Meeting a Daiei New Face!

Taeko Yoshino. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Tonight (Sunday, October 25), I attended another dramatic reading featuring the great Masanori Machida. I expected a pretty typical evening, but I was in for a surprise.

On hand was actress Taeko Yoshino, a Daiei New Face who made her debut for the studio in 1960. Yoshino-san appears in Ah Special Attack Corps (1960) as Yoshie (Lieutenant Hayashi's wife), Mudcat of Ginza (1960) as Masayo, Under the Tokyo Sky (1960) as Hiroko Mishima, Beware of This Young Man (1961) as Toshiko, The Five-Man Assault Team (1961) as Mitsuko Hashimoto, A Man Who Grows Stronger (1961) as Takaoka the factory worker, and A Certain Relationship (1962) as Natsuko.

With Taeko Yoshino.

In addition, she can be seen in Shigeo Tanaka's Moon of the Scorching Sands (a.k.a. Princess and I, 1962) as a maid, The Friendship Dance: It's the Best in Japan (1962) as a cafe girl, A World of Men and Women (1962) as Yoko Tanida, Three Minutes of Shiatsu for Love (screenplay by Niisan Takahashi, 1968) as Model A, and Delinquent Boss: A Game of Chance (1970) as Yukie. She often appeared in films starring Kojiro Hongo and Eiji Funakoshi. After her film career wrapped up, she could be seen in various TV shows, daytime soap operas, and commercials (including for Panasonic).

It's extremely rare to meet Showa-era actors and actresses these days, especially ones I haven't met already, so I was quite thrilled to have the opportunity. I spoke with her for a few minutes after the show and got her autograph on a couple of items.

For the longest time, I actually had a DVD of Ah Special Attack Corps that I bought years (and years ago) but never got around to watching it. It's probably in storage somewhere in the U.S., but I certainly do wish I had it now! I hope to meet Yoshino-san again the future.

Masanori Machida. Photo by Brett Homenick.

At Super Festival, I purchased some Gappa-related bromide cards for Machida-san to sign. This, of course, was my opportunity to get them signed. I thought that's all that would happen at this event, but man was I wrong about that! What a cool evening of unexpected surprises!

And that's all she wrote!

A Dramatic Performance in a Cool Costume!

Masanori Machida. Photo by Brett Homenick.

He looks familiar, doesn't he? Yes, it's Sunday, August 30, which means it was time to see Masanori Machida perform another dramatic reading, this time in a fun costume!

I'm always happy to come out to support Machida-san's shows, and it's even better to spend a few moments with him afterward.

It sure has helped me regain that old feeling before I left Tokyo two years ago. Many thanks to Machida-san!

Seems Like Old Times!

Masanori Machida poses with an American DVD that features one of his most famous movies (I promise!). Photo by Brett Homenick.

 

On Sunday, July 26, I attended an event with Masanori Machida, a former child actor who appears in a couple of my favorite movies. It's hard to believe that it'd been well over two years since I last saw him, but it was well worth the wait.

Machida-san and other actors performed dramatic readings (or monologues) that were Obon-themed, so they usually centered around ghosts or other such supernatural entities. Machida-san's monologue was a bit comedic and surprisingly short, but naturally his was the best.

A brought an old DVD that featured Monster from a Prehistoric Planet (1967) on the same disc as Gamera vs. Gaos (1967), which is a reminder of how good the year 1967 was for tokusatsu. Machida-san was a little confused when he saw Gamera on the cover, but, when I explained that Gappa was also included, it all made sense. 

Visiting Machida-san again was wonderful, and I guess sometimes you can go home again if you're lucky enough.

New Q&A on Vantage Point Interviews with a Showa-Era Superstar!

Kaoru Yumi in March 2023. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Vantage Point Interviews is proud to present my interview with the legendary actress Kaoru Yumi, star of such Toho tokusatsu epics as The Last Days of Planet Earth (a.k.a. Prophecies of Nostradamus, 1974) and Espy (1974), as well as the Submersion of Japan (1974-75) TV show. The interview was conducted during two separate sessions in March 2023 and November 2023, and it covers a variety of topics regarding Ms. Yumi's career. Some photos from those sessions, which have never been published until now, are also contained within this blog post. Enjoy!

