Ultraman Jack Celebrates the Year That Was 2023!

Kaiju Sakaba in Shimbashi. Photo by Brett Homenick.

 

Last night (Friday, December 22), I attended another end-of-the-year party, but this time it was at Kaiju Sakaba near Shimbashi Station. It'd been a long time since I last went to Kaiju Sakaba, which made it a bit more special as a location. 

Photo by Brett Homenick.

I'd forgotten about the Roman Holiday-inspired Jamila display that lights up and roars when you put your hand in it. It's something the staff basically forces you to put your hand in before you enter. 

Gomora is ready to party! Photo by Brett Homenick.

The guest of honor was suit actor Eiichi Kikuchi. Kikuchi-san is principally known as Ultraman Jack's suit actor in Return of Ultraman (1971-72). He also donned the Ultra Seven suit in Ultra Seven (1967-68) for two episodes (14 and 15) and tussles with Sean Connery in the classic James Bond thriller You Only Live Twice (1967).

Photo by Brett Homenick.

It was a lot of fun to see Kikuchi-san again. His clothing style that evening suggested that of a cowboy. In fact, he was wearing a belt buckle that read something along the lines of, "In Dixie, we don't call 911." I asked Kikuchi-san where he bought his belt, and, interestingly enough, he said he got it in Japan!

Eiichi Kikuchi and an old friend. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Underneath his flannel shirt, however, was a T-shirt he wore in honor of Jiro Dan, the late actor who played Hideki Go, Ultraman Jack's human alter ego in Return of Ultraman, who passed away in March of this year. 

Photo by Brett Homenick.

Here are some memories from the evening: At one point during the evening, I made the Specium Ray pose, but Kikuchi-san corrected the position of my arms, pointing out that it would have obscured the Color Timer. Well, folks, that's why he's Ultraman!

Photo by Brett Homenick.

Another fun memory was when Kikuchi-san (whom I had the privilege of sitting almost directly across from during the evening) was coming back to his seat. He put his hand on my shoulder as he passed my chair, which was a lovely thing for him to do. 

Photo by Brett Homenick.

Also on hand was former Toho SFX crew member and tokusatsu book author Masahiko Shiraishi, who worked primarily on the Heisei series, starting with Godzilla vs. Biollante (1989) and culminating with Godzilla: Final Wars (2004). 

It'd been a while since I last saw Shiraishi-san, and our conversation covered such topics as MGM musicals (Shiraishi-san loves them!) and Fred Astaire movies (he loves those, too!). 

During the evening, I asked Shiraishi-san if he considers Chofu (the home of Daiei and Nikkatsu) or Seijo (the home of Toho) to be Japan's equivalent of Hollywood. He selected neither of those options and went with Kyoto instead. A very fascinating and unexpected answer! I hadn't considered Kyoto a possibility before, but, at least in the context of its Showa-era heyday, it ought to be in the running.

Masahiko Shiraishi. Photo by Brett Homenick.

There were other familiar faces on hand, such as Yutaka Arai, who has worked as an SFX director on independent kaiju eiga. It was great to say hello to several folks I hadn't seen in a while.

What a wonderful end-of-the-year celebration this was. Everyone was in the holiday spirit and had a fun time. I'm glad I went and, as always, can't wait to do it again!

Godzilla vs. Space Godzilla Celebrated!

Godzilla vs. Space Godzilla! Photo by Brett Homenick.

I just returned from a reunion party focusing on Godzilla vs. Space Godzilla (1994). While admittedly not the strongest entry of the Godzilla series, it was quite pleasing to know that the folks who worked on the movie generally had a positive opinion on it.

Masahiko Shiraishi. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Many of the Toho SFX staff on hand were people I've met several times in the past. Masahiko Shiraishi was among them.

Kazuki Hayashitani. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

Kazuki Hayashitani is not just a Toho SFX alumnus; he also organized the night's event. So I have to credit him for a job well done.

Yosuke Nakano. Photo by Brett Homenick.  

Former Toho SFX assistant director Yosuke Nakano was also there. I probably spent the most time talking with him. As you can probably tell from his T-shirt, he champions Space Godzilla as a film.

