location for countless tokusatsu movies and TV programs dating back to the early 1960s.

Among other titles, it has been featured in Invasion of the Neptune Men (1961), Gorath (1962), episode 2 of Ultraman (1966-67), the Super Sentai series, and perhaps most famously as Jounan University's Institute of Biochemistry in Kamen Rider (1971-73).

I last visited the plant back in March 2016. Hard to believe it's been eight years, but there you go. At any rate, I clearly remember that you aren't allowed to get too close to the building without prior approval (such as joining an official tour of the facility), so I made sure to stay outside the gate. 

Still, as tokusatsu buffs, we're more concerned with the outside of the building than the inside since that's what we saw in our favorite flicks. It was great to see the plant again after so long. It isn't exactly the easiest spot to visit since it's quite far from any train station, which is the main reason it's taken me so long to return, but it's well worth seeing if you have the chance. Here are my snapshots from earlier today. Enjoy! 

Attending a Memorial Celebration of the Life and Career of Shinichi 'Sonny' Chiba

The floral arrangement at Sonny Chiba's memorial event on August 17. Photo by Brett Homenick.

A couple of weeks ago, I received an invitation to attend a memorial celebration of the life and career of the late action star Shinichi "Sonny" Chiba, who passed away last year. A few months ago, a similar event was announced but postponed to due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. It was finally held on Wednesday, August 17, at the RIHGA Royal Hotel Tokyo.

The first gathering (held at 1:00 p.m.) was only for Chiba-san's friends and family. The second gathering was held at 3:00 p.m. and was reserved for Japan Action Club (a.k.a. Japan Action Enterprise) alumni and related parties. The 5:00 gathering was for general folks, like myself. 

After registering, I was given a flower by a staff member to lay in front of the floral arrangement. As I entered the room, the ending theme to Message from Space (1978) was playing, which I thought was an appropriate selection. After that, a variety of Japanese and Western pop songs played throughout the event. 

There were posters from Chiba-san's movies on display, as well as some photographs from his personal collection. (No photos were allowed there). 

At one point, I saw Chiba-san's daughter, Juri Manase, but it was a fleeting glimpse, and I didn't see her again. It was probably just as well, as I'm sure she had a lot on her mind. 

I'm glad I had an opportunity to celebrate Chiba-san's life and career in such a classy way. He was always a true gentleman when I was privileged to be in his company.

I couldn't think of a more appropriate way to celebrate the life and career of Sonny Chiba. I hope these photos convey even a fraction of how well organized the event was.

Rest in peace, Chiba-san.

VIVA CHIBA! Shinichi "Sonny" Chiba Appears at a Showa Hero Event!

Sonny Chiba. Photo by Brett Homenick.

 Today, I was able to attend a special Showa Hero event headlined by none other than Shinichi "Sonny" Chiba, one of Japan's most famous action stars of all time. Chiba-san is set to turn 80 years old this month, but you'd never know it by looking at him. Chiba-san is still in incredible shape!

While waiting in line, I spoke with a Japanese fan who'd been waiting a long time to get his Kill Bill posters signed by Chiba-san. Another fan got nearly nearly 10 shikishi boards signed by Chiba-san. Suffice it to say, a lot of fans were eager to meet him.

When it was my turn, Chiba-san saw me and said thanked me for my continuous support. I was quite pleased he recognized me, even though I hadn't seen him for about a year. Chiba-san is always cool with his fans, and he certainly made this afternoon one for the scrapbook.

THE STREET FIGHTER RETURNS! Japan's Greatest Action Star Is Back!

Sonny Chiba. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

On Saturday, January 20, I was fortunate to attend a special event also attended by the legendary action star Sonny Chiba. While Chiba-san is best known internationally for his roles in '70s actioners like The Street Fighter (1974), I'm more interested in his tokusatsu roles, such as Invasion of the Neptune Men (1961), Terror Beneath the Sea (1966), and Message from Space (1978). 

Naturally, Chiba-san found himself the center of attention, even though the event was not even about him. (It was both a birthday event for one of his business associates, as well as a shinnenkai).

It was a fun event with many luminaries in attendance from the sporting world (so naturally I wasn't familiar with any of them). But it seemed everyone was most interested in meeting Sonny Chiba, and I can't say I blame them.

SONNY CHIBA: Master of Japanese Mobsters!

Japanese action star Sonny Chiba poses for photos among the gathered fans. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Today, I attended a fun event at the Sun Plaza in Nakano, Tokyo. The guest of honor was Toei action star Shinichi "Sonny" Chiba, who's headlined everything from the bloody actioner The Street Fighter (1974) to the tokusatsu cult classic Invasion of the Neptune Men (1961). Around the world, Chiba-san is best known for his yakuza (Japanese mobster) movies.

Chiba-san impressed the audience with his stories, and he shared his memories of becoming a Toei New Face and working with directors as varied as Kinji Fuksasaku and Quentin Tarantino.

It was a blast seeing Chiba-san again. He's always in great spirits and has a warm personality, a trait not often shared with other international movie stars. A fun time was most certainly had by all who were there.

CHIBA THE BODYGUARD! He Shall Lay His Vengeance Upon Thee!

