A New Nobuyuki Yasumaru Q&A on Vantage Point Interviews!

Nobuyuki Yasumaru in September 2021. Photo by Brett Homenick.

My latest Q&A has just been published on Vantage Point Interviews, which may have been Godzilla suitmaker Nobuyuki Yasumaru's last-ever interview. (It was conducted only about five months before he passed away.) In the interview, Mr. Yasumaru gives the most likely explanations for why Jet Jaguar was named "Jaguar" (and why it was probably changed from Red Arone), recounts the toilet-related shenanigans the Toho SFX took part in during the making of the otherwise somber The Last War (1961), and goes into detail about his work on The Last Days of Planet Earth (a.k.a. Prophecies of Nostradamus, 1974), among many other fascinating topics. You can read about all this and more on Vantage Point Interviews, where content is king!

A Salute to Nobuyuki Yasumaru

Nobuyuki Yasumaru in September 2021. Photo by Brett Homenick.

January 24 marks what would have been Toho suitmaker Nobuyuki Yasumaru's 88th birthday. I was privileged to visit with him in late September 2021, which turned out to be mere months before he passed away on March 1, 2022. 

Safety first is the way it goes. Yasumaru-san wanted us to wear masks in this photo.

I interviewed him that day about a variety of topics I wasn't able to cover when I first interviewed him in December 2018. The second interview will hopefully be published in the next couple of months. Yasumaru-san discussed a variety of projects he worked on that usually don't get much coverage, so I think folks will enjoy it. We conducted the interview in a cafe near his home and changed locations afterward to continue the conversation. The photo above was taken in the second location.

During the time of COVID, first bumps have become more common in Japan. When Yasumaru-san met me at the train station on the day of the interview, he offered a fist bump, which I thought was extremely cool. I definitely wanted to recreate it in the photo above.

We exchanged New Year's cards a few months later. It turned out he sent his New Year's greetings to me literally just two months before he passed. I'm extremely grateful I got to spend time with Yasumaru-san, and I still miss him to this day. 

I just wanted to say a few words to celebrate his memory on what would have been his 88th birthday.

Nobuyuki Yasumaru, Legendary Godzilla Suitmaker, Passes Away at Age 87

Nobuyuki Yasumaru in December 2018. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Nobuyuki Yasumaru, the Toho suitmaker who created the Gorosaurus suit for King Kong Escapes (1967) and Godzilla for Godzilla 1985 (1984), passed away on March 1. He was 87.

Teruyoshi Nakano with Nobuyuki Yasumaru in December 2018. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Yasumaru-san was born on January 24, 1935, in Toyama Prefecture. He joined Toho in the early 1960s, working on the tokusatsu side of such productions as Mothra (1961), King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962), and The War of the Gargantuas (1966). Yasumaru-san became a suitmaker in 1967. You can read much more about Yasumaru-san's career in this 2018 interview.

Nobuyuki Yasumaru in November 2016. Photo by Brett Homenick.

I was fortunate to have met Yasumaru-san several times over the years. The first time was in November 2016 at a book launch party for Toho SFX crew member Takashi Naganuma. I actually had a previous engagement that day, but, as soon as I heard that Yasumaru-san would be attending, I cancelled those plans so that I could join the party.

In December 2018, I was lucky enough to interview Yasumaru-san at a cafe near his home in Sagamihara, Kanagawa Prefecture. He gave me a small-press book written about his life and career. After that, we exchanged New Year's cards, including this year.

I interviewed Yasumaru-san a second time last September, in which we revisited some topics (like Godzilla vs. Megalon) while covering new ground (The Last Days of Planet Earth). He had so much to say that I was even considering a third interview. Our last meeting in September was a lot of fun. He seemed as healthy as I'd ever seen him, and he was in great spirits. I'm very sorry to hear that he's passed. I will always cherish the memories I have.

RIP, Yasumaru-san.

DEEP DIVE: Why Did Gorosaurus Replace Baragon in 'Destroy All Monsters'?

Nobuyuki Yasumaru in December 2018. Photo by Brett Homenick.

The topic of Gorosaurus' unexplained substitution for Baragon when the Arc of Triumph collapses in Destroy All Monsters (1968) has been the subject of speculation for decades. In the West, the most common explanation is that the Baragon suit, having been reused and recycled so many times since its debut in Frankenstein Conquers the World (1965), just wasn't ready in time for the shoot, so the filmmakers decided to use Gorosaurus instead.

This, however, is not what happened, according to Gorosaurus suitmaker Nobuyuki Yasumaru. In December 2018, I had the privilege of interviewing Mr. Yasumaru, who recounted the situation.