Tsutomu Kobayashi. Photo by Brett Homenick.  

It was my first time to meet Tsutomu Kobayashi. He worked as a sculptor on the Heisei Godzilla and Mothra films, working closely with suitmaker Tomoki Kobayashi (no relation).

The venue was a bit cramped, but the event itself was enjoyable. Space Godzilla isn't my favorite Godzilla film, but I'm glad that many of the SFX staff members who worked on it have such fond memories. Many thanks to those who attended!

WHEN ULTRA-AUTHORS COLLIDE! A Special Talk Event on Tsuburaya Productions!

Shigemitsu Taguchi (left) remembers his Tsuburaya days with Masahiko Shiraishi. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

On Friday, July 27, I attended a special Q&A event in Jimbocho with former Tsuburaya Productions writer Shigemitsu Taguchi and Godzilla series SFX veteran Masahiko Shiraishi, both of whom have recently written Tsuburaya-related tomes.

Masahiko Shiraishi. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

Masahiko Shiraishi is an author and researcher who has written meticulously researched histories about Tsuburaya Pro's early Ultra-series. Shiraishi-san is no stranger to tokusatsu, as he worked under SFX director Koichi Kawakita on the Heisei Godzilla series.

Shigemitsu Taguchi. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Shigemitsu Taguchi is best known for writing episodes of Return of Ultraman (1971-72), Mirrorman (1971-72), Ultraman Ace (1972-73), Jumborg Ace (1973), Ultraman Taro (1973-74), and Ultraman Leo (1974-75).

Ultra-Guests Assemble on Friday the 13th!

Ultraman Jack himself, Eiichi Kikuchi, strikes his trademark pose. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

On the night of Friday the 13th, I was able to attend an Ultra-cool event in Tokyo. This event featured no fewer than four special guests, all related to the Ultra-series in one way or another.

The first guest was none other than Eiichi Kikuchi, who is principally known as Ultraman Jack's suit actor in Return of Ultraman (1971-72). Kikuchi-san also donned the Ultra Seven suit in Ultra Seven (1967-68) for two episodes (14 and 15). He also tussles with Sean Connery in You Only Live Twice (1967).

Shigemitsu Taguchi. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

Another major guest was Shigemitsu Taguchi. Taguchi-san has written episodes of Return of Ultraman, Mirrorman (1971-72), Ultraman Ace (1972-73), Jumborg Ace (1973), Ultraman Taro (1973-74), Ultraman Leo (1974-75), among many others.

I've met Taguchi-san a couple of times before, and he's always a warm and friendly gentleman. His credits in television are oustanding, as he had in just about all the best programs from Tsuburaya Productions in the 1970s.

Kazuya Konaka. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

Kazuya Konaka was on hand, not just as a guest, but also as an emcee. Konaka-san has directed episodes of Ultraman Dyna (1997-98), Ultraman Cosmos (2001-02), Ultraman Nexus (2004-05), Ultraman Mebius (2006-07), Ultraseven X (2007), Ultraman Ginga S (2014), and Ultraman Orb: The Origin Saga (2016-17). As for films, Konaka-san directed Ultraman Zearth 2 (1997), Ultraman Tiga and Ultraman Dyna (1998), Ultraman Gaia: The Battle in Hyperspace (1999), Ultraman (2004), Mirrorman Reflex (2006), and Ultraman Mebius and Ultra Brothers (2006).

Masahiko Shiraishi. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Last but not least was Masahiko Shiraishi, an author and researcher who has recently written books about the early Ultra-series. Shiraishi-san is himself a veteran of the world of tokusatsu, as he worked under SFX director Koichi Kawakita on the Heisei Godzilla series.

And that's a wrap! What a fun evening it was.

ULTRA SEVEN TURNS 50! Celebrating the Big 5-0 with Bin Furuya!

Bin Furuya addresses the audience on the occasion of Ultra Seven's 50th anniversary. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Earlier tonight (Sunday, October 1), I went to a restaurant called Pepperland in Kawasaki to attend a 50th anniversary celebration dedicated to Ultra Seven (1967-68), the seminal superhero program from Tsuburaya Productions.

