Two Tokusatsu Heroines Join Forces to Save the World!

Sayoko Hagiwara (second from the left) and Michiko Makino (second from the right) pose with the cast and crew of 7 Ways (2023). Photo by Brett Homenick.

Tonight (Sunday, August 6), I joined an event headlined by two tokusatsu heroines: Sayoko Hagiwara and Michiko Makino. They were promoting their new film 7 Ways (2023), which I didn't manage to catch, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to spend an evening with them.

It was actually the first time I met Makino-san. She plays Hikaru Katsuragi (Pink Five) in Choudenshi Bioman (1984-85), one of the most popular Super Sentai series internationally. Interestingly, it was my first time to meet her. I started to think I'd never end up meeting her, as our paths never seemed to cross. 

Of course, Hagiwara-san played Yullian in Ultraman 80 (1980-81) and Dyna Pink in Kagaku Sentai Dynaman (1983-84). She also later appears in Choushinsei Flashman (1986-87) as the villainous Leh Nafel. I've blogged about Hagiwara-san many times in the past, but I hadn't seen her in three and a half years -- way too long! That's what happens when a pandemic gets in your way.

Michiko Makino. Photo by Brett Homenick.

I was privileged to sit across from Makino-san for about half the evening. She talked about going to various events around the world, including France and the Philippines, as well as some of the stunts on the set of Bioman. She also described working with Tadao Nakamaru on Bioman, calling him a frank individual. 

But we also discussed more personal topics. At one point, she asked how old I was, but guessed my age at about six years younger than my actual one. When I told her how old I really was, she was surprised and commented that I look younger. Hey, I'll take it!

Due to the evening's seating arrangement, I had much less time to speak with Hagiwara-san, but what little time I had in her company was very enjoyable. When she saw me, Hagiwara-san called me by my full name and mentioned that we last met about three years ago. Suffice it to say, I was flattered she remembered me so well!

Like with Makino-san, we also got into topics on a more personal side. Hagiwara-san asked if I was married, and I told her I'm still single. She asked me more questions from there (even jokingly holding out her fist like a microphone -- now I know how it feels to be interviewed!), which were fun to answer. (It's kind of surreal talking to tokusatsu heroines about your private life!) 

Sayoko Hagiwara. Photo by Brett Homenick.

In my favorite moment of the evening, when Hagiwara-san went to check the time on the clock on the wall, she grabbed my arm and pulled me with her to check the time. I know other events elsewhere in the world make it a rule that you can't touch the guests, but I sure hope Japanese events don't ever ban the guests from touching me!

And there you have it. What a fun evening it was. Between yesterday's event with Bin Furuya, it was a packed weekend in the company of Japanese heroes!

A Very Toei Evening!

Sayoko Hagiwara. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Right ater work, I headed for Shimo-kitazawa to catch a play featuring two Toei actors: Shinzo Hotta and Sayoko Hagiwara, both of whom I've written about on this blog in the past.

 Shinzo Hotta. Photo by Brett Homenick.

When I entered the venue, I was surprised to see Shinzo Hotta hanging out in the lobby area. That's because I arrived about an hour after the production had started! He seemed to recognize me and then approached me, although he couldn't quite where he remembered me from. When I mentioned the event we last met, he remembered who I was.

As a refresher, Hotta-san's acting roles date back to the mid-1960s at Toei Studios. Among many others, his credits include: Female Convict Scorpion: Jailhouse 41 (1972), Iron King (1972-73), Ninja Captor (1976-77), and Message from Space: Galactic Wars (1978-79).

Despite having blogged about Sayoko Hagiwara countless times here, I might as well put in a reminder about her, too. Hagiwara-san essayed the role of Ryoko Hoshi, Yullian's human form, on Ultraman 80 (1980-81) from episode 43, as well as Dyna Pink in Dynaman. She also appeared on Flashman as the villain Leh Nafel.

Toei Heroes to the Rescue!