In the interview, Mr. Yasumaru states:

[T]he monster Baragon was supposed to destroy the Arc of Triumph in Destroy All Monsters (1968). However, he had big ears like an elephant that would get stuck inside the Arc of Triumph. So they decided to use Gorosaurus instead of Baragon.

This seems rather definitive to me, especially coming from the man who created the Gorosaurus suit. Of course, I would welcome any additional citations, as opposed to idle speculation and connecting-the-dots guesswork, to paint a fuller picture. It's always difficult to say with complete certainty what happened on movie sets 50 or 60 years ago, as participants pass away, and memories fade. But Mr. Yasumaru's recollections are probably about as close as we will come to knowing for sure.

In the Company of a Toho Legend!

With Nobuyuki Yasumaru.

On Sunday, September 26, I had the privilege of spending an afternoon with Toho suitmaker Nobuyuki Yasumaru. We spent the first few hours hanging out at a cafe before switching locations for an early pasta dinner. 

It was my first time seeing Yasumaru-san in three years. When we met at the train station, he gave me a fist bump, which we recreated for the photo above. 

This photo was taken after dinner. It was great to see Yasumaru-san again after such a long time. He truly is a Toho legend.

New Content at Vantage Point Interviews!

With Yoshinobu Kaneko in May 2013.

Three new interviews are now up on Vantage Point Interviews. The latest one is my May 2013 interview with former child actor Yoshinobu Kaneko, whom you probably know as the little boy eager to catch of glimpse of Godzilla in King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962). But he's done so much more than that -- even starring in several Taiwanese-made fantasy films!

With Nobuyuki Yasumaru in December 2018.

The next interview is with renowned kaiju suitmaker Nobuyuki Yasumaru. Yasumaru-san goes into great detail to describe the suitmaking process.

With Keizo Murase in April 2019.

And, while we're on the subject of kaiju suitmakers, here's another interview with the legendary Keizo Murase, who describes more of his suitmaking work over the years.

Now you know why content is king at Vantage Point Interviews!

Toho SFX Veterans Gather to Celebrate the Publication of a New Book!

Takashi Naganuma. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

Earlier today, I had the honor of being invited to attend a launch party for a new book written by former Toho SFX master Takashi Naganuma. The book is another chronicle of Naganuma-san's decades of work at Toho Studios.

Toshio Miike. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

The event attracted several Toho SFX luminaries, such as Teruyoshi Nakano, Tom Kotani, Toshio Miike, and Nobuyuki Yasumaru. All the invited guests addressed those in attendance.

Nobuyuki Yasumaru addresses the audience. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

I was able to strike up some new friendships at the event with my table mates. I had a great time chatting with the folks seated next to me. I hope we have a chance to meet again in the future.

Teruyoshi Nakano (left) and Nobuyuki Yasumaru. Photo by Brett Homenick.

I purchased a copy of Naganuma-san's book at the party, and I was impressed with the photos contained in it, most of which I'd never seen before. And given how many books have been published in recent years regarding Toho SFX, that's quite an accomplishment.

Teruyoshi Nakano. Photo by Brett Homenick.

All in all, it was a wonderful event. I attended a similar party almost exactly two years ago, and while that one was much bigger, this one was still quite enjoyable. I hope another book gets published soon!

GROUP SHOT! Takashi Naganuma's Book Party!

The commemorative photo taken at Takashi Naganuma's launch party.

Takashi Naganuma just e-mailed me the commemorative group photo from Sunday's event. It features all the guests from the event (except director Tom Kotani, who left a bit early). Once again, it was a fantasic event. Many thanks to everyone who made it such a special occasion!

MORE PHOTOS! Takashi Naganuma's Launch Party!

Nobuyuki Yasumaru addresses Shinji Higuchi. Photo by Brett Homenick.

As mentioned elsewhere on this blog, I attended the launch party for Takashi Naganuma's new book on Toho SFX. It was a private celebration, and it was a lot of fun. Here are some other highlights.

Director Tom Kotani and suit builder Nobuyuki Yasumaru enjoy each other's company.

A group shot with yours truly, Tom Kotani, and Takashi Naganuma. This was taken shortly after I was invited to address the audience on the microphone. I offered praise to the SFX luminaries in attendance, and asked everyone to give director Kotani a round of applause. Kotani-san stood up and hugged me!

My photo of Toho cyclorama painter Fuchimu Shimakura.

Yours truly with Shimakura-san! Personality-wise, Shimakura-san was extremely youthful and had a wonderful sense of humor. I really hope to have a chance to meet him again.

A group shot with director Shinji Higuchi, Takashi Naganuma, and others in attendance.

