Visiting Back in Town Now That I'm Back in Town!

Masamitsu Tayama in concert. Photo by Brett Homenick.

 

On Friday, September 4, I visited the nightclub Back in Town for the first time in a couple of years to see the performance of Masamitsu Tayama, who is always a joy to see. 

I brought my Mothra (1961) steelbook for Tayama-san to sign. I'm not a big fan of steelbooks, but you work with what you've got. 

It was lovely to see Tayama-san and his wife, Yoko, again. Right before I left the venue, Yoko arranged for the group of regulars to pose for a group photo, which we did. She sent it to me after the show, and it turned out really well!

There really isn't much else to say -- there wasn't a dinner afterward or anything like that, so it was all pretty brief. But I never miss a chance to see Tayama-san in concert.

Back in Town at Marquee!

Masamitsu Tayama! Photo by Brett Homenick.

 

On Saturday, April 18, I went to the Marquee live house in Ekoda to watch Masamitsu Tayama perform -- for the first time in a couple of years. Hard to believe it's been that long, but I was especially excited for it.

Neither Tayama-san nor his wife was expecting me to be there, so, when Yoko saw me, she was particularly surprised and gave me one of the biggest hugs I've ever received! 

When Tayama-san saw me in between sets, he spent a few minutes telling the audience about me and our various interactions over the years. It was quite something!

After the show, our group made our way over to a Chinese restaurant where we had dinner. I've eaten here before with Tayama-san after he performed, so it was all second nature to me. I certainly enjoyed spending some extra time with Tayama-san after the show again, so I appreciate the invite.

For those of you not in the know, Tayama-san played Shinji Chujo in Mothra (1961), though you certainly wouldn't recognize him today. He is, and always has been, one cool dude.

Joining a Tsuburaya Pro Legend for Dinner!

Akihide Tsuzawa. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Tonight (Wednesday, March 27), I enjoyed the company of former child actor Akihide Tsuzawa with whom I ate dinner at a Jonathan's family restaurant near his home. Tsuzawa-san played Hoshino in the original Ultraman (1966-67) TV series, which makes me wish we could have met at a Hoshino Coffee instead!

I was surprised to find that Tsuzawa-san had another present for me. It was a pamphlet-size photobook of pictures his mother took on location during the shooting of Ultra Q (1966) and Ultraman. Apparently, this book will be on offer at an upcoming event in Japan, but I'm certainly privileged to have been given my own copy.

Akihide Tsuzawa. Photo by Brett Homenick.

There are a mixture of color and black-and-white photos in the booklet. Some of the photos were originally taken in color, while others were colorized for the pamphlet. 

We hung out for just under two hours and talked about many things, including Tsuzawa-san's interest in Japanese MLB players throughout the years (especially Otani and Nomo), my reaction to Godzilla Minus One (2023), which Tsuzawa-san hasn't seen, his recent trip to Lake Okutama (which I pointed out was a location in 1961's Mothra, which he didn't know), his busy professional life that left him little time to stop and smell the flowers, and many other things. 

Tsuzawa-san told me that his favorite director to work with on Ultraman was Toshihiro Iijima. He also drew a map on a napkin of where Toho was in relation to Tsuburaya Productions. I asked Tsuzawa-san if he watched any of the tokusatsu scenes being shot, but he said he didn't due to how hectic the drama side's shooting schedule was. While shooting took place at Tsuburaya Productions, the dubbing apparently took place at Toho.

Tsuzawa-san also talked about his nostalgia for old American TV shows like Lassie, Rawhide, and Superman. In fact, he wanted to see a photo of the Superman he grew up with, but, when I showed him a photo of George Reeves in costume, he said that wasn't it. So I thought maybe he was thinking of Kirk Alyn, but no dice. It wasn't until I showed him a photo of Reeves with Noel Neill as Lois Lane that it finally clicked.

Of course, we also touched on real-life issues, such as careers, relationships, the cost of health insurance, and other things like that. When it was all said and done, I paid for both our meals. Hey, it was the least I could do!

