An Evening with One of Tokusatsu's Most Prolific Scriptwriters!

Shigemitsu Taguchi with a LaserDisc of the anime feature The Wonderful Adventures of Nils (1982). Photo by Brett Homenick.

Earlier today, I attended a special event headlined by tokusatsu scriptwriter Shigemitsu Taguchi. I've met Taguchi-san many times over the year, but, since the pandemic, my chances to see him have been few and far between. I had a chance to meet him last December, but our talk was much shorter than I'd hoped. So this was a great opportunity to spend more time with him.

Among other series, Taguchi-san has written for Return of Ultraman (1971-72), Mirrorman (1971-72), Ultraman Ace (1972-73), Jumborg Ace (1973), Ultraman Taro (1973-74), and Ultraman Leo (1974-75). Of course, he has written for many other TV programs, including anime, but his tokusatsu connections are extensive.

Shigemitsu Taguchi. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Taguchi-san, as always, was a lot of fun to see. At first, I asked him about his adorable dog Stella, but of course I wanted to ask him about various tokusatsu topics. He hasn't seen Shin Ultraman (2022) or even Shin Godzilla (2016). He described director Eizo Yamagiwa as a "gentleman," and, when I asked him about the strictest director at Tsuburaya Productions, he talked about the detailed shots that Akio Jissoji would set up and how Jissoji liked doing close-ups. He also greatly admires the kaiju designs of Tohl Narita. Moreover, Taguchi-san was worried because I wasn't eating, so he offered me some of his pasta. It was very kind of him, but I just wasn't hungry!

Taguchi-san was a bit surprised to see me at the event and asked how I found out about it. Of course, I keep my eyes peeled for any event with cool guests, even if the event itself doesn't have a tokusatsu theme. So, when I saw that Taguchi-san would be attending, that was good enough for me. He then asked me if I took the train to attend, which of course I did. 

Taguchi-san, on the other hand, explained that a driver would be taking him home -- very lucky! I also told Taguchi-san about my neighborhood, but, right after that, the event wrapped. It was great to visit Taguchi-san again, who is also very much a gentleman.

Super Festival 82!

Earlier today, I attended Super Festival 82. As usual, there's not much to say about it. I chatted with a couple of familiar faces, but after checking out some toys (and even spending a bit of money), it was time to move on. Anyway, here's what I saw.

Mirrorman Star Nobuyuki Ishida Passes Away at 68

Mirrorman's Nobuyuki Ishida poses with his heroic alter ego at Super Festival in January 2016. Photo by Brett Homenick.

The Japanese media is reporting that Mirrorman star Nobuyuki Ishida, who played Kyotaro Kagami, passed away at a hospital in Kawasaki City of colon cancer on June 13. The funeral was held on June 16. He was 68.

Nobuyuki Ishida discusses his career at Super Festival in January 2016. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Mirrorman (1971-72) remains one of Tsuburaya Productions' most popular tokusatsu series, and Mr. Ishida was a sought-after guest at many fan events in Japan. He had been battling health issues in recent years, but he still attended as many of these events as he could.

With Nobuyuki Ishida in October 2015.

I had the distinct privilege of meeting Mr. Ishida at one such event in October 2015. Though he would continue to make appearances at other gatherings for some time thereafter, this would be the only time I'd get to greet him in person.

Rest in peace, Mr. Ishida.

Tokusatsu maven Maxwell Bresee has posted this tribute to Mr. Ishida at Beta Capsule Reviews. 

SUPER FESTIVAL 77! Returning to Tokyo's Premier Toy Show!

Kikaider star Daisuke Ban signs autographs. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

Today, I made a special trip to Super Festival 77, and while it was nice to do a bit of looking around, once again I found the experience a bit lacking. Naturally, I showed up in the afternoon (no way am I waking up early on a Sunday morning for toys!), so it's entirely possible that I missed all the good stuff by the time I wandered in. Still, I was in and out in what seemed like record time. Other than bumping into director Minoru Kawasaki and a few others, gone were most of the familiar faces I'm used to seeing there. Ah, well. Maybe the next one will be more to my liking. Anyway, here's what I saw.

Actress Sachiko Kozuki Passes Away at Age 87

Sachiko Kozuki in 2017. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

The Japanese media is reporting that actress and Takarazuka Revue icon Sachiko Kozuki passed away on January 24 of heart failure. She was 87.

