Showa Heroes Assemble to Kick Off the New Year!

Naoya Makoto (left) and Shun Sugata. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

Today, Monday, January 13, was a public holiday in Japan, and as luck would have it, I was able to attend the first Showa Hero event of the New Year. The guests on hand were no strangers to the realm of herodom -- Naoya Makoto and Shun Sugata.

Naoya Makoto. Photo by Brett Homenick.

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

I've met Makoto-san several times, and while Goranger is certainly a groundbreaking tokusatsu program that launched the Super Sentai series in Japan, I must admit that I prefer Fireman.

Shun Sugata. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Shun Sugata played Kamen Rider ZX in the TV special Birth of the 10th! Kamen Riders All Together!! (1984). His other tokusatsu roles include episode 39 of Denshi Sentai Denjiman (1980-81) as Akimoto and Engine Sentai Go-onger (2008-09) episode 13 as Gang Father.

In films, Sugata-san has appeared in Pulse (2001), Ichi the Killer (2001), Graveyard of Honor (2002), Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003) as Boss Benta, The Last Samurai (2003) as Nakao, Izo (2004), Tokyo Gore Police (2008), and Martin Scorsese's Silence (2016) as the samurai commander.

As always, it was another enjoyable event, and the guests were a lot of fun to meet.

SHOWA HEROES OF THE 1970S! A Trio of Good Guys Joins Forces to Save the World!

From left to right: Shoji Ishibashi, Takeshi Sasaki, and Naoya Makoto. Photo by Brett Homenick.

I attended a Showa Hero event today that was headlined by three heroes of the '70s: Shoji Ishibashi, Takeshi Sasaki, and Naoya Makoto. It was a somewhat unusual grouping, as the three stars all headlined separate TV programs. But they are without a doubt three of the biggest heroes of the Henshin Boom of the '70s.

Naoya Makoto poses with his birthday cake. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Even though his actual birthday isn't until June 25, Makoto-san was presented with a birthday cake. Makoto-san commented that he will be turning 71 and that time flies. Indeed it does.

Naoya Makoto. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

For those of you not in the know, Naoya Makoto starred as the titular hero's human alter ego, Daisuke Misaki, in Tsuburaya Productions' Fireman (1973), as well as Tsuyoshi Kaijo/Akaranger in the original Super Sentai program Himitsu Sentai Goranger (1975-77).

I'd met him before at a previous Showa Hero event, and while I know he's attended other events since then, I'd never gotten a chance to see him until today. It's always a joy to meet a hero from Tsuburaya Productions.

Takeshi Sasaki. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Takeshi Sasaki was the actor who replaced the injured Hiroshi Fujioka on the original Kamen Rider (1971-73) series as Kamen Rider 2, and then teamed up with him later in the show.

It might be an exaggeration, but I'm not sure I'd ever seen a guest at any event in Japan sign as much memorabilia as Sasaki-san. Most fans in the line brought multiple (and I do mean multiple!) items for him to sign, and he took his time, carefully signing each one. It was quite interesting to see.

Shoji Ishibashi. Photo by Brett Homenick.

The final guest in the lineup was Shoji Ishibashi, who played Gentaro Shizuka on Iron King (1972-73).

He was the only guest I hadn't met before. Back in 2015, I briefly met his Iron King co-star Mitsuo Hamada at an event to which I'd arrived late. Ishibashi-san was very kind and was a great guest to meet.

And that concludes the most recent Showa Hero event.

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.