Doraemon Invades Noborito Station!

Doraemon chows down at Odakyu Noborito Station. Photo by Brett Homenick.

 

I'm not the world's biggest manga or anime fan, but I finally decided to photograph some of the fun Doraemon-related displays in Odakyu Noborito Station in Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture. (Please note that JR Noborito Station doesn't have Doraemon stuff much worth pointing out.) From what I understand, the station is near the Doraemon Museum, which would certainly explain things! Anyway, here's a look at what you can see at the time of this upload. Enjoy!

Revisiting Another 'Godzilla's Revenge' Filming Location!

Signage for Kawasaki Freight Station. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Today (Wednesday, July 5), I paid another visit to Kawasaki Freight Station (a.k.a. Kawasaki Kamotsu Station), located appropriately enough in Kawasaki, Kanagawa. It was my first time to visit the area in more than eight years.

You might be wondering why I would go out of my way to visit a random rail yard. The answer is quite simple: It was used as a filming location in Godzilla's Revenge (1969).

Ichiro's father, played by Kenji Sahara, is a train driver in this rail yard. It's also the location where the shenanigans with the billboard painter takes place at the end of the film.

Just as I did eight years prior, I took a taxi from Kawasaki Station to the rail yard. In fact, the taxi driver was concerned that I was going to the wrong place, so he told me that this station was not for commuters. I told him I was well aware of that and that I going there because it was used as a filming location in an old movie. He seemed quite relieved!

While walking around the rail yard, I realized that I needn't have spent the 2,100 yen on cab fare. Conveniently located next to Kawasaki Freight Station was Kojimashinden Station on the Keikyu Daishi Line, which takes commuters to Keikyu Kawasaki Station, which is an easy walk from JR Kawasaki Station. Ah, well.

Just as there was the last time I visited the area, it was lightly raining. Maybe someday I'll walk around the rail yard on a sunny day. So far, it hasn't happened.

I remember getting a sketchy vibe from the rail yard the last time I went there. There were few (if any) station employees around at the time, and it seemed there might have been a shantytown in the area.

This time, however, the atmosphere was much more positive, as there were numerous rail yard employees out and about. While the area itself is far from ideal, it seemed like a much safer place this time around.

One interesting memory from my April 2015 visit was that I had a huge nail stuck in the bottom of my shoe after walking around. This time, my shoes didn't take any souvenirs with them.

Given that more than 50 years have passed since the making of Godzilla's Revenge, it's more than a little difficult to pinpoint exact locations. I'm afraid I just couldn't do it, though the rail yard, in many ways, seems basically the same as it did in the film.

Now that I have a much more convenient way to return in the future, I just might do that -- hopefully with better weather next time! 

And that's a wrap! I've run out of things to talk about, but I still have a few pictures left to share. Bu I'll just let them do the rest of talking.

RETURNING TO LAKE ASHI! But Where Was Biollante?

Lake Ashi on a rainy (and windy) fall morning. Photo by Brett Homenick.

I also paid another visit to Lake Ashi in Hakone this morning. While this isn't the exact spot seen in the film, Lake Ashi is where Biollante first appears in Godzilla vs. Biollante (1989). Thankfully, I didn't see any rose pedals anywhere in the vicinity. Anyway, given the lousy weather, I couldn't see Mount Fuji in the background. Oh, well. Anyway, here's the view from this morning.

REVISITING HAKONE-YUMOTO STATION! On Another Rainy Day, No Less!

The view from just outside Hakone-Yumoto Station. Photo by Brett Homenick.

This morning, my travels brought me back to Hakone-Yumoto Station, which is surrounded by stunning natural beauty. I wish I had the time (not to mention cooperative weather) to go exploring, but hopefully I'll get around to that someday. Until then, here are the pictures I took. 

THE EIGHTH SAMURAI! Visiting Actor Shigeo Kato!

Actor Shigeo Kato. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Today, I spent another pleasant afternoon with actor Shigeo Kato, a veteran of countless Toho movies dating back to the early 1950s. At 92 years old, Kato-san is still in great health, and I hope I can have the same level of independence if and when I'm lucky enough to reach his age.

We met at Kamakura Station and then went to our usual cafe for a chat. Kato-san mentioned to me that, in light of the recent passing of Haruo Nakajima and Yoshio Tsuchiya, he is the last surviving cast member from Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai (1954). Given his undying spirit and boundless energy, I think Kato-san should be dubbed the Eighth Samurai.

Many thanks, as always, to Kato-san for his kindness and generosity. These get-togethers are a lot of fun each and every time they happen!

GODZILLA: MONSTER PLANET! A New Display Reveals the Design!

A brand-new, roughly two-meter-tall Godzilla model was recently unveiled in Kawasaki's La Cittadella shopping center (near the area's Cinecitta movie theater). A short walk from Kaiju Sakaba, it gives us our first clear look at how Godzilla: Monster Planet's titular kaiju will look. I visited the kaiju-size model today and snapped a few photos. Enjoy!