TV Tokusatsu Legend Kenji Ohba Passes Away at 71

Kenji Ohba addresses the crowd in March 2015. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Actor Kenji Ohba, best known for portraying Space Sheriff Gavan in the Toei Metal Hero TV show of the same name, passed away at 2:23 p.m. on May 6 following a lengthy illness. He was 71.

Japan Action Enterprise broke the news today on its website, which has quickly gone viral on social media. While the JAE press release claims that Ohba died at the age of 72, this is almost certainly based on traditional Japanese age reckoning and should be taken with a grain of salt.

Kenji Ohba shakes Godzilla suit actor Haruo Nakajima's hand in March 2015. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Ohba, who was born on February 5, 1955, made his mark on film and television throughout the decades. As a regular performer, his credits include: Battle Fever J (1979-80) as Battle Kenya, Denshi Sentai Denjiman (1980-81) as Denji Blue, Space Sheriff Gavan (1982-82) as Gavan, and Space Sheriff Sharivan (1983-84) as Gavan once again.

Kenji Ohba shakes the hand of Toho actor Akira Kubo in March 2015. Photo by Brett Homenick.

A number of his other roles are: Golgo 13: Assignment Kowloon (1977), Legend of the Eight Samurai (1983), and Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003), among many other credits. Ohba-san started as a suit actor on such classic Toei programs as Kamen Rider (1971-73), Android Kikaider (1972-72), and Robot Detective (1973). 

Kenji Ohba shakes the land of Toho actress Yukiko Kobayashi in March 2015. Photo by Brett Homenick.

I first saw Space Sheriff Gavan about 20 years ago, thanks to some overpriced "gray market" DVDs of the show I bought at a convention. Admittedly, I lost interest in the proceedings kind of quickly and never revisited the show after that. Who knows -- maybe I would enjoy it more now -- but Toei Metal Heroes were never really my bag.

Kenji Ohba in March 2015. Photo by Brett Homenick.

To this day, I still remember a particular subtitle line from that DVD set: While an exciting battle is raging beyond their doorstep, a confused child turns to his/her mother and comments, "Mom, it's weird outside!"

Of course, no obituary for Kenji Ohba should contain any mention of RoboCop (1987). I think we've all heard enough of that tall tale by now!

Kenji Ohba is joined by fellow Battle Fever J alums Narimitsu Kurachi and Daisuke Ban in April 2016. Photo by Brett Homenick.

I only met Kenji Ohba once, though maybe it was twice, and I just no longer remember the other time. I saw him in person at a March 2015 tokusatsu gathering that featured such Toho luminaries as Akira Kubo, Yukiko Kobayashi, and Haruo Nakajima. I photographed Ohba there but have no recollection of talking to him. If I did, it was essentially hello and goodbye.

Kenji Ohba in April 2016.

I certainly did meet him in April 2016 and have the photos to prove it! But that encounter wasn't much longer, as it took place at an autograph show. But I remember him as a friendly chap who seemed enthused about meeting his fans. I'm glad our paths crossed.

Rest in peace, Ohba-san.

SHOWA HERO EVENT IN NAKANO! Battle Fever J Cast Members Reunite for Their Fans!

Battle Fever J alumni Kenji Ohba, Narimitsu Kurachi, and Daisuke Ban converge on the Nakano Sun Plaza for a special reunion event! Photo by Brett Homenick.

Sunday, April 10, saw a special event that reunited principal cast members of the hit Super Sentai program Battle Fever J (1979-1980). Held in the Nakano Sun Plaza in Nakano, Tokyo, many fans of Super Sentai gathered for this extraordinary event. The official title of the meeting was Showa Hero Talk and Sign, and it was a big hit with attendees.

Actor Narimitsu Kurachi poses with fans of Battle Fever J for photos. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Narimitsu Kurachi portrayed Battle France on Battle Fever J, but he also appears in Toho's The Imperial Navy (1981) and Toei's The Imperial Japanese Empire (1982). On television, Kurachi-san can be seen in guest appearances on Toei's Spider-Man (1978-79), Denshi Sentai Denziman (1980-81), and Space Sheriff Gavan (1982-83).

Kurachi-san was a very friendly and personable guest. He even performed a bit of flamenco dancing onstage! Of the three guests, I spent the most time speaking with Kurachi-san. He's a true gentleman!

Actor Daisuke Ban gives a thumbs-up to Battle Fever J and its many fans! Photo by Brett Homenick.

Also in attendance was Daisuke Ban, a prolific tokusatsu star who is well known among American fans for his starring roles in Kikaider (1972-73) and Inazuman (1974). Ban-san went on to play Battle Cossack in Battle Fever J.

Ban-san was likewise very friendly, but having already met him at a special Kikaider event in Los Angeles in 2010 and (very briefly) at a Super Festival a couple of years ago, I already knew that! It's always great to meet this legend of tokusatsu.

