Seven Samurai's Shigeo Kato Passes Away at 94

Shigeo Kato in Kamakura in March 2017. Photo by Brett Homenick.

According to Japanese media reports, veteran Toho actor Shigeo Kato passed away at his home at 7:00 a.m. on June 14, just days shy of his 95th birthday on June 16. A private funeral was held with his daughter Yuko as chief mourner. 

Mr. Kato puts flowers on the final resting place of Akira Kurosawa. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

I had gotten to know Mr. Kato quite well over the years. We were put in touch by screenwriter Wataru Mimura, and I first met Mr. Kato in Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture, in the summer of 2014. I last visited Mr. Kato in late October of last year with my friend Jacob. Due to COVID-19, I was reluctant to visit Mr. Kato this year.

With Mr. Kato in January 2016.

Mr. Kato's credits are too numerous to list. He is most likely the last surviving cast member of Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai (1954), and he has appeared in countless Godzilla and other monster movies for Toho. You can read the first interview I conducted with Mr. Kato last year to give you more of an idea of his career. I should have the second interview (that focuses more on his acting career) ready to publish in a few days.

Shigeo Kato was one of the kindest people I've ever met, and I'll always cherish the generosity he showed me over the years.

Rest in peace, Mr. Kato.

UPDATE (6/20): My followup interview with Mr. Kato has been published at Vantage Point Interviews.

A Halloween Visit to Kamakura!

 The Great Buddha has arrived! Photo by Brett Homenick.

On Wednesday, October 30, Jacob and I paid a visit to Kamakura to take in the sites, as well as to meet up with actor Shigeo Kato. We went to a nearby cafe in which Kato-san regaled us with stories about his career, from Akira Kurosawa classics to the Godzilla series. Afterward, we went to the Great Buddha statue. It was a great afternoon, and here are the pics. (By the way, don't miss the pumpkin in front of the statue!)

Visiting a Toho Legend!

Shigeo Kato. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

Earlier this week, on Wednesday, March 20, I had a chance to catch up with Shigeo Kato, the veteran Toho actor who began working with the studio in the early 1950s. One of his earliest roles was in Akira Kurosawa's Ikiru (1952), ans he went on to appear in numerous films for the director. Kato-san's latest film, in which he plays the main character, is set to be released later this year.

I last visited Kato-san in January and was very happy to see him again. He continues to do well, and will turn 94 years old this June. I'm already looking forward to seeing him again.

Kato-san Is the Shogun!

Shigeo Kato. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Today, I visited Kamakura to have another meeting with former Toho actor Shigeo Kato. Kato-san brought along one of his most prized possessions from his acting career. It was a prop from the TV miniseries Shogun (1980), in which he appeared. Kato-san's character gets decapitated in the miniseries, which necessitated the SFX department to create a replica head. After filming wrapped, he was allowed to keep it. After nearly 40 years, it's still in very good condition.

During our meeting, we talked about his acting career, which was as fascinating as it always is. But the highlight had to be the prop from Shogun. What a cool thing to see!

End-of-the-Year Meeting with Kato-san

Shigeo Kato. Photo by Brett Homenick.

I've fallen behind in blog updates in the past few days, but I'm finally ready to get up to speed. Anyway, on with the updates. On Wednesday, December 27, I returned to Kamakura to pay a visit to retired Toho actor Shigeo Kato. At the age of 92, Kato-san is still going strong, and we had a great conversation about his days at Toho as an actor.

I'm sure we'll get together again very soon in the New Year. And I'm really looking forward to it!

70 YEARS OF TOSHIRO MIFUNE! Celebrating the Toho Star's Landmark Career in Shibuya!

From October 19 until 31, the Tokyu Department Store in Shibuya is hosting a special exhibit on the life and career of Toho star Toshiro Mifune. Entitled "The Man Who Was Called 'MIFUNE of the World,'" the exhibit commemorates the 70th anniversary of his film debut.

That movie, of course, was Snow Trail (1947), directed by Senkichi Taniguchi (The Lost World of Sinbad, The Killing Bottle). Mifune quickly became a star in the years following the release of that film, and went on to enjoy international stardom that very few Japanese actors ever get to see.

There was some rather interesting memorabilia on display. Almost immediately after you enter the exhibit, you see a poster for E.T. (1982) signed by Steven Spielberg, complete with a personalized message from the director. Who knew Mifune had such an item in his collection!