Kaoru Yumi in November 2023. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Nikkatsu Actress Masako Izumi Passes Away at 77

Masako Izumi in February 2015. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Nikkatsu starlet Masako Izumi passed away on July 9 at 1:03 p.m. at her home after a battle with an undisclosed form of cancer. She was 77.

Ms. Izumi, who was born on July 31, 1947, began her acting career in 1958 and quickly became a star when she signed with Nikkatsu Studios in the early 1960s. At Nikkatsu, she starred in such films as Toshio Masuda's tragic World War II drama Monument to the Girls' Corps (1968), Seijun Suzuki's Tattooed Life (1965), and Kirio Urayama's Each Day I Cry (1963).

Masako Izumi holds a poster for her film The Bride Is 15 Years Old (1964) in February 2019. Photo by Brett Homenick.

I was fortunate enough to meet Ms. Izumi multiple times at various events between 2015 and 2023. You can tell by the photos accompanying this blog post that she was always fun to spend time with. Unlike many Japanese actresses who attain a certainly level of fame, she was about as easygoing and unpretentious as it gets. 

Masako Izumi under a poster for her film Thank You for the Tears (1965) in January 2016. Photo by Brett Homenick.

A very interesting story that Ms. Izumi once shared is that she was offered a part in the movie Sanjuro (1962) personally by Akira Kurosawa. However, she had just signed with Nikkatsu Studios at the time, so she couldn't join Kurosawa's production. The part she was offered ended up going to Toho actress Reiko Dan.

With Masako Izumi in June 2023.

Another fun story is that Ms. Izumi watched some of the monster scenes in Gappa the Triphibian Monster (1967) being filmed at Nikkatsu. It was her first time to see the production side of tokusatsu in person, so it left quite an impression on her.

With Masako Izumi in January 2016.

Aside from being a prolific Nikkatsu Studios actress during the 1960s, she turned her attention to becoming an adventurer in the 1980s, attempting to become the first woman to visit the North Pole on foot and sled in 1985.

Masako Izumi poses with a poster for Toshio Masuda's Monument to the Girls' Corps (1968) in June 2023. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Unfortunately, she was not able to complete her attempt, and another woman, Ann Bancroft (not the actress with the similar name), became the first in 1986. Undaunted, Ms. Izumi became only the second woman to travel to the North Pole in 1989.

Masako Izumi in January 2016. Photo by Brett Homenick.

According to NHK, Ms. Izumi fell in May of this year and was hospitalized in Tokyo. While recovering at home, her health suddenly declined, and she passed away. 

Ms. Izumi leaves behind an acting legacy few Japanese actresses of the Showa era can match. May she rest in peace.

Fumio Ishimori, Writer of 'Kamen Rider,' 'Zone Fighter,' and 'Ultraman Ace,' Passes Away at 93

Fumio Ishmimori with a Zone Fighter DVD in April 2017. Photo by Brett Homenick.

According to his official Facebook page, screenwriter Fumio Ishimori (sometimes credited as Shiro Ishimori) passed away on June 9. He was 93.

Born on July 31, 1931, Mr. Ishimori began his screenwriting career in the early 1960s, primarily working for Nikkatsu Studios during most of the 1960s, before transitioning to Shochiku before the end of the decade.

With Fumio Ishimori in April 2017.

In total, Mr. Ishimori wrote more than 70 movie screenplays, penning the scripts for the films Fearless Comrades (1966), A Warm Misty Night (1967), Toshio Masuda’s Monument to the Girl’s Corps (1968), The Rendezvous (1972), Journey into Solitude (1972), Toho’s Horror of the Wolf (1973), Galaxy Express 999 (1979), and Nobuhiko Obayashi’s The Rocking Horsemen (1992).

Fumio Ishimori stands outside a theater in Asakusa where a play he had written was performed in September 2016. Photo by Brett Homenick.

