Visiting Back in Town Now That I'm Back in Town!

Masamitsu Tayama in concert. Photo by Brett Homenick.

 

On Friday, September 4, I visited the nightclub Back in Town for the first time in a couple of years to see the performance of Masamitsu Tayama, who is always a joy to see. 

I brought my Mothra (1961) steelbook for Tayama-san to sign. I'm not a big fan of steelbooks, but you work with what you've got. 

It was lovely to see Tayama-san and his wife, Yoko, again. Right before I left the venue, Yoko arranged for the group of regulars to pose for a group photo, which we did. She sent it to me after the show, and it turned out really well!

There really isn't much else to say -- there wasn't a dinner afterward or anything like that, so it was all pretty brief. But I never miss a chance to see Tayama-san in concert.

Back in Town at Marquee!

Masamitsu Tayama! Photo by Brett Homenick.

 

On Saturday, April 18, I went to the Marquee live house in Ekoda to watch Masamitsu Tayama perform -- for the first time in a couple of years. Hard to believe it's been that long, but I was especially excited for it.

Neither Tayama-san nor his wife was expecting me to be there, so, when Yoko saw me, she was particularly surprised and gave me one of the biggest hugs I've ever received! 

When Tayama-san saw me in between sets, he spent a few minutes telling the audience about me and our various interactions over the years. It was quite something!

After the show, our group made our way over to a Chinese restaurant where we had dinner. I've eaten here before with Tayama-san after he performed, so it was all second nature to me. I certainly enjoyed spending some extra time with Tayama-san after the show again, so I appreciate the invite.

For those of you not in the know, Tayama-san played Shinji Chujo in Mothra (1961), though you certainly wouldn't recognize him today. He is, and always has been, one cool dude.

Going 'Back in Town' Again After a Long Gap!

Masamitsu Tayama. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Tonight, I returned to the venue Back in Town (near Akebonobashi Station) to take in a performance by singer-guitarist Masamitsu Tayama. Due to a certain virus you may have heard of, his last few scheduled gigs had been cancelled, so it had been quite a while since I last attended one of his performances.

Masamitsu Tayama. Photo by Brett Homenick.

When I walked into the venue (I was fashionably late due to work commitments), Tayama-san pointed me out to the audience and mentioned the interview we did back in April. Since the interview was published all in English, he told the audience that he had to rely on a machine translation to read it, but, because the translation lacked any sort of nuance, it was too difficult to read. 

After the show, we posed for the obligatory photos you see here. Tayama-san, his wife, and a few friends then went to the train station together, though we quickly had to part ways, as we had to take different platforms. It was another great time with Tayama-san, who is always a joy to see.

BACK IN TOWN! Shinjuku Rocks the Night Away!

 Masamitsu Tayama in concert. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Friday, October 5, saw singer Masamitsu Tayama come "Back in Town" to Shinjuku for another live performance. It's hard to believe that I've been seeing Tayama-san play for more than four years, but time sure does fly!

During the show, I became acquainted with fellow Tayama-san fans, two of whom were quite good at speaking English. Following the show, I got to chat with Tayama-san a bit. I had to miss his last Tokyo performance in July, but I'm grateful to have had the chance to make up for it here.

Another Live Performance with Tayama-san

Masamitsu Tayama. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Immediately after work, I attended Masamitsu Tayama's latest live performance, this time held at a nightclub near Omori Station. It's quite interesting to me just how familiar most of his songs are becoming to me.

Naturally, it was great to see him again. Tayama-san alerted me to this performance just days beforehand, so it was rather lucky I was able to attend. I'm very glad I did.

BACK IN BACK IN TOWN! Tayama-san Brings Down the House!

 Masamitsu Tayama rocks the house. Photo by Brett Homenick.

After work on Friday evening, it was music time! So, as soon as I got off work, I headed toward Shinjuku in order to see Masamitsu Tayama's latest show. As always, it was a great one. I even got a shoutout from the stage, which was pretty cool.

The performance was held at Back in Town, at which Tayama-san usually plays once a year. Tayama-san alternately performed solo (with just his acoustic guitar) and with a backup band. Both styles were quite enjoyable.

After the show, I spent a few moments with Tayama-san and his wife. They are charming folks I always look forward to seeing. Many thanks for a great evening!