Toho SFX crew member and Tsuburaya Productions researcher Masahiko Shiraishi. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Among the attendees was Masahiko Shiraishi, who specialized in wire SFX under Koichi Kawakita during the Heisei Godzilla series. These days, Shiraishi-san writes books documenting the history of the Ultra-series. His examination of Ultra Seven is due out in November (in Japan, of course).   

With Masahiko Shiraishi.

I spent most of the evening speaking with Shiraishi-san, who is extremely knowledgeable about all things kaiju. I'm certainly glad I had a chance to pick his brain at length about SFX.

Bin Furuya shows off the 50th anniversary cake. Photo by Brett Homenick.

The date October 1 is particularly significant in this case because it was the exact date on which the first episode of Ultra Seven was broadcast in 1967. So our celebration fell on the actual 50th anniversary of the series. What better way to celebrate than with Ultra Garrison member Amagi?

As you can tell from the above photo, it was a blast. I truly had a great evening, and the fine folks who organized it should be commended for a job well done.

Here's to 50 years of Ultra Seven!

FIFTY YEARS OF ULTRA Q! Japan's Groundbreaking SF Series Is Celebrated in Tokyo!

From left to right: Shozo Uehara, Sadao Iizuka, Hiroyasu Yamaura, Masahiko Shiraishi, Toshihiro Iijima, Eizo Yamagiwa, and Teruyoshi Nakano pose for pictures. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Among American fans, the TV series Ultra Q (1966) has never gotten very much exposure. Sure, it's been released on DVD, and it's better known these days than it was even just five years ago. However, aside from the likes of Kenji Sahara and Hiroko Sakurai (who are recognized by American fans from their other tokusatsu projects), the names of the cast and crew of the series are largely unknown. 

Shozo Uehara, Toshihiro Iijima, and Eizo Yamagiwa share a laugh prior to the start of festivities. Photo by Brett Homenick.

For this reason, it was especially interesting for me to attend a recent launch party for a brand-new book on Ultra Q written by Masahiko Shiraishi (who worked on the Heisei Godzilla series SFX staff under Koichi Kawakita). Held at Hotel Molino near Shin-Yurigaoka Station, the event brought together several giants of the Godzilla and  Ultra-series.

Yours truly meeting legendary sculptor and suitmaker Keizo Murase for the second time.

Some of the luminaries on hand rarely make personal appearances, and many of the attendees commented to me how excited they were to see them. These names, however, would be completely unrecognizable to most American fans.

Among the headliners was Toshihiro Iijima, who directed many classic episodes of Ultra Q, Ultraman (1966-67), Ultra Seven (1967-68), and other Tsuburaya Productions series. He also directed the feature film Daigoro vs. Goliath (1972).

Another celebrity guest was Shozo Uehara, a prolific writer who wrote episodes of Ultra Q, Ultraman, Ultra Seven, Return of Ultraman (1971-72), Ultraman Ace (1972-73), Zone Fighter (1973), and Ultraman Taro (1973-74) before penning many of the Super Sentai and Metal Hero series for Toei Studios.

Another honored guest was Eizo Yamagiwa, a director who worked as an assistant director under Teruo Ishii in the 1950s and '60s before helming episodes of Return of Ultraman, Ultraman Ace, and Ultraman Taro in the 1970s.

Toho SFX director Teruyoshi Nakano talks about Eiji Tsuburaya and his SFX legacy. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Some of the famous names in attendance were just there as fans themselves, such as suitmaker Fuyuki Shinada. But whether or not you were famous, we were all gathered for a common purpose, and it gave this event an extra-special vibe. We all knew we were seeing something rare, and that these particular legends of the genre seldom do public events. For me (and for many others), a lot of the fun was just in watching Iijima-san, Uehara-san, and Yamagiwa-san interact with one another.

Eizo Yamagiwa (left) and Shozo Uehara (right) speak about all things Ultra. Photo by Brett Homenick.

