AN EVENING AT LA SHION! A Great Time with Actor Shunichi Okita!

Actor Shunichi Okita and yours truly strike a familiar pose in Tokyo's La Shion.

I just returned home from an enjoyable evening at the La Shion bar in Tokyo. As readers of this blog will recall, it's owned and operated by actor Shunichi Okita and his wife. Okita-san starred as TAC member Ichiro Yamanaka in Ultraman Ace (1972-73) and has appeared in several films, such as Tokyo Drifter (1966), Red Lion (1969), and Battle of Okinawa (1971).

After checking out the incredible Genesis of Ultraman 1966-1980 exhibit in Yokosuka, I bought the commemorative book that was on sale at the gift shop, which includes photos of the props on display as well as copies of the production designs, among other cool photographs.

I showed the book to Okita-san and his wife, who were both impressed. Naturally, I asked Okita-san to add his signature to the book. I'm sure it is the first of many to come.

Thank you very much for a great evening, Okita-san!

THAT'S A WRAP! La Shion Hosts an End of the Year Party!

The street view of La Shion, located in Futako-Tamagawa. Photo by Brett Homenick.

November 29 saw an end-of-the-year party take place at La Shion in Futako-Tamagawa. Readers of this blog will no doubt recall that this bar and restaurant is owned and operated by actor Shunichi Okita and his wife. Okita-san played Ichiro Yamanaka in Ultraman Ace (1972-73), and he also appeared in numerous films for studios like Toho and Nikkatsu throughout the 1960s and '70s.

In fact, during the party, Okita-san played an old TV show in which he appeared as a gun-toting criminal, holding terrified restaurant patrons hostage. Everyone in attendance got a kick out of seeing Okita-san work his magic 40 years ago!

Overall, it was a lively party with many new and old friends. A couple of English speakers were among the party-goers, and we all hung out together well past midnight. (Thankfully, I was able to catch the last train home!) I'd really like to thank Mr. and Mrs. Okita (pictured above) for their generosity and hospitality!

A RETURN TO LA SHION! Setagaya's Ultra-Bar Sets the Bar!

Earlier this week, I paid another visit to La Shion, an eating and drinking establishment owned and operated by actor Shunichi Okita, who portrayed Ichiro Yamanaka in Ultraman Ace (1972-73) for Tsuburaya Productions.

During my visit, Okita-san signed my Ultraman Ace DVD, which was previously signed by actress Keiko Nishi. I was very pleased to add another member of the Terrible Monster Attacking Crew (TAC) to my DVD sleeve!

The restaurant is a great place for tokusatsu fans to visit. Not only does it have plenty of cool Ultra-memorabilia for watchers of Tsuburaya Productions, but you can also meet one of the stars of a Showa-era Ultraman program! How cool is that?

To read a bit more about La Shion and Okita-san, please follow this link. Okita-san is always a warm and friendly host, and I hope I have a chance to return in the near future!

LA SHION: Setagaya's Watering Hole for Ultraman!

Near Futako-Tamagawa Station in Setagaya, Tokyo, is a bar owned and operated by actor Shunichi Okita, best known to Western fans as Terrible Monster Attacking Crew (TAC) member Ichiro Yamanaka from Tsuburaya Productions' Ultraman Ace (1972-73). While that is Okita-san's primary tokusatsu credit, he is also known in Japan for being one of Nikkatsu Studios' 1964 New Face actors (as Tsuyoshi Yoshida), working with celebrated director Seijun Suzuki on Tokyo Drifter (1966) and later with Kihachi Okamoto on Battle of Okinawa (1971) at Toho Studios.

So, for those of you who are interested in Japanese entertainment, La Shion is most definitely a place to check out. It's very similar to the now-defunct Kaiju-ya in Shibuya, in that the bar is adorned with pictures, books, autographed shikishi boards, and assorted memorabilia from Okita-san's career. Karaoke is also part of the festivities, and yes, English-language songs are available.

That's me posing with Okita-san. While I wasn't the first foreigner who's ever visited his establishment, I was the first to seek it out specifically because of Okita-san. I was quite pleased to hear that. He's a welcoming and charming gentleman, and it was very cool to meet him. I'll most certainly be back!