In terms of TV tokusatsu, he wrote Kamen Rider (1971-73) episodes 47, 50, 76, 83, 89, and 90, Ultraman Ace (1972-73) episodes 37 and 44, and Zone Fighter (1973) episode 20 (under the pen name Shiro Ishimori).

But his tokusatsu connections run even deeper — his maternal cousin was famed manga artist Shotaro Ishinomori. 

Fumio Ishimori in Asakusa after his play was performed in January 2020. Photo by Brett Homenick.

In November 2020, I had the distinct privilege of interviewing Mr. Ishimori about his prolific screenwriting career. I had come to respect and admire Mr. Ishimori since our first meeting in early 2016 that I was determined to share his story in English with the rest of the world. Mr. Ishimori was, without a doubt, one of the kindest gentlemen I met while I was in Japan. 

With Fumio Ishimori in October 2020.

As he got older, he became much less active, and I never met him again after we completed our interview. Mr. Ishimori stopped going out, although he continued to offer screenwriting lectures via Zoom. I wanted to meet him one last time before leaving Japan, but it was sadly not to be. I'm pleased that I was able to record Mr. Ishimori's screenwriting memories in my interview with him.

Rest in peace, Ishimori-sensei. Thank you for your kindness.

Attending an Event with a Legendary Nikkastu Actress!

Makiko Aoi. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Tonight (Friday, February 23), I braved freezing-cold temperatures to attend an event with former Nikkatsu actress Makiko Aoi. I'd previously met Aoi-san only once before, and -- believe it or not -- it was almost exactly five years ago in February 2019. Time sure does fly, doesn't it?

Even though today was a national holiday in Japan, I still had to work, so I arrived much later than everyone else. But I still got to spend nearly two hours at the venue, which was more than sufficient. Actually, things went much better than I could have expected! 

The event was organized by fans of the late Nikkatsu actor Keiichiro Akagi, who is often called the James Dean of Japan. Akagi was at the height of his popularity when he died in a car accident at the age of 21 in 1961, and he still has a dedicated fan following in Japan to this day.

But what about the evening's guest of honor? Born on May 26, 1940, Aoi-san started her acting career in the late 1950s. She soon joined Nikkatsu Studios, and her acting credits include Seijun Suzuki's The Boy Who Came Back (1958), the genre-ish The Woman from the Sea (1959), and I Hate But Love (1962) with Japanese superstar Yujiro Ishihara.

Even though it's not something I usually do at such events, I presented Aoi-san with a box of chocolates shortly after I arrived. She was quite surprised and told me she happens to love chocolate, so I guess it was a smart move on my part after all! Aoi-san wasn't sure whether she should accept it, though, as it was from a famous brand, but I assured her it was my privilege to give it to her, so she ultimately put it in her backpack. 

During the evening, I asked Aoi-san if she had any memories of director Suzuki to share, but she told me she didn't remember working with him. Of course, actors and actresses were extremely busy in those days, and oftentimes movie productions would blend together.

When the topic of tokusatsu came up (as it usually does when I'm in the conversation), I was surprised to see that Aoi-san knew the Mothra song as sung by The Peanuts, even singing a couple of lyrics of it. But she wasn't familiar with the movie itself, which, again, is understandable.

A small photo album was passed around during the evening, which featured many photos from Aoi-san's life and career. Some were production stills from her Nikkatsu heyday; others were personal photos taken during the 1980s and '90s, featuring the likes of fellow Nikkatsu performers Akira Kobayashi and Tamio Kawachi. 

At one point, when Aoi-san was about ready to eat her dinner, she accidentally dropped her chopsticks on the ground. So I immediately got up and brought her a new pair. Hey, it was the least I could do for her!

As if all that weren't enough, I was invited to ride in the taxi with Aoi-san, her assistant, and another attendee to the station after the event. Suffice it to say, it was an offer I couldn't refuse. Afterward, I tried to contribute my share of the taxi fare but was declined. What kindness!