Meeting suit builder Nobuyuki Yasumaru. Shinji Higuchi is directly seated behind us.

Nobuyuki Yasumaru points out the details in a photograph to Shinji Higuchi.

Yours truly with Shin Godzilla co-director Shinji Higuchi.

A selfie with Yoshikazu Ishii, a Toho SFX expert.

TAKASHI NAGANUMA'S BOOK PARTY! SFX All-Stars Turn Out for The Celebration!

Takashi Naganuma addresses the audience of fans and pros. Photo by Brett Homenick.

On Sunday, November 27, a private party was held in Yokohama Chinatown to celebrate the launch of a new book by Takashi Naganuma, detailing Toho's tokusatsu history from the 1970s and beyond. 

Godzilla stands above Yokohama Chinatown. Photo by Brett Homenick.

I was invited by Naganuma-san when I saw him a week ago. Naturally, when I heard about this party, I jumped at the chance to attend. I'm very glad I did. There were several Toho tokusatsu staff members in attendance, many of whom I'd never met before. There was even a big surprise in store for us!

Director Tsugunobu "Tom" Kotani waits in the green room. Photo by Brett Homenick.

When I arrived, I greeted Naganuma-san, who was busy setting up. I then joined director Tsugunobu "Tom" Kotani in the green room. Kotani-san still speaks quite a bit of English, though he tells me he used to be even more proficient. He reminisced about working with Richard Boone on The Last Dinosaur (1977). According to Kotani-san, he and Richard Boone got along very well, and Boone even helped communicate some of his directions to the rest of the cast. Kotani-san said that Boone was like an honorary assistant director in that sense. 

Toho SFX expert Yoshikazu Ishii. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Among the tokusatsu pros in attendance was Yoshikazu Ishii, the first assistant director of SFX on Godzilla: Final Wars (2004), among a lot of other film and TV work. Ishii-san's English has come along very well since I first met him back in 2003. He helped translate my conversation with Toshiro Aoki later in the evening. Many thanks to Ishii-san for his help!

Tom Kotani greets fellow Toho director Shinji Higuchi. Photo by Brett Homenick.

The above photo ought to give away the surprise. Fresh off the success of Shin Godzilla, co-director Shinji Higuchi attended the launch party. Naturally, Higuchi-san is well acquainted with the Toho alumni in attendance, and their respect for Higuchi-san was quite evident.

Nobuyuki Yasumaru discusses his work at Toho. Photo by Brett Homenick.

A big highlight for me was getting the chance to meet Toho suit builder Nobuyuki Yasumaru. His work on Toho SFX dates all the way back to Mothra (1961), but he is best known for his work building the suits for most of the '70s Toho monsters as well as the '84 Godzilla suit and Pulgasari. His work on Toho monster suits began with Gorosaurus on King Kong Escapes (1967).

Fuchimu Shimakura recalls his Toho days. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Artist Fuchimu Shimakura was also on hand, and while most fans aren't familiar with his name, they know his work. Shimakura-san painted the cycloramas and backgrounds seen in many classic Toho films and Ultraman programs. In other words, if you saw Mount Fuji in the background of a monster fight scene during the 1960s, he painted it. When I spoke with Shimakura-san, he told me that he began work at Toho in 1959 (!), which would have made him about 19 years old at the time. According to Shimakura-san, his first tokusatsu works were The Three Treasures (1959) and Battle in Outer Space (1959).

Director Shinji Higuchi speaks to the audience. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Shinji Higuchi was also among the speakers, and he turned out to be the most popular guest among the fans and professionals. It's not hard to see why. Shin Godzilla was a massive success at the Japanese box office. Higuchi-san did not have to attend an event like this, but his respect for the SFX technicians in attendance speaks for itself.

SFX art director Toshiro Aoki talks tokusatsu. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Another luminary in attendance was SFX art director Toshiro Aoki. Aoki-san's career as an art assistant dates back to 1959 with The Three Treasures, but he went on to work on Mothra, Gorath (1962), King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962), Godzilla vs. the Thing (1964), among many other titles. In the 1970s, Aoki-san became SFX art director for films like Godzilla vs. Gigan (1972), Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973), Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (1974), and Terror of Mechagodzilla (1975). Aoki-san worked in the same position for Tsuburaya Productions on Return of Ultraman (1971-72), Ultraman Ace (1972-73), and Ultraman Taro (1973-74). 

Yours truly with Toho SFX art assistant Jiro Shirasaki.

Jiro Shirasaki was among with many other SFX alums, and he likewise worked on many classic Toho films in the SFX art department.

All in all, it was a tremendous party, but as is often the case, there's a lot more to say. Stay tuned!