Hiroyuki Takano. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

Tonight, immediately after work, I made my way to Shinjuku to see a stage play starring two Toei (and even Tsuburaya Pro!) actors -- Hiroyuki Takano and Sayoko Hagiwara. These two names ought to be rather familiar by now, as I've blogged about both multiple times.

Takano-san can be seen in Ultra Seven (1967-68), Fight! Mighty Jack (1968), Operation: Mystery (1968-69), Spectreman (1971-72), Return of Ultraman (1971-72), Kamen Rider (1971-73), Silver Mask (1971-72), and Submersion of Japan (1974-75). However, his most notable role was co-starring in the Toei superhero series Barom-1 (1972) as Kentaro Shiratori.

Sayoko Hagiwara. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

Sayoko Hagiwara, who played the role of Ryoko Hoshi, Yullian's human form, on Ultraman 80 (1980-81) from episode 43, as well as Dyna Pink on Kagaku Sentai Dynaman (1983-84). She also appeared on Choushinsei Flashman (1986-87) as the villainous Leh Nafel.

I arrived rather late (due to work), so I was only able to catch the last 30 minutes or so of the play. It didn't bother me so much, as the reason I came was to visit Takano-san and Hagiwara-san, anyway. After the show, I spotted several friendly faces in the audience, and suffice it to say, it was great to see so many great people in one spot.

A great time was had by all.

Toei Heroes Back in Action!

Daisuke Ban. Photo by Brett Homenick.

On Thursday, August 29, I attended a play in Shimo-kitazawa starring two legendary TV heroes: Daisuke Ban and Sayoko Hagiwara. Well, to say "starring" is a bit of an exaggeration. Actually, they had extended cameos. The bulk of the show featured actors I was completely unfamiliar with.

Anyway, on to the stars. Ban-san starred in Kikaider (1972-73) and Inazuman (1974). Ban-san went on to play Battle Cossack in Battle Fever J (1979-80). I've met him a few times in the past -- most notably in Los Angeles in 2010. I was pleasantly surprised to find that Ban-san remembered me from that meeting.

With Sayoko Hagiwara.

Also on hand was Sayoko Hagiwara. Hagiwara-san played Ryoko Hoshi, Yullian's human form, on Ultraman 80 (1980-81) from episode 43, as well as Dyna Pink on Kagaku Sentai Dynaman (1983-84). She also appears on Choushinsei Flashman (1986-87) as the villain Leh Nafel.

The show itself wasn't that amusing, but getting a chance to see Hagiwara-san and Ban-san made it all worth it.

TOEI HEROES CONVERGE! Two Superhero Actors Join Forces for an Event in Shinjuku!

Sayoko Hagiwara and Takumi Tsutsui. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Today, I attended a special event in Shinjuku that was guested by two popular actors from '80s Toei superhero programs.

The first guest was Takumi Tsutsui, who starred in Sekai Ninja Sen Jiraiya (1988-89), which is a show with an intenational following.

The other guest was Sayoko Hagiwara, who played the role of Ryoko Hoshi, Yullian's human form, on Ultraman 80 (1980-81) from episode 43, as well as Dyna Pink on Kagaku Sentai Dynaman (1983-84). She also appeared on Choushinsei Flashman (1986-87) as the villainous Leh Nafel. I've blogged about her many times in the past.

It had been a few months since I last saw Hagiwara-san, so I especially enjoyed seeing her again. We had a nice chat, and when I left the event as things were winding down, she walked me to the door and kept chatting. It's not every day you get that kind of treatment from special guests!

Super Sentai Heroes Return in Style!

 From left to right: Hitomi Yoshii, Koji Unoki, Lisa Komaki, Hiroyuki Takano, and Sayoko Hagiwara. Photo by Brett Homenick.

On Sunday, April 1, I had the chance to do something I hadn't been able to do for a while. I was able to attend another live performance by luminaries of the Super Sentai and Kamen Rider series. This one had a bit more variety than usual and included singing and even guitar-playing!

One special guest was Ultraman himself, Bin Furuya. Furuya-san was only there as a signing guest (he did not participate in any of the performances), but in any case, it was great to see him again.

