A GREAT WAY TO SPEND A HOLIDAY! Paying a Visit to an Old Friend!

 Posing with his co-star, Kamen Rider. Photo by Brett Homenick.

I had a holiday on Monday, August 14, so I went to see Ulf Otsuki at his home. We watched a few episodes of Kamen Rider Drive (2014-15), on which he guest-starred in two episodes as Harley Hendrickson. Suffice it to say, Drive isn't my favorite show, but it was great to see Ulf in a recent tokusatsu project. 

After that, it was off to dinner at a family restaurant with Ulf's family. A great time was had by all. Looking forward to doing it again soon!

A GREAT DAY! In the Company of a Prolific Actor!

I just returned from spending the day with actor Ulf Otsuki, a prolific actor who has appeared in tokusatsu productions in the movies and on TV. We started off the day watching the Western classic The Man Behind the Gun (1953) and then went out for dinner at our usual Indian restaurant. 

While there, a news channel ran an obituary for composer Isao Tomita (The Last Days of Planet Earth), who just passed away. I was surprised and saddened by the news.

A very special thanks to Ulf for making today something very special!

CELEBRATING GODZILLA'S BIRTHDAY WITH ULF OTSUKI! The Toho Actor Sends the Big G His Best Wishes!

Hanging with actor Ulf Otsuki after dinner at an Indian restaurant in Tokyo.

November 3 marks Godzilla's 61st birthday, and to celebrate the occasion, I visited actor Ulf Otsuki (Godzilla vs. Megalon) at his home. Ulf's credits in tokusatsu are legendary. He has appeared in Space Giants (1966-67), Johnny Sokko and His Flying Robot (1967-68), Fight! Mighty Jack (1968), Rainbowman (1972-73), Kamen Rider Stronger (1975), Daitetsujin 17 (1977), Kamen Rider Super 1 (1980-81), and most recently Kamen Rider Drive (2014-15). He also appears in Juzo Itami's Tampopo (1985).

The sun sets on Edogawa, bringing the end to a beautiful day. Photo by Brett Homenick.

I had a great time visiting Edogawa, which is a place I don't get to see very often. It's a beautiful area, and it certainly has a much different feel from the rest of Tokyo. If you don't like the hustle and bustle of Shinjuku or Shibuya, you may find Edogawa more to your liking.

I met up with Ulf at his house, and we caught up on many things. After spending a couple of hours there, we went to an Indian restaurant for dinner. It was very tasty (and very spicy!), and it was a fun way to celebrate Godzilla's birthday.

We had a blast, and I hope Godzilla did, too!

BREAKING BREAD WITH ULF OTSUKI! Chowing Down with Kamen Rider Drive's Harley Hendrickson!

Ulf Otsuki gives his favorite local Indian restaurant a pair of thumbs up. Photo by Brett Homenick.

On Sunday, September 6, I visited the home of actor Ulf Otsuki. While I'll always know him as the bearded Seatopian agent from Godzilla vs. Megalon, Ulf-san has gained a brand-new following in the tokusatsu world by recently playing Dr. Harley Hendrickson in Toei's Kamen Rider Drive.

In fact, Ulf-san and I sat down to watch his Kamen Rider Drive episode at his home, and then we followed that up by watching one of his favorite films, The Mikado (1939). Ulf-san has wanted to show me The Mikado for quite a while, but this was our first opportunity to sit down and watch it. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. I can see why he he's been wanting to show me the film for so long!

Hanging out with Ulf Otsuki at an Indian restaurant.

After that, we headed to a nearby Indian eatery and dined on some excellent curry as well as some other spicy treats. We talked about a wide range of topics, including current events in America. It was a very enjoyable evening, and I'm already anxious for the next one!

BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS CONTINUE! Catching Up with Another Old Friend!

Ulf Otsuki poses in front of some mini sakura. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Today I paid a visit to Ulf Otsuki's home and spent the day with him. Ulf is an actor who has appeared in numerous tokusatsu films and TV programs, including Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973) and, most recently, episode 17 of Kamen Rider Drive (2014-15). 

Ulf showed me one of his more obscure movie roles, that of a Russian military officer in Toshio Masuda's all-star war film 203 Kochi (1980), produced by Toei Studios. This was most certainly a highlight of the day!

Afterward, we enjoyed a great Italian dinner at a nearby restaurant. Suffice it to say, fun times were had by all. Plans for the future are being cooked up as I type this, so stay tuned for further developments!