On Saturday evening, I was invited to a dinner with Toei action star Sonny Chiba. I was fortunate to sit next to Chiba-san during the evening, and we spoke together in English. I asked him about some of his memories of making classic tokusatsu films, and he aked me a few questions about where I live and life in Japan. We also talked about American food vs. Japanese food. Suffice it to say, it was quite an evening!

Sonny Chiba tells a story to dinner attendees. Photo by Brett Homenick.

The dinner invitation was rather sudden, but what a memorable evening it was. When I mentioned his movie version of Golgo 13, he pulled up the poster image in his smartphone and showed it to me. (He also showed me his personal photos with Samuel L. Jackson and other Hollywood stars.) He also told me about the various Japanese foods we were served that evening. To say the absolute least, this kinds of evenings are rare, and they are never forgotten. Many thanks to Chiba-san and everyone else who helped make this possible!

VIVA CHIBA! Attending a Special Dinner Party with Action Star Sonny Chiba!

Posing with Sonny Chiba, a prolific action star celebrated on both sides of the Pacific!

Tonight, I had the privilege of attending a dinner event in Meguro, Tokyo, with Toei star Sonny Chiba. I'd met Chiba-san twice before, but this was perhaps my favorite meeting. The event took place at an Italian restaurant, and the meal was several courses. During the conversation, Chiba-san used his knife to demonstrate a few chambara techniques. It was by far the coolest use of tableware I've ever seen!

Although there were a handful of others in attendance, Chiba-san was by far the best skilled at English. He was very friendly with everyone who asked for a photo or an autograph.

Sonny Chiba was one of Toei's biggest action stars of the last several decades, and The Street Fighter series is a testament to his popularity around the world. He appeared in numerous science fiction and tokusatsu films at Toei Studios, even though his action films from the '70s eclipse those movies in notoriety.

Sonny Chiba signs my DVD cover of Invasion of the Neptune Men (1961), one of his earliest roles! Photo by Brett Homenick.

I brought along my DVD covers of Invasion of the Neptune Men (1961) and Terror Beneath the Sea (1966), both Toei sci-fi actioners starring Chiba-san. I've actually had these discs for a quite a while but hadn't had the opportunity to get them signed. It was Chiba-san's idea to personalize them for me, and how could I have possibly said no?

It was a fantastic evening, and many thanks to all who made it possible!

THE NAGASAWA FILTRATION PLANT IN KAWASAKI! A Location for Many SFX Productions!

A view of the Nagasawa Filtration Plant from just outside the entrance. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

Everyone knows Tokyo Tower. The Diet Building? Been there, done that. Information about these locations are easily accessible for free on Google, but what about the more tokusatsu obscure filming locations that you can't just enter into search engines? There's only one place to find info on these locations, and it's right here on this blog -- all for free!

Today's entry is the Nagasawa Filtration Plant (a.k.a. the Nagasawa Purification Plant) in Kawasaki, Kanagawa. It ought to be instantly recognizable to readers of this blog, as it has been featured in many classic SFX movies and TV series.

Among other titles, it has been featured in Invasion of the Neptune Men (1961), Gorath (1962), episode 2 of Ultraman (1966-67), the Super Sentai series, and perhaps most famously as Jounan University's Institute of Biochemistry in Kamen Rider (1971-73).

On the other side of the filtration plant, you get a great view of Kawasaki. Photo by Brett Homenick.

As great a location as it is, you are not allowed to take pictures from inside the entrance gates unless you have prior permission. Also, you must arrange in advance if you'd like a tour of the facilities. Despite that, I had a great time seeing such an iconic and prolific filming location in person.

I was glad to find out that this location still exists, but I was just as surprised to find out what it actually is in real life! Who knew it was a water filtration plant? It's amazing to be finding out so many new things after so many years in Japan!

VIVA CHIBA! Shinichi "Sonny" Chiba Wows Them in Tokyo!

The great Sonny Chiba ponders a question posed to him at a talk show event held on December 9 in Tokyo.

The Honey Trap gym isn't likely to sound familiar to you, but the name Sonny Chiba certainly will. Chiba-san, Japan's most popular action star of all time, answered questions, signed autographs, and posed for pictures at the aforementioned Honey Trap gym in Shinjuku, Tokyo.

For two hours, Chiba-san discussed such varied topics as his popularity in America and ways to stay in shape. He even showed the crowd of fewer than 30 people (we were a lucky group, folks!) several action stunts with the help of a fellow Japan Action Club member. There's nothing quite like seeing Sonny Chiba kick butt mere feet in front of you!

At the end of the presentation, attendees were encouraged to choose whichever foam picture of Chiba-san we wanted and pull it off the wall (!) for the star himself to sign. I chose the foam Invasion of the Neptune Men poster. Tokusatsu will always be my preference!

Chiba-san was incredibly generous and patient with his fans. Though he didn't speak much English, we were able to communicate fairly well. He is the very embodiment of genki. Having seen him crack skulls (and worse!) in movies, I couldn't help but be pleasantly surprised at how warm a personality he has.

As the old saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words. In the shot above, my foam poster is getting signed. I can't be quite sure, but this is probably when he was asking me the spelling of my name. He personalized each autograph, including mine.

What can I say? Here I am, shaking hands with movie history. What a moment!

And there you have it! I have to give Chiba-san's management a lot of credit for being extremely helpful. Daimon-san couldn't have been nicer, and Yokoya-san, with her impressive English proficiency, helped me find the gym in the first place! Arigato gozaimasu!