Shinichi Yanagisawa, Who Played Miyamoto in 'The X from Outer Space,' Passes Away at 89

Shinichi Yanagisawa in October 2020. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Actor Shinichi Yanagisawa, who is best known in the West for playing Miyamoto in Shochiku's The X from Outer Space (1967), passed away on March 24, 2022, from myelodysplastic syndrome. He was 89. Although he died nearly a year and a half ago, the news has just been released in Japan.

Mr. Yanagisawa was born on December 19, 1932, in Tokyo and began his career as an entertainer in the early 1950s, singing jazz and acting onstage. In the mid-1950s, he signed with Nikkatsu Studios, beginning his film career, and shortly thereafter married actress Junko Ikeuchi in October 1957. The marriage didn't last long, and the pair divorced in January 1958. The scandal cost Mr. Yanagisawa his contract at Nikkatsu, which forced him to go freelance for a few years. 

Shinichi Yanagisawa in February 2017. Photo by Brett Homenick.

(As an aside, when Yosuke Natsuki was driving me home after dinner in October 2015, I mentioned something about Mr. Yanagisawa to him. Afterward, Mr. Natsuki told me he wondered why Mr. Yanagisawa got divorced from Ms. Ikeuchi.)

Shinichi Yanagisawa in February 2015. Photo by Brett Homenick.

During his time as a freelancer, Mr. Yanagisawa would appear in the Takarazuka Eiga production The Poem of the Blue Star (a.k.a. An Orchestra Whipping Up a Storm, 1960), an all-star musical featuring Akira Takarada, Tadao Takashima, Izumi Yukimura, and Tatsuyoshi Ehara. 

In 1964, Mr. Yanagisawa would find a permanent home at Shochiku, where he would stay until the early 1970s. The year 1967 would see Mr. Yanagisawa appear in his most famous role around the world, that of the comic-relief character Miyamoto in the kaiju romp The X from Outer Space.

However, Mr. Yanagisawa would garner his greatest fame in Japan on television. He is widely remembered in his home country for providing the Japanese voices for Ricky Ricardo in I Love Lucy, Wilbur Post in Mister Ed, and Darrin Stephens in Bewitched.

Shinichi Yanagisawa in February 2015. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Aside from his pursuits in the entertainment industry, Mr. Yanagisawa was well known for his activism in humanitarian causes, which even earned him an award from the Japanese prime minister in 1981. 

In more recent years, Mr. Yanagisawa would sing jazz (as well as play drums) at the HUB Asakusa on the third Tuesday of every even month (February, April, June, etc.). Starting in October 2014, I attended just about every performance I could (the December 2019 show was the only one I missed pre-COVID, which was due to work commitments), and I believe the last one I attended with Mr. Yanagisawa was in December 2020. After that, to the best of my knowledge, he never returned to the HUB.

With Shinichi Yanagisawa in February 2020.

I was told by one of his bandmates that Mr. Yanagisawa was an extremely private person, even with them. From what I was told, even his bandmates didn't know much about Mr. Yanagisawa's private life. I was always a bit puzzled that, even though Mr. Yanagisawa studied English at university and sang English-language jazz songs very well, he never spoke English around me. So I could see the bandmate's point.

One evening, after his performance, Mr. Yanagisawa was leaving the HUB but seemed quite wobbly. He was in his late 80s even then, and, given that I wasn't sure where he was going after the show, I insisted on helping him. Of course, at first, Mr. Yanagisawa assured me that he would be all right on his own, but it quickly became clear to both of us that that certainly was not the case.

With Shinichi Yanagisawa in August 2019.

I got the same bandmate to help me as we assisted Mr. Yanagisawa to his destination. It turned out we didn't have to go very far. He booked a hotel room for the evening not that far from the venue. We assisted Mr. Yanagisawa up to his hotel room, and he thanked us for our help. All I knew was, I wasn't going to let Mr. Yanagisawa get hurt that night.

His bandmate theorized that perhaps bar patrons poured Mr. Yanagisawa a few too many drinks in between sets. (During breaks, Mr. Yanagisawa would always sit with audience members and chat with them.) That explanation certainly seemed plausible. I was concerned that no one from the bar staff intervened before I did, but I just chalked it up to the fact that Mr. Yanagisawa was a private person and that no one wanted to disturb him.

With Shinichi Yanagisawa in October 2018.

I was fortunate to interview Mr. Yanagisawa in September 2014. The interview can be read here. He gave me a great interview, and it's one I'm proud to host on Vantage Point Interviews.

Shinichi Yanagisawa in October 2018. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Rest in peace, Mr. Yanagisawa. Thank you for all the wonderful Tuesday evenings.

Tokyo's King of Jazz Is Back!

Shinichi Yanagisawa on the drums. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Tuesday, October 20, saw my first visit to the HUB Asakusa since February. It was long overdue. The April and June shows were cancelled due to COVID-19, but I was surprised to find out (after the fact) that the August actually happened. For a variety of reasons, I just assumed that performance would have been postponed, as well, so I didn't even bother to check to see if it would happen. Suffice it to say, I really regretted that.

As a result, I made it a point to attend the October performance of Shinichi Yanagisawa and His Swing All-Stars. Attendance was much smaller than usual (for obvious reasons), but the usual attendees were all there. It was also great to see Yanagisawa-san again for the first time since February. Yanagisawa-san, of course, is one of the stars of The X from Outer Space (1967).

Shinichi Yanagisawa after the show. Photo by Brett Homenick.

The performance ended a bit earlier than usual, which given the situation, isn't all that surprising. I'm just glad they're still happening at all. I certainly hope all goes well for the next concert in two months. If it's still on, I plan to be there.

Jazz Returns to Asakusa, Courtesy of the Swing All-Stars!