Kozuki-san was a regular on the Toho tokusatsu TV program Zone Fighter (1973) as Mrs. Sakimori, the mother of the show's three main heroes. Her other SFX credits include appearances on Mirrorman (1971-72), Ultraman Taro (1973-74), Ultraman Leo (1974-75), and Kamen Rider W (2009-10).

Sachiko Kozuki shares memories with screenwriter Fumio Ishimori. Photo by Brett Homenick.

In April 2017, I attended a special event in which Kozuki-san reminisced about Zone Fighter with one of the series' writers, Fumio Ishimori (pictured above). 

Rest in peace, Kozuki-san.

TORIAEZU! Nogata's Tokusatsu-Oriented Tavern!

Mirrorman and Gamera welcome you to Toriaezu! Photo by Brett Homenick. 

In my travels in and around Nogata Station, I've passed by a small restaurant-bar with various tokusatsu items on display. It's caught my eye more than once, but for one reason or another, I always took a pass and planned to go there the next time. Well, I finally stopped by today, and I must say that Toriaezu is a lot of fun.

No, it's not owned by a former tokusatsu star, and the matsuri masks are only there for the summer. But there's a wide variety of cool items on display as you sip your drink or munch on your yakitori. Here's a sample of what can currently be seen there. Enjoy!

MIRRORMAN AND FIREMAN TAKE TOKYO! Three Heroes Reunite at a Fan Gathering in Nakano!

Nobuyuki Ishida (left) Mitsuru Saijo (middle), and Naoya Makoto (right) pose for photos at the Nakano Sun Plaza for a gathering of Tsuburaya Productions fans. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

On Sunday, October 18, a special event for fans of two of the most notable non-Ultraman programs from Tsuburaya Productions was held on the 15th floor of the Nakano Sun Plaza in Tokyo. Many fans turned out for this event, and when I learned of the opportunity to meet three heroic actors from Tsuburaya Productions for the first time, I was eager to purchase a ticket.

Nobuyuki Ishida and Mitsuru Saijo, both of whom played different forms of Mirrorman, share a laugh onstage at the Nakano Sun Plaza. Photo by Brett Homenick.

The event began with a Q&A with all three actors jointly answering questions. Nobuyuki Ishida played Mirrorman's human alter ego Kyotaro Kagami on Mirrorman (1971-72) and made guest appearances on Jumborg Ace (1973), Super Robot Red Baron (1973-74), and Kamen Rider Super-1 (1980-81).

Naoya Makoto starred as Fireman's human alter ego Daisuke Misaki in Fireman (1973), as well as Tsuyoshi Kaijo/Akaranger in the inaugural Super Sentai program Goranger (1975-77).

Mitsuru Saijo is a retired suit actor who played Mirrorman and Fireman in the suits. Moreover, he played Redman in Redman (1972), Jumborg 9 in Jumborg Ace, and Zoffy in Ultraman Taro (1973-74).

Meeting actress Yoshimi Ashikawa was a surprise highlight of the event. 

As a surprise bonus guest, actress Yoshimi Ashikawa made an appearance and happily posed for pictures with fans. Ashikawa-san is known for her guest appearances on Mirrorman, Fireman, and Kamen Rider V3 (1973-74). She was also in the movie Nostradamus (1994), in which Ulf Otsuki plays the title role.

After the Q&A portion of the event wrapped, it was time for autographs and photos. During this time, I enjoyed speaking with many fellow fans who all share a passion for SFX films and TV programs.

 Posing for a picture with Naoya Makoto, whose impressive acting career spans several decades.

The first actor I met was Makoto-san, who was very friendly. Makoto-san's credits in the realm of SFX speak for themselves, but he also appeared in numerous films for Toei Studios during the 1970s. As a film buff, it was quite an honor to meet him for the first time.

Striking a familiar pose with suit actor Mitsuru Saijo, who has brought many Tsuburaya heroes to life.

It was also a privilege to meet suit actor Mitsuru Saijo, who played so many memorable heroes on TV during the 1970s. He was in great spirits and offered several different poses to all the fans who approached him for photos.

Locking hands with Nobuyuki Ishida, Mirrorman himself!

The last guest I met was Nobuyuki Ishida, otherwise known as Mirrorman's alter ego. Like the other guests, he was especially friendly with everybody he met. If there's a chance to meet this guests again at another event, I will happily take it!

It was a very enjoyable event, and I must commend organizer Ms. Kojima for bringing all the talent on hand together. The event ran very smoothly, and the guests and attendees had an excellent time.