It also so happened that we would all get on the same train, though we would eventually change at different stations. But, as we were waiting to get on the train, Aoi-san's assistant said the other attendee and I were their bodyguards. Now there's a job I'd certainly take!

All in all, the evening far exceeded my expectations, and I'm glad that an unexpected schedule change allowed me to attend. It was certainly one for the history books!

Yoko Yamamoto, Star of Nikkatsu's Kaiju Feature 'Gappa,' Passes Away at Age 81

A 1977 portrait of actress Yoko Yamamoto on display at the Yamamoto Noriten shop in Nihombashi, Tokyo. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Actress Yoko Yamamoto passed away on February 20 at a hospital in Atami, Shizuoka Prefecture (where she had been living since turning 70), at the age of 81. The exact cause of her passing has not been disclosed, with most sources simply reporting that it was due to an illness. Notably, she appeared on the television talk show Tetsuko's Room on February 2, and, according to media reports, her passing was sudden and unexpected by those who knew her. The same articles indicate that a funeral has not yet been held.

Yoko Yamamoto welcomes you to the Yamamoto Noriten shop in Nihombashi. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Yoko Yamamoto was born on March 17, 1942, and joined Nikkatsu Studios in 1963 (debuting in 1964) as part of the studio's 7th New Face class. While never quite reaching the levels of stardom attained by some of her contemporaries like Sayuri Yoshinaga, she went on to star in Nikkatsu's sole kaiju outing, 1967's Gappa the Triphibian Monster (a.k.a. Monster from a Prehistoric Planet). Also in 1967, Yamamoto signed a contract with Yamamoto Noriten, a company that specializes in seaweed products.

The Guinness World Records certificate om display at the Yamamoto Noriten shop in Nihombashi, Tokyo. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Almost 60 years later, Yamamoto remained the face of the company. In November 2009, she was officially recognized by Guinness World Records as being the longest-serving house model for the same company. In 2023, she celebrated her 60th anniversary in the entertainment business.

A 1975 portrait of actress Yoko Yamamoto on display at the Yamamoto Noriten shop in Nihombashi, Tokyo. Photo by Brett Homenick.

In March 2018, I visited the Yamamoto Noriten shop in Nihombashi and took some photos relevant to Ms. Yamamoto's career, which you can see in this blog post. While I never had the privilege of meeting Ms. Yamamoto in the flesh, I've always enjoyed her performance in Gappa, which is a perennial favorite of mine.

A 1975 portrait of actress Yoko Yamamoto on display at the Yamamoto Noriten shop in Nihombashi, Tokyo. Photo by Brett Homenick.

RIP, Yoko Yamamoto.

Willem Dafoe Wanted to Remake the Japanese Horror Classic 'Onibaba'

The Criterion Collection has recently uploaded a new Closet Picks video in which a notable figure from the film industry raids a closet full of goodies at Criterion and offers comments on the movies he or she selects. This one features four-time Oscar nominee Willem Dafoe, who reveals that he bought the rights to and almost remade a 1964 Japanese horror masterpiece. In the video, Dafoe says:

My eye goes to one of my favorite films right away, and I'll take it. Onibaba -- a very, very special film. In fact, I wanted to remake it, and I even got the rights for a while, but I couldn't find a way to do it because it's so specific to its time. And I felt like any time I tried to put a spin on it I ruined the source material, so I couldn't do that.

Moments later, Dafoe finds a classic from Nikkatsu Studios made the same year and offers: 

Gate of Flesh -- this I watched exhaustively because we used it for material when I worked with a theater company called The Wooster Group, and this was an inspiration and very important for one of our theater pieces. So Gate of Flesh -- I'll steal that!

Who knew that Willem Dafoe had a thing for Japanese movies made in 1964? At any rate, I'll say that anyone who loves Japanese horror classics and Chico Lourant movies that much is A-OK in my book.

Another Fun Evening of Dramatic Readings!

Masanori Machida. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Earlier tonight (Sunday, October 22), I attended another dramatic reading with the great Masanori Machida. As always, it was great to see him again.