Also on hand were such personal effects as Mifune's luggage (all with "T. Mifune" embossed on the suitcases), as well as his golf clubs. His cameras were on display, too, as were some of his pipes. I was quite interested to see a photo of Mifune's meeting then-Vice President George H. W. Bush in 1984.

There were many photos in the exhibit of Mifune with Western celebrities (Spielberg, Robert De Niro, Charlie Chaplin, Robert Mitchum, etc.), but there were just as many shots of Mifune's palling around with his fellow Toho actors, such as Kaoru Yachigusa, Setsuko Hara, Keiju Kobayashi, and many others.

All in all, it was a fascinating display, and it's not the type of thing that one sees in Shibuya very often. I highly recommend it!

THE EIGHTH SAMURAI! Visiting Actor Shigeo Kato!

Actor Shigeo Kato. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Today, I spent another pleasant afternoon with actor Shigeo Kato, a veteran of countless Toho movies dating back to the early 1950s. At 92 years old, Kato-san is still in great health, and I hope I can have the same level of independence if and when I'm lucky enough to reach his age.

We met at Kamakura Station and then went to our usual cafe for a chat. Kato-san mentioned to me that, in light of the recent passing of Haruo Nakajima and Yoshio Tsuchiya, he is the last surviving cast member from Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai (1954). Given his undying spirit and boundless energy, I think Kato-san should be dubbed the Eighth Samurai.

Many thanks, as always, to Kato-san for his kindness and generosity. These get-togethers are a lot of fun each and every time they happen!

FIRE AND FURY! The Legacy of Godzilla!

The Godzilla statue at Toho Studios. Photo by Brett Homenick.

In 1954, Japanese audiences witnessed fire and fury (and frankly power), the likes of which movie audiences had never seen before. Godzilla's legacy as a groundbreaking monster movie continues to be felt to do this day, with various remakes, reboots, and reimaginings being produced on both sides of the Pacific.

In light of recent events, I paid another visit to Toho Studios to celebrate this legacy as well as the life of the man who brought Godzilla to life.

A fan-made tribute to Haruo Nakajima was left at the studio. I can't say for sure who made it, but whoever it was probably used to make expressions in animation. 

And here is a closeup of a Godzilla figure placed among the flowers and photos. Rest in peace, Mr. Nakajima.

Haruo Nakajima: A Monster Life Remembered

 Haruo Nakajima onstage at an event in Tokyo in March 2015. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Word has started circulating that Haruo Nakajima, the original Godzilla suit actor who portrayed the King of the Monsters from 1954 until 1972, has just passed away at the age of 88. While Nakajima-san's uncanny acting ability inside the monster suit is what attracted his legions of fans around the world in the beginning, it was his warmth and friendliness outside the suit that made him an international legend.

I'm a firm believer that a picture is worth a thousand words (and then some), so I'd like to take this moment to share a few of the photos I've taken of Nakajima-san over the years.

Nakajima-san discusses the art of suit-acting at a Godzilla-related event in March 2015.

The year 1954 was a big one in the life of Nakajima-san. Not only did he play Godzilla in the King of the Monsters' first film, he also appeared in Akira Kurosawa's seminal Seven Samurai, often called the greatest Japanese film of all time.

Two heroes, coming to the rescue!

Nakajima-san and assistant SFX director Teruyoshi Nakano discuss working on King Kong Escapes (1967) under the direction of Eiji Tsuburaya in September 2015.

Suit-acting explained: Nakajima-san gesticulates as he demonstrates the finer points of bringing monsters to life.

"Two Godzillas! What does it mean?!" It means that Nakajima-san and his suit-acting successor Kenpachiro Satsuma (Godzilla from 1984 until 1995) show the audience how to move like the King of the Monsters in October 2014.

Nakajima-san remembers working on his last film as Godzilla, Godzilla vs. Gigan (1972) in September 2014.

Godzilla vs. Gigan star Hiroshi Ishikawa helps Nakajima-san with his microphone during a Q&A.

Nakajima-san talks shop next to Godzilla series star Akira Takarada at Super Festival in January 2016.

Nakajima-san joins King Kong Escapes co-stars Linda Miller and Akira Takarada at Super Festival.

Thank you for the memories, Nakajima-san. Rest in peace.

REVISITING TOHO STUDIOS! Paying My Respects to the King of the Monsters!

Earlier today, I stopped by Toho Studios to photograph the area. I hadn't been by the studio in a long time, so it was overdue. Enjoy!