TAKING IN SOME LIVE MUSIC! Seeing Tayama-san Live and in Concert!

Singer Masamitsu Tayama. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

Tonight, I attended another live performance by singer Masamitsu Tayama. He performed many of his familiar tunes -- songs I've heard so many times I can almost sing them myself! Tayama-san sings straight from the soul, and you can feel his passion in all his songs.

I last saw Tayama-san in April, and tonight's show was very similar to that one. Still, it was a great time, a perfect way to close out the week. (Well, I have to work tomorrow, but close enough.)

Many thanks for another great evening! Can't wait to do it again soon!

HE'S BACK IN TOWN! Tayama-san Returns for Another Excellent Gig!

Masamitsu Tayama addresses the audience. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Tonight, I was privileged to attend another live performance by singer Masamitsu Tayama. He played many familiar tunes, both on his acoustic guitar and keyboard. It was quite enjoyable.

The show lasted two hours, and I was seated next to Tayama-san's friends and family. Having attended several performances in recent years, I'm quite well acquainted with many of them, but I still met some new faces tonight.

Tayama-san's next show will be in the next couple of months, so I'm already looking forward to it. I fully expect him to knock it out of the park again!

MASAMITSU TAYAMA IS BACK IN TOWN! A Great Live Performances Caps a Friday Evening!

On September 16, I attended a live musical performance by singer Masamitsu Tayama. The venue was once again Back in Town, a place I have visited a couple of times in the past. Tayama-san makes his living as a musician, but many years ago, he played Shinji Chujo in the Toho classic Mothra (1961).

Tayama-san was joined onstage by other musicians, but it was truly his show. His vocals were powerful, and even though the lyrics were in Japanese, you didn't need to understand the words in order to feel the emotion of the music.

While waiting for Tayama-san to reemerge from the backstage area, I had a nice chat with some fellow fans, some of whom are familiar with kaiju eiga. We talked about a variety of subjects related to Godzilla, Gamera, and other creatures.

It was cool to see Tayama-san again, especially now that he lives far away from Tokyo. His appearances in the city are limited, but when he does one, I always do my best to be there!

BACK IN TOWN (AGAIN)! Masamitsu Tayama Returns to Akebonobashi!

Back in Town in Akebonobashi is the live house which hosted Masamitsu Tayama for his concert. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

On Friday, September 11, I was able to catch a good portion of Masamitsu Tayama's concert at Back in Town in Akebonobashi after leaving work. As readers of this blog ought to know, Tayama-san played Shinji Chujo in the original Mothra (1961) as a child actor but eventually became a successful singer.

Masamitsu Tayama plays guitar and belts out a Japanese tune in style. Photo by Brett Homenick.

This was my second time at Back in Town, the previous time was almost exactly a year ago for another concert with Tayama-san. As always, he was a big hit with the crowd, and he gave it his all.

Even though many fans were all vying for Tayama-san's time after the show, I was able to talk with him for a few minutes. Tayama-san isn't sure when his next concert will be in Tokyo, so I'll have to wait for word from the man himself.

Many thanks to Tayama-san for putting on an excellent concert and for being a true gentleman. Hope to see you again very soon!

SHINJI CHUJO RULES! The Former Mothra Child Star Rocks Japan!

Musician Masamitsu Tayama performs at the Marquee club in Nerima, Tokyo. Photo by Brett Homenick.

The Toho classic Mothra (1961) is a great film for any number of reasons. Its SFX, writing, and acting are all top-notch. While much is known about Frankie Sakai, Hiroshi Koizumi, Kyoko Kagawa, and even Jerry Ito, precious little information seems to be available about one of the film's supporting players, Masamitsu Tayama.

Masamitsu Tayama signs Mothra memorabilia for yours truly. 

Tayama-san memorably played Shinji Chujo, the pudgy, mouse-loving boy who tries to save the Shobijin from the clutches of the evil Nelson. Unlike other child actors, like Godzilla vs. Megalon's Hiroyuki Kawase, Tayama-san remains a public figure, though he has since entered a completely different line of entertainment.

Although he is now a professional singer, Tayama-san has fond memories of Mothra, especially his co-star Hiroshi Koizumi. After the concert at Marquee, I was invited to dinner with Tayama-san, who graciously signed several autographs and was happy to take photos. I enjoyed our meeting and hope to get another chance to see him again.