With Yumiko Tanaka (left) and Sayoko Hagiwara.

Sayoko Hagiwara essays the role of Ryoko Hoshi, Yullian's human form, on Ultraman 80 (1980-81) from episode 43, as well as Dyna Pink in Kagaku Sentai Dynaman (1983-84). She also appears in Choushinsei Flashman (1986-87) as the villainous Leh Nafel.

Yumiko Tanaka stars in Kamen Rider Super-1 (1980-81) as Harumi Kusanami and also appears in a small role in Godzilla (1984), one of my favorites.

With Eri Kanuma (left), Lisa Komaki, and Hitomi Yoshii (right).

Lisa Komaki plays Peggy Matsuyama on Himitsu Sentai Goranger (1975-77) and is the suit actor and voice for Miss America (as played by Diane Martin) on Battle Fever J (1979-80).

Hitomi Yoshii plays High Priestess Bishium on Kamen Rider Black (1987-88).

Eri Kanuma plays 007/Yoko Kato in Goranger, as well as appearing in episodes of Kaiketsu Lion Maru (1972-73), Inazuman Flash (1974), Spider-Man (1978-79), Battle Fever J, and Taiyo Sentai Sun Vulcan (1981-82).

With Kihachiro Uemura (left) and Koji Unoki.

Kihachiro Uemura plays Green Flash on Flashman.

Koji Unoki portrays Dyna Blue on Dynaman.

And that's all she wrote. See you next time!

SUPERHEROES CONVERGE ON TSUKIJI! The Toei All-Stars to the Rescue!

Tsukiji Hongan-ji. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Tonight, I attended a play near Tsukiji Hongan-ji, but the true highlight is what happened afterward. I was quite fortunate to attend a special dinner with several stars from the Super Sentai and Kamen Rider series.

Sayoko Hagiwara, Yumiko Tanaka, and Koji Unoki pose for pictures. Photo by Brett Homenick.

The three luminaries on hand were Sayoko Hagiwara (Dynaman's Dyna Pink), Yumiko Tanaka (Harumi Kusanami from Kamen Rider Super-1, as well as Godzilla 1985), and Koji Unoki (Dyna Blue from Dynaman). 

To say it was a fun evening would be the understatement of the year. I had a blast. There's nothing like hanging out with people as cool as this. To top it all off, it was Hagiwara-san's birthday. That made the evening all the more special. Many thanks to all involved!

SUPER SENTAI IN A FLASH! Flashman Alums Team Up with the Toei All-Stars!

Now that's a photo that puts the "super" in Super Sentai! Who are all these actors? Keep reading to find out! 

Today I attended another performance by various alumni of the Super Sentai and Kamen Rider series. It was a lot of fun, as usual, and in particular I enjoyed a rather lengthy chat with actress Hitomi Yoshii. Anyway, with that said, let's get on to the photos!

A Flashman reunion! With Tota Tarumi (Red Flash), Miyuki Nagato (Wolk), Sayoko Hagiwara (Leh Nafel), and Kihachiro Uemura (Green Flash).

The ladies of Toei! Mai Oishi (Change Phoenix from Changeman), Miyuki Nagato, Sayoko Hagiwara (Dyna Pink from Dynaman), and Yumiko Tanaka (Harumi Kusanami from Kamen Rider Super-1).

From left to right: Koji Unoki (Dyna Blue from Dynaman), Mai Oishi, Hitomi Yoshii (High Priestess Bishium from Kamen Rider Black), and Kenju Hayashi (Prince Megiddo from Dynaman).

From left to right: Ryosuke Sakamoto (Red One from Bioman), Lisa Komaki (Peggy Matsuyama from Goranger), Hiroyuki Takano (Kentaro Shiratori from Barom-1), and Toshimichi Takahashi (from just about everything!).

HENSHIN! An Afternoon with Toei Heroes!