Kenji Ohba poses with two different generations of fans! Photo by Brett Homenick.

The guest who seemed to attract the most attention was Kenji Ohba. Ohba-san's resume could easily take up the rest of this blog post. He appears in Golgo 13: Assignment Kowloon (1977), Legend of the Eight Samurai (1983), and Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003), among many other credits. Ohba-san started as a suit actor on such classic Toei programs as Kamen Rider (1971-73), Kikaider, and Robot Detective (1973). As a regular performer, Ohba-san appears on Battle Fever J (as Battle Kenya), Denshi Sentai Denziman, Space Sheriff Gavan, and Space Sheriff Sharivan (1983-84).

Ohba-san took his time with his fans, giving each person quite a bit of attention. Many fans brought multiple items for him to sign. Even though he is not as well known in the West as the Toho stars, the Japanese fans certainly are aware of his accomplishments, and it was great to see their reaction to him.

Many thanks to Ms. Kojima for staging another great event. I hope to attend the next one!

A DAM GOOD REUNION! Destroy All Monsters Actors Reunite in Tokyo!

Yours truly in between the two stars of Destroy All Monsters (1968): Akira Kubo and Yukiko Kobayashi.

I was lucky to attend a special event on Saturday March 28, in Ikebukuro, Tokyo, at the Toshima Public Hall. The event hosted a reunion of three Destroy All Monsters (1968) cast members: Akira Kubo (Katsuo Yamabe), Yukiko Kobayashi (Kyoko Manabe), and Haruo Nakajima (Godzilla). Other special guests from the superhero genre were on hand, but the meat and potatoes of the event was most certainly Toho's monster romp.

Ultraman Jack suit actor Eiichi Kikuchi talks about everything from James Bond to Ultra Seven. Photo by Brett Homenick.

The event kicked off with Return of Ultraman (1971-72) suit actor Eiichi Kikuchi taking the stage and talking about his work in the Ultraman Jack suit. He also discussed appearing in a fight scene in the James Bond thriller You Only Live Twice (1967) as well as playing Ultra Seven for a couple of episodes in the 1967-68 series of the same name.

Actress Yukiko Kobayashi listens intently as Haruo Nakajima talks shop. Photo by Brett Homenick.

After Kikuchi-san finished talking about all things Ultraman, it was time for the three Toho favorites to make their appearance and reminisce about Destroy All Monsters. Two tables were quickly set up for the guests, with Kubo-san and Kobayashi-san sitting next to each other, and Nakajima-san and Kiuchi-san paired off together.

Actor Akira Kubo was in great spirits for the reunion of his most celebrated movie role (at least to kaiju fans in the West). Photo by Brett Homenick.

The most interesting story (for me) happened when the moderator asked the guests if they had seen the new American Godzilla movie. Kubo-san said that he didn't like it very much, and while I share Kubo-san's sentiments, I must admit that it was Kobayashi-san's answer that really made me take notice.

Godzilla suit actor Haruo Nakajima shares his memories inside the latex Godzilla costume. Photo by Brett Homenick.

When asked if she had seen the new movie, she answered no, but that she likes dinosaurs (especially T-rexes) and that she is a fan of Jurassic Park (1993). Her answer was surprising to me, but entirely delightful. I never would have guessed her to be a dinosaur buff!

Space Sheriff Gavan himself (Kenji Ohba) made a surprise appearance onstage. Photo by Brett Homenick.

After the Q&A wrapped, a surprise guest came onstage and addressed everyone in the auditorium. It was none other than Kenji Ohba, the star of Space Sheriff Gavan (1982-83) and other Toei Metal Hero shows.

It's all smiles whenever Haruo Nakajima and I get a chance to meet!

Following that, the autograph session began, and I was able to get numerous items signed by the guests. the show's organizer and promoter (Dr. Abbey) cheerfully introduced me to Kubo-san and Kobayashi-san, but Kubo-san recognized me from the Kyoto event from December 2011.

One of the items Kobayashi-san signed for me was a booklet from a 1969 Konto 55 comedy she appeared in. At first, Kobayashi-san didn't seem to remember she was in it until I pointed out her photo inside the booklet. Then she remembered. She was truly a wonderful lady!

Nakajima-san was great, as usual. His daughter, Sonoe, was assisting him, as she always does at these shows. When I was getting my items signed by Kobayashi-san, Nakajima-san greeted me by name! I was so surprised that went over to him and greeted him back, but I wasn't even finished with Kobayashi-san yet! Nakajima-san is always very friendly and kind, and I hope I have many more chances to see him.

That's a wrap! The principal guests take the stage for a group photo op. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Overall, it was a fantastic event, and it was organized by people who wanted to let the fans have a great time. I must give credit to Dr. Abbey and the others for putting on a great event and giving the fans so much access to the guests. I look forward to the next events in the future!