Masanori Machida. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Next month, there's an event centered on a movie in which he appears, so I asked him if he would join that event. He told me he wouldn't have a chance due to his stage acting. It's too bad, but at least I got my answer.

One of the performers didn't use a script when she spoke. But there was an assistant behind the curtain who would feed her her lines when she forgot them. You could hear the assistant whispering the lines more than a few times throughout her performance. It was pretty awkward to see, but also slightly amusing. 

Not much else to say, so that's a wrap. It's still only October, but it's gotten quite cold in Tokyo, so it looks like winter's starting early this year.

Actor Hiroshi Chiba Turns 67 in Style in Roppongi!

Hiroshi Chiba. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Today (Sunday, September 10) I had the privilege of attending actor Hiroshi Chiba's 67th birthday event at the piano bar MyScotch in Roppongi. Of course, the actor won't actually turn 67 until his birthday, which will take place on September 19.

Hiroshi Chiba on the guitar! Photo by Brett Homenick.

This was my first time meeting Chiba-san, so I was quite excited. When I showed up, I was surprised to see actress Mariko Matsuoka there. It turns out that she's been friends with Chiba-san for a long time. When I walked in, Matsuoka-san waved to me and beckoned me over to her table, at which she offered me a seat.

Hiroshi Chiba blows out his birthday cake. Photo by Brett Homenick.

I also greeted Chiba-san, who was just getting ready to start, when I came in. Matsuoka-san asked him if we knew each other, to which Chiba-san replied that we had only communicated via social media when I made my reservation.

Actors Hiroshi Chiba and Mariko Matsuoka. Photo by Brett Homenick.

But just who is Hiroshi Chiba? Well, Chiba-san (under the stage name Masahiro Oyake) played Pigmon as a suit actor in episode 37 of Ultraman (1966-67). He also appears in human form in episode 36 of the same series. In the movies, he played the main character Tetsugoro (who was performed by Hideki Takahashi) as a boy in the Nikkatsu actioner Family Crest: Man against Death (1969). Another role of his is in Tsugunobu Kotani's film F2 Grand Prix (1984), starring Ken Tanaka and Katsuhiko Sasaki.

Mariko Matsuoka. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Chiba-san also played Yasohachi Yamagishi in a series of Nikkatsu films based on the risque Go Nagai manga called Harenchi Gakuen ("Shameless School"), namely: Harenchi Gakuen: Shintai Kensa no Maki (1970), Harenchi Gakuen: Tackle Kiss no Maki (1970), and Shin Harenchi Gakuen (1971). 

His best-known role (in Japan, at least) would have to be his appearances as a regular on the massively popular TV series G-Men '75 (1975-82), playing Detective Akio Taguchi from 1979 through 1981.

Mariko Matsuoka plays android girl Carolyn in episode 24 of Ultraman Leo (1974-75), Ritsuko Okamura in Kamen Rider Amazon (1974-75), Misaki Minekawa in episode 29 of Akumaizer 3 (1975-76), episode 32 of UFO Great War Fight! Red Tiger (1978), and Jun in episode 37 of Kyoryu Sentai Koseidon (1978-79). She also appears in the Fumio Ishimori-penned Shochiku film Frozen River (1976) as Harumi Hayata.

Hiroshi Chiba on the piano. Photo by Brett Homenick.

As you could imagine, it was a lot of fun being seated next to Matsuoka-san for the event. We chatted in between the songs that Chiba-san performed. We live very close to each other, so hopefully we'll get together soon. We discussed grabbing dinner in the near future, so let's hope it happens soon.

After the show wrapped, Matsuoka-san brought me over to Chiba-san for a formal introduction. We had a brief chat -- as you could imagine, Chiba-san was swamped by admirers -- and I didn't want to take up too much of his time. But it was great to get a proper introduction by a close friend of his.

After that, Matsuoka-san escorted me to the elevator to see me off. We again talked about getting together soon. What a fun and lively time! Many thanks to Chiba-san and especially Matsuoka-san for making it one for the history books!