I'm so glad to have had the opportunity to hang out with Tsuzawa-san so soon after our last meeting in January. During the evening, Tsuzawa-san remembered the first time we met in 2016. All these years later, I'd say that's a tremendous feat. When I pulled out my phone to take Tsuzawa-san's photo, he beat me to the bunch by taking my picture first on his camera. (I won't remind you about what I always say about VIPs and guests who take photos of you.)

What a fun evening! Many thanks to Tsuzawa-san for his kind hospitality!

Catching a Screening of 'Mothra' in 35mm!

The Laputa Asagaya. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Earlier today (Wednesday, November 22), I was privileged to catch a screening of the Toho classic Mothra (1961) in 35mm at the Laputa Asagaya. The screening is part of a special program celebrating the 25th anniversary of the theater with new film prints of specially selected works.

When Mothra saw its 4K screenings at Toho Cinemas around Tokyo a while back, I decided not to go, which I now deeply regret. Chalk it up to laziness -- I just didn't want to get up that early in the morning to see it. So, in a way, this screening makes up for the fact that I missed the 4K version. The 35mm print had a few scratches and imperfections here and there, but otherwise it looked in pristine shape. It was a great way to see the film!

Today's film lineup. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Regarding the film itself, what could I say that hasn't been said a thousand times already? It's a classic, and I feel very fortunate I was able to see such a wonderful 35mm print of it. I didn't notice very many fun details that I've seen in other such theatrical screenings, but it was a joy to take in all the tokusatsu greatness onscreen. 

There were quite a few people at the screening, but the theater was only about half full. I was kind of worried about a sellout (there were some screenings earlier this year that came dangerously close to one), but in retrospect I needn't have worried. All in all, it was a fun way to spend an afternoon.

BACK IN TOWN! A Fun Evening of Music with a Familiar Face!

Masamitsu Tayama. Photo by Brett Homenick.

On Friday, September 8, I returned to Back in Town to catch another live performance by Masamitsu Tayama. I always try to attend these performances, as there are usually only one or two per year in Tokyo.

Masamitsu Tayama. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Unlike, well, most of the concerts I can remember (at least when I have to work), I was actually able to attend the whole show from start to finish. Thankfully, my work schedule wasn't so bad this time, and I was able to leave work and arrive with about a half an hour before the performance started at 7:00 p.m.

Over the years, I've gotten rather familiar with Tayama-san's repertoire, and I have come to enjoy most of his songs. He really puts his all into his singing, and he leaves it all onstage when he performs.

In a light-hearted moment toward the end of the show, while performing his signature song "Spring Is in the Air," Tayama-san seemed to lose his place. This amused both the audience and Tayama-san, who even considered performing the song again to make it up to the audience. 

Tayama-san ultimately chose to close with a different song. I asked Tayama-san if that had ever happened to him before, to which he confirmed that it hadn't. I told him that it just made it a special occurrence.

As everything was wrapping up, I helped Tayama-san pack up his guitar, and we took our obligatory photos. Even though it's been something I've done countless times, it never gets dull and always feels special.

After that, our group, including Tayama-san and his wife Yoko, walked back to Akebonobashi Station before we parted ways. We went in opposite directions, so we said our goodbyes before going to our respective train platforms.

And that's a wrap! Suffice it to say, it was another fun evening with a wonderful performer. I hope we can do it again soon!

A DAM BURSTING WITH TOKUSATSU HISTORY! Revisiting Tokyo's Ogouchi Dam!

Welcome to Okutama! But you still have to ride the bus before getting to your destination. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Today (Wednesday, July 12), I visited Lake Okutama (a.k.a. Lake Oku-Tama) and the Ogouchi Dam for the first time in almost 10 years. (Yikes! Has it been that long?!) Readers of this blog ought to know that the Ogouchi Dam was prominently featured in Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973) and was also seen (in a less spectacular way) in Mothra (1961).