In the back row (from left to right): Hitomi Yoshii, Kihachiro Uemura, Ryosuke Sakamoto, Hiroyuki Takano, Toshimichi Takahashi, Mai Oishi, Sumiko Tanaka, Kenju Hayashi, and Koji Unoki. In the front row (from left to right): Sayoko Hagiwara, Yumiko Tanaka, yours truly, Juri Miyazawa, and Lisa Komaki. Whew!

Today I attended another special event featuring many cast members from Toei superhero series. The number of guests was by far the largest I've attended so far. Anyway, here's the breakdown.

Here I am with Mai Oishi who played Change Phoenix in Dengeki Sentai Changeman (1985-86). She also portrayed one of the young guardians of the Iga Crystal on episodes 19, 20, 31, 49, 50, and 51 of Space Sheriff Sharivan (1983-84), as well as the villainous Girl 2 (a member of the deadly Girls Army) on Space Sheriff Shaider (1984-85) from episodes 10 through 35.

On the right is suit actor/actor Toshimichi Takahashi, whose credits include: Wolf Guy (1975), Golgo 13: Assignment Kowloon (1977), Mechanical Violator Hakaider (1995), the Toho superhero series Megaloman (1979), and numerous Super Sentai, Kamen Rider, and Metal Hero series, starting with Himitsu Sentai Goranger (1975-77). He plays the evil High Priest Baraom from Kamen Rider Black (1987-88). On the left is Hitomi Yoshii, who acts as High Priestess Bishium on Kamen Rider Black.

Yumiko Tanaka (far left) stars in Kamen Rider Super-1 (1980-81) as Harumi Kusanami and also appears in a small role in Toho's Godzilla (1984). Juri Miyazawa plays Ginga Pink on Seiju Sentai Gingaman (1998-99). Sayoko Hagiwara portrays Ryoko Hoshi, Yullian's alter ego, on Ultraman 80 (1980-81), starting with episode 43, as well as Dyna Pink in Kagaku Sentai Dynaman (1983-84). She also appears on Choushinsei Flashman (1986-87) as Leh Nafel.

Finally, I'm in between two of the regulars from Choudenshi Bioman (1984-85). Ryosuke Sakamoto is Red One on the series, and Sumiko Tanaka essays the role of Yellow Four II from episode 11 until 51.

And that's it! See y'all again next time!

SENTAI HEROES, ASSEMBLE! A Great Afternoon with Toei Stars!

From left to right: Ryosuke Sakamoto, Juri Miyazawa, Hitomi Yoshii, yours truly, Kihachiro Uemura, Lisa Komaki, Yumiko Tanaka, Kenju Hayashi, Koji Unoki, and Sayoko Hagiwara.

Today, I was privileged to attend another dramatic reading performed by alumni of various Toei Super Sentai and Kamen Rider programs. I've blogged about most of the participants before, but I'll recap their most notable credits here for easy reference. With that out of the way, let's begin.

With Yumiko Tanaka (left) and Hitomi Yoshii (right). 

Yumiko Tanaka starred in Kamen Rider Super-1 (1980-81) as Harumi Kusanami and also appears in Godzilla (1984).

Hitomi Yoshii played High Priestess Bishium on Kamen Rider Black (1987-88).

With Ryosuke Sakamoto, Kihachiro Uemura, and Koji Unoki. 

Ryosuke Sakamoto stars in Choudenshi Bioman (1984-85) as Red One.

Kihachiro Uemura plays Green Flash on Choushinsei Flashman (1986-87).

Koji Unoki portrays Dyna Blue on Kagaku Sentai Dynaman (1983-84).

With Juri Miyazawa, Lisa Komaki, and Sayoko Hagiwara. 

Lisa Komaki plays Peggy Matsuyama on Himitsu Sentai Goranger (1975-77) and is the suit actor and voice for Miss America (as played by Diane Martin) on Battle Fever J (1979-80).

Sayoko Hagiwara essays the role of Ryoko Hoshi, Yullian's human form, on Ultraman 80 (1980-81) from episode 43, as well as Dyna Pink in Dynaman. She also appears on Flashman as the villain Leh Nafel.

Juri Miyazawa plays Ginga Pink on Seiju Sentai Gingaman (1998-99).