Shinichi Yamagisawa. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Last night (February 18, to be precise), I was able to return to the HUB in Asakusa for another live performance by Shinichi Yanagisawa and His Swing All-Stars. Due to work commitments, I missed the previous one in December, the first time I had missed a performance since October 2014.

Shinichi Yanagisawa on drums. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

This was actually a rare opportunity for me because I was able to attend all three sets in their entirety. (I usually arrive toward the end of the first set or beginning of the second one.) As usual, it was another excellent show.

Yanagisawa-san is best known for his role as Miyamoto in The X from Outer Space (1967), but he's so much more than that. He's also talented drummer and vocalist who can sing in Japanese and English. I'm very fortunate to know him.

Another Jazzy Night with Yanagisawa-san!

Shinichi Yanagisawa. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Last night, October 15, I went to Asakusa to see Yanagisawa-san perform live jazz. This time marked five straight years of attending the performances, never having missed one of them.

It was an enjoyable show, as usual, and I got to speak with a couple of familiar faces who usually attend the show, too.

The Swing All-Stars Swing Again!

Shinichi Yanagisawa sings jazz in Asakusa. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Last night, June 18, was another night of jazz with Shinichi Yanagisawa and the Swing All-Stars. It was another excellent night of music, for sure. There were many old favorites performed during the course of the evening.

Shinichi Yanagisawa on the drums. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Yanagisawa-san played Miyamoto in The X from Outer Space (1967), one of the funnest kaiju movies of the '60s. His character in the film was always my favorite, but since he has all the best lines, that should probably go without saying.

It was another entertaining evening, which made the fact that I got home somewhere around midnight mostly bearable. I love attending these performances and will continue to do so as long as they have them.

They're Back -- and Better Than Ever!

Shinichi Yanagisawa. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Well, it had been a while, but Shinichi Yanagisawa and His Swing All-Stars finally returned to the HUB Asakusa on Tuesday, April 16. That's because the HIB underwent some major renovations during the winter and was closed in February, when they would have held their usual performance.

I got a lucky with my work schedule and was able to attend just about all three sets. It was great to see so many familiar faces again and to have a lengthy chat with Kyoichi, the saxophonist.

Yanagisawa-san, of course, was great on the drums and the vocals. His new movie, Portrait of Brothers, opens in Japan next month, and I encourage everyone to see it. (Details in the following blog post.)

Getting into the Christmas Spirit, Asakusa-Style!

Shinichi Yanagisawa. Photo by Brett Homenick.

On Tuesday evening, I attended the last performance by Shinichi Yanagisawa and His All-Stars. I particularly enjoyed Yanagisawa-san's rendition of classic Christmas tunes. It's the season for them after all.

In February, the HUB Asakusa will be undergoing renovation, so there won't be any performance that month by Yanagisawa-san. I was disappointed by the news, but he and his band mates will be back in action in April. I'll just have to wait a little longer until then.

Another Night of Jazz in Asakusa!

Shinichi Yanagisawa. Photo by Brett Homenick.

On Tuesday, October 16, I paid another visit to the HUB in Asakusa for another great night of jazz with Shinichi Yanagisawa and His All-Stars. Although it seems like I'd just gotten done celebrating my third anniversary of attending each of these shows, this one marked my fourth anniversary. 

Yanagisawa-san was doing quite well and recently attended the world premiere in Kyoto of his most recent movie (which translates into English as "Brother Disappears"), which is essentially a Japanese retelling of The Whales of August (1987). The movie co-stars Choei (Lake of Dracula) Takahashi.

Not bad for an 85-year-old! Here's to many more!

THE KING OF JAZZ! Shinichi Yanagisawa in Concert!

Shinichi Yanagisawa. Photo by Brett Homenick.

On Tuesday night, August 21, I went back to the HUB Asakusa to see Shinichi Yanagisawa and the Swing All-Stars in concert. It was another great night of jazz. 

Yanagisawa-san's performance as Miyamoto is one of my favorite parts of The X from Outer Space (1967). If you haven't seen the movie, and you love kaiju, you owe it to yourself to check it out. Many thanks to Yanagisawa-san again for a great evening!

YANAGISAWA-SAN SIZZLES IN HIS SUMMER SHOW! The All-Stars Return to Asakusa!

 Shinichi Yanagisawa, giving it his all! Photo by Brett Homenick.

It was that time again. I returned to the HUB Asakusa to catch the live performance of Shinichi Yanagisawa and His All-Stars. As usual, they were great.

Yanagisawa-san on the drums. Photo by Brett Homenick.

If you're not familiar with Yanagisawa-san by now, for shame. He played Miyamoto in The X from Outer Space (1967), but these days he keeps busy as a jazz singer and drummer. I've been attending his shows for almost three years, and he never misses a beat.

He's also a heck of a nice guy. It's always wonderful to pay him a visit. I'll certainly be back in two months, and I can't wait!

SHINICHI YANAGISAWA TAKES THE STAGE AGAIN! Another Incredible Performance by Japan's King of Jazz!

It was that time again. Shinichi Yanagisawa and His All-Stars returned to the HUB in Asakusa for another jazz performance, and it was another success. The performance of mostly English-language jazz songs was quite enjoyable, as it always is.

I've attended these shows since October 2014 and haven't missed one so far. I certainly plan to keep it that way. Yanagisawa-san and his jazz band are incredible people, on top of being talented musicians, and their shows are always worth looking forward to.

Shinichi Yanagisawa has enjoyed a long and successful acting career, but Westerners know him best as Miyamoto in Shochiku's The X from Outer Space (1967). Yanagisawa-san's comic-relief characters comes darn close to stealing the show -- no mean feat in a film as outrageous as that one!

Many thanks to Yanagisawa-san and the crew at the HUB Asakusa for another excellent evening!