One particular highlight for me was when Yamagiwa-san walked up to me and handed me his business card. I was quite surprised! Murase-san also did the same thing. It's a very common practice in Japan, of course, but coming from these gentlemen, it truly was an honor.

Toshihiro Iijima, Sadao Iizuka, and Keizo Murase are all smiles all photographers snap away. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Attendees were free to walk around and mingle with the guests as they pleased. While other events have specific times allotted for photos and autographs, that was not the case here. If you wanted a photo or a signature, it was up to you to approach the guests directly. Given that all the guests were extremely friendly, this was not an issue at all. In fact, it was a lot of fun!

Sadao Iizuka and Keizo Murase, two SFX veterans, compare notes (and what notes they were!). Photo by Brett Homenick.

Overall, the event lasted about two hours, and there was an after-party attended by many of the event staff members. Sadao Iizuka joined the dinner, as well. By all accounts, it was a big success, and everyone seemed more than happy with the results.

I enjoyed meeting Toshihiro Iijima at this event. While he attended Bin Furuya's performance in December, I didn't have a chance to meet him. So I was pleased to have a few opportunities to speak with him this time.

This photo with Eizo Yamagiwa was taken shortly after he introduced himself to me and gave him his business card. He seemed surprised that an American would be so interested in his work.

It was great to have a chat with Fuyuki Shinada again after about three years since we first met. Hopefully it won't be so long till we meet again!

There are simply too many photos to share here, so they'll come in the next post. Stay tuned!

A GREAT SUCCESS IN SHIN-YURIGAOKA! Seeing a New Play by a Screenwriting Veteran!

Hiroyasu Yamaura, Fumiko Narisawa, and Tomoko Ogawa receive an ovation from the audience following a successful performance. Photo by Brett Homenick.

On Sunday, February 7, I attended a performance of Hiroyasu Yamaura's latest play in Shin-Yurigaoka. Yamaura-san wrote it, and the play itself was largely a one-woman performance (played masterfully by Fumiko Narisawa), while Tomoko Ogawa played the piano.

I was joined by several of my friends, and we congratulated Yamaura-san on a job well done. Afterward, we were invited to join Yamaura-san (along with the cast and crew) to dinner.

Hiroyasu Yamaura enjoyed himself immensely at the after-party. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Several of us made our way over to a nearby Japanese restaurant and had a course meal for dinner. It was rather delicious, but I enjoyed the conversations more than the meal.

Yamaura-san listens as Masahiko Shiraishi speaks. Photo by Brett Homenick.

The stage director of the play was Masahiko Shiraishi, a former Toho SFX staff member and an author of some of the most in-depth books about tokusatsu movies and TV programs. It was great to have him join us for dinner.

GODZILLA SIGHTED IN KICHIJOJI! Kenpachiro Satsuma Joins His Fans for a Special Dinner!

Heisei-era Godzilla suit actor Kenpachiro Satsuma gets his revenge on the Super X2, which mercilessly attacked him in Godzilla vs. Biollante (1989). Photo by Brett Homenick.

Tonight I returned from a fun evening in Kichijoji. A group of Godzilla fans get together there once a month, and the guest of honor for the meeting was Heisei Godzilla suit actor Kenpachiro Satsuma, who played the King of the Monsters from 1984 through 1995.

Ken Satsuma (left) and SFX technician Masahiko Shiraishi (right) pose with a photo from the set of Godzilla vs. Mothra (1992) in which they both appear. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Such notable fans as Saki Hijiri (the first editor of Uchusen magazine) and Masahiko Shiraishi (who was an SFX staff member on Godzilla films like Godzilla vs. Biollante and Godzilla: Final Wars) were in attendance. Many laughs were had and funny stories shared. Everybody was in great spirits, and Satsuma-san in particular was having a great time.

Yours truly with Ken Satsuma, the Heisei Godzilla (as well as Hedorah and Gigan)!

Even though I arrived late (I had to work, after all), Satsuma-san invited me to sit next to him, and we spent much of the evening doing our best to communicate. Thankfully, we had an assist from Hijiri-san, who speaks English and was happy to help.

Fun times were had by all. Let's do it again soon!