Given the tokusatsu history associated with this location, I've often thought about returning for a visit. But it takes just about two hours to reach Okutama Station from my home -- and that doesn't count the bus ride from the station to the actual lake! (I wasn't exactly timing it, but I'd wager the bus ride was somewhere between 15 and 20 minutes.) So you can see why I had some hesitation.

Despite the scorching heat, I decided to make a day of it and head to the lake. I actually had a lot more fun than I expected, and I spent more time exploring the lake and the dam than I did 10 years ago. With all that said, let's check out the highlights. Enjoy!

'Spring Is in the Air' at Marquee!

The live house Marquee. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

 

On Saturday, April 1, I attended a live performance by singer-musician Masamitsu Tayama at Marquee, a live house near Ekoda Station. I've recently only been able to attend one performance by Tayama-san per year, so this April show (before his regular one in September) was a rare opportunity for me, and I had to take it. 

Masamitsu Tayama. Photo by Brett Homenick.

At first, I thought this was my first time at the venue, but it slowly came back to me that I attended Tayama-san's performance here around the same time back in 2014 for the first time. I didn't remember the venue or the area at all in the beginning, but it slowly dawned on me that it was the case. I was quite surprised!

Yoko and Masamitsu Tayama. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Due to my work schedule, I missed most of the show but was able to catch around the last 30 or so minutes. At the end, he played his biggest hit, "Spring Is in the Air" -- a perfect song for this time of year -- as well as some songs I wasn't as familiar with, including one called "Penguins." He even made an "April Fools'" joke from the stage, which ought to shock certain self-professed Japan experts on social media who've argued until they were blue in the face that April Fools' doesn't exist in Japan.

After the performance, Tayama-san greeted his audience personally and thanked each person for coming. Several group photos were taken with Tayama-san and his usual group of supporters and fans who come out to his shows. But I guess we were taking too long, as the Marquee staff gave us the brush, stating that the next performer needed time to set up. So we changed locations and ended up at a nearby Chinese restaurant.

It's rather interesting to note that we also went to a restaurant after the first time I met Tayama-san at Marquee. So I guess things have come full circle. I sat across from Tayama-san and his wife Yoko, who's always there to support him. I've always gotten a slight enka vibe from Tayama-san's songs, so I asked him if that's his genre. But he said it wasn't and suggested they were Japanese songs. Apparently, the style is more similar to chanson. Either way, Tayama-san certainly brings a lot of power to his performances.

After signing a couple of items I brought with me (a mini poster and a reprint of a Toho pamphlet that came with a DVD), we posed for some obligatory photos, which of course you can see above. Our group rode back to Ikebukuro Station together, after which we parted to go our separate ways.

I certainly wasn't expecting to have dinner with Tayama-san, but I'm very glad I could. It made the experience that much more special and memorable. Hope we can do it again soon! 

BACK IN TOWN! 'Spring Is in the Air' on This Fall Evening!

Back in Town! Photo by Brett Homenick.

On Friday, September 30, I attended another show with Masamitsu Tayama at the live house Back in Town in Akebonobashi. I've been coming to the venue for years to see Tayama-san perform.

Masamitsu Tayama. Photo by Brett Homenick.

When I entered the venue, I was immediately greeted by Tayama-san's wife. There were also a few familiar faces on hand who always come out to see Tayama-san perform. 

Masamitsu Tayama. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Tayama-san sang his greatest hits, with which I have become quite familiar in recent years. My favorite was "Spring Is in the Air," Tayama-san's 1976 hit which he usually saves for last (or at least one of the last) during his concerts. 

Masamitsu Tayama. Photo by Brett Homenick.

After the performance, Tayama-san came out to greet his supporters and other audience members. I had a nice (but short) chat with him after the show. There was also a lot of picture-taking, including group photos. Tayama-san's wife even took many pictures of her own!

Another great evening comes to and end! It was a busy day, but I wouldn't have it any other way.