With Kenju Hayashi, Koji Unoki, and Sayoko Hagiwara. 

Kenju Hayashi plays Prince Megiddo on Dynaman.

With Yumiko Tanaka, Juri Miyazawa, and Sayoko Hagiwara.

This photo, of course, is my favorite. Hagiwara-san asked me what kind of pose I wanted. I said that any pose would be fine. This was her suggestion, and the other actresses followed suit. It doesn't get any better than this!

SUPER SENTAI HEROES GATHER AGAIN! A Great Reunion of Toei Talent!

From left to right: Ryosuke Sakamoto, Lisa Komaki, Koji Unoki, Kenju Hayashi, yours truly, Yumiko Tanaka, Sayoko Hagiwara, Sumiko Tanaka, and Hitomi Yoshii. 

Today, I attended another dramatic reading performed by veterans of the Super Sentai and Kamen Rider series from Toei Studios. While most names are familiar, some will be new to this blog, so let's get cracking and review who was there!

With Lisa Komaki (left) and Sayoko Hagiwara (right). 

Lisa Komaki played Peggy Matsuyama on Himitsu Sentai Goranger (1975-77). Following that experience, she went on to be the suit actor for and voice of actress Diane Martin as Miss America on Battle Fever J (1979-80).

Sayoko Hagiwara played Ryoko Hoshi, Yullian's human alter ego, on Ultraman 80 (1980-81), beginning with episode 43 of the series, and Dyna Pink in Kagaku Sentai Dynaman (1983-84). She also later appears on Choushinsei Flashman (1986-87) as the villainous Leh Nafel.

With Ryosuke Sakamoto and Sumiko Tanaka. 

Here are a couple of stars from Choudenshi Bioman (1984-85). Ryosuke Sakamoto, of course, portrayed Red One, and Sumiko Tanaka played Yellow Four II from episode 11 until 51 of the series.

With Yumiko Tanaka. 

Yumiko Tanaka starred in Kamen Rider Super-1 (1980-81) as Harumi Kusanami, but she also appears in Godzilla (1984). (A genuine Godzilla movie cast member was in attendance!)

With Kenju Hayashi, Koji Unoki, and Hitomi Yoshii.

Hitomi Yoshii was again there. She played the evil High Priestess Bishium on Kamen Rider Black (1987-88). Yoshii-san made me laugh out loud when she said, "We are the dark side!" in English right before this picture was taken.

Also on hand was actor Koji Unoki. He played Dyna Blue (both in and out of the suit) on Dynaman. Furthermore, Kenju Hayashi returned as well, and he would be best known as Prince Megiddo on Dynaman.

Once again, there was so much to talk about! It was another great afternoon. Can't wait to do it again soon!

THE LADIES OF SUPER SENTAI! Three Decades of Toei Action Heroines in the House!

Yours truly with Ultraman 80 and Dynaman actress Sayoko Hagiwara. 

Today, I attended an event with a plethora of alumni from Toei's long-running Super Sentai series. of course, most Americans are only familiar with Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, but Super Sentai is where it all started.

One of the guests I was interested in seeing again was Sayoko Hagiwara. As readers of this blog ought to know by now, Hagiwara-san played Yullian on Ultraman 80 (1980-81) and Dyna Pink on Kagaku Sentai Dynaman (1983-84). I was rather surprised when Hagiwara-san greeted me with a hug. Suffice it to say, that's not something one often gets an event like this!

With Goranger and Battle Fever J star Lisa Komaki. 

Also on hand was Lisa Komaki. Komaki-san played Peggy Matsuyama on Himitsu Sentai Goranger (1975-77), the original Super Sentai series. She was also the suit actor for and voice of actress Diane Martin as the heroine Miss America on Battle Fever J (1979-80).

With Gingaman actress Juri Miyazawa.

Finally, I enjoyed meeting actress Juri Miyazawa for the first time. Miyazawa-san played Ginga Pink on Seiju Sentai Gingaman (1998-99). It was a great event with very friendly guests. Can't wait to do it again in the future!