Eizo Yamagiwa, Director of Various Ultra-Shows, Passes Away at 92

Eizo Yamagiwa in July 2022. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Longtime Ultra-series director Eizo Yamagiwa passed away on November 28 at a Tokyo hospital from sepsis due to old age. A private funeral has already been held. He was 92. 

Born on July 22, 1932, Eizo Yamagiwa began his career in the film industry at Shintoho in the mid-1950s as an assistant director. During his time at the studio, he worked on the seventh entry in the Starman film series, Super Giant: The Space Mutant Appears (1958), which was one of the three Starman features that was eventually edited into the American release Evil Brain from Outer Space. 

Ultra-series alumni Shozo Uehara (left), Toshihiro Iijima (center), and Eizo Yamagiwa enjoy a chat in March 2016. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Yamagiwa-san also worked as an assistant director under Teruo Ishii at Shintoho before launching his career as a director of film and television. At Tsuburaya Productions, Yamagiwa-san directed episodes 15, 16, 17, 22, 23, 28, 29, 34, and 35 of Return of Ultraman (1971-72), episodes 3, 4, 9, 10, 15, 16, 21, 22, 28, 29, 38, and 39 of Ultraman Ace (1972-73), episodes 1, 2, 3, 10, 11, 14, 20, 21, 24, 25, 39, 40, 47, 48 (as well as episode 28 as special effects director) of Ultraman Taro (1973-74), and episodes 50 and 51 of Ultraman Leo (1974-75).

Mitsuhiro Sano, Keiji Takamine, Eizo Yamagiwa, and Shigemitsu Taguchi gather at an Ultraman Ace reunion in February 2019. Photo by Brett Homenick.

He also helmed episodes 3, 4, 14, and 15 of Silver Kamen (1971-72), episode 4 of Horror Theater Unbalance (1973), episodes 11 and 13 (as well as episode 11 as co-scriptwriter with Ei Ogawa) of Jekyll and Hyde (1973), and episodes 8, 9, 16, and 17 of the Submersion of Japan TV series (1974-75).

I first met Yamagiwa-san in March 2016 at a book-launch party for an Ultra Q (1966) tome. There were numerous luminaries in attendance from the world of tokusatsu, and Yamagiwa-san was among them. Even though I didn't know who he was at the time, Yamagiwa-san seemed surprised that an American was at the event, so he approached me. He gave me his business card, and, bowled over that he would come up and introduce himself to me, I asked that we take a picture together. Of course, it didn't take long for me to become familiar with Yamagiwa-san's work.

Eizo Yamagiwa in February 2019. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Over the years, we met several times at events and a couple of times on a personal level. In fact, a month after we first met, we went to a Chinese restaurant in Shibuya together and ate dinner. At that dinner, Yamagiwa-san signed and gave me a book about Return of Ultraman in which he participated as an interviewee. We also talked about various movies from around the world we enjoyed. One title I recall that Yamagiwa-san cited was 8 1/2 (1963). However, when I mentioned Ed Wood (1994), another movie about moviemaking, he wasn't familiar with it, which was to be expected.

Shigemitsu Taguchi (left), Eizo Yamagiwa (center), and Akihiko Iguchi gather to discuss their work on the '70s Ultra-series in November 2016. Photo by Brett Homenick.

As Yamagiwa-san got older, however, it became more and more difficult to meet up. I'd still catch him at an event here and there, but, when I would call him, we couldn't seem to get our schedules to match.

Eizo Yamagiwa interviewed at his home in November 2020. Photo by Brett Homenick.

In 2020, I began doing interviews again in a big way, and I was pleased that Yamagiwa-san agreed to do one with me. In fact, in the beginning, he wasn't sure he would participate at all. I guess he felt he'd given enough interviews on his work in the Ultra-series and wasn't too keen on doing any more. So he wanted to see a sample of the questions I wanted to ask before accepting.

With Eizo Yamagiwa in June 2018.

My translator mailed him the translated version of my questions, which covered a wide variety of topics, including his early life and his work at Shintoho, with the Starman series. It was apparently enough to get him to agree to the interview, as we conducted it just a few weeks later.

Eizo Yamagiwa next to his bookshelf in November 2020. Photo by Brett Homenick.

We did the interview at Yamagiwa-san's home in Eifuku. It was a fascinating history, and I'm very glad he shared it with me. I was especially interested in hearing about his work on the Starman series. In fact, after the interview, I told Yamagiwa-san how I first saw clips of the Starman movies on the old Muppet Babies cartoon show in America. I wanted to point out how the Starman movies became part of American pop culture in surprising ways. His reaction? I'll do my best at an exact quote from memory: "If that had been Japan, I would have tried to sue them." I guess my anecdote didn't go over very well.

Ultra-series veterans Susumu Kurobe (left), Mitsuko Hoshi (center), and Eizo Yamagiwa share the stage in June 2018. Photo by Brett Homenick.

My other memory from the interview is that Yamagiwa-san wanted his photo taken next to his bookshelf so that people could see his collection. I guess he was quite proud of it!

I last saw Yamagiwa-san at an event in July 2022. It was great to see him again there, and I finally was able to get him to sign something Starman-related. I had a DVD sleeve made from cardstock from an old Mill Creek 50-movie pack that included Evil Brain from Outer Space. I brought it for Yamagiwa-san to sign, and I told him it was the U.S. version of the Starman movie he worked on. I remember he did a great job of reading the U.S. title out loud from the DVD sleeve, which was fun to see.

After the event, I bumped into him again by chance as he was getting into a taxi as he was leaving. I said goodbye to him again as he entered the vehicle to go home. Little did I know I'd never see him in person again.

With Eizo Yamagiwa in November 2020.

To the best of my memory, I called him in May 2023, asking to meet up. He told me he was too old, so he had to decline my request. When I knew I was leaving Japan, I asked a mutual friend to try to arrange a meeting, hoping he would have better luck, but that didn't work, either. I wish I could have met him again before I left.

With Eizo Yamagiwa in July 2022.

Rest in peace, director. Your legacy in film lives on.

Director Nobuo Nakagawa Celebrated with a Screening of His Television Work!

Kyoko Yashiro. Photo by Brett Homenick.

This afternoon (Sunday, June 11), I attended an event centered around celebrated director Nobuo Nakagawa, who is best remembered around the world for his period horror films. This event, however, focused on the director's work on home dramas during the mid-'60s. It was held in the basement of the Laputa Asagaya.

Screened at the event were episode 10 of the home drama Toshiko-san (1966), as well as episode 1 of the similar Atchan (1965). Both works were a far cry from Nakagawa's scarier features. Today's episode of Atchan even boasted music by the late Chumei Watanabe.

I wasn't sure who would show up to the event, but thankfully there were two great guests who made it all worthwhile. The first guest to mention is Shintoho actress Kyoko Yashiro, the widow of Ultra-series director Toshihiro Iijima. Yashiro-san worked with director Nakagawa on The Lady Vampire (1959). She also appeared in Vampire Bride (1960) and The Ghost of the Girl Diver (1960). I hadn't seen her since 2018 but was quite pleased that she recognized me after all this time. I was very happy to have a chance to see her again -- and even ride in an elevator with her!

Masahisa Sakashita. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Also on hand was Nikkatsu Studios veteran Masahisa Sakashita. While he worked his way up through Nikkatsu Studios during the 1970s, more recently he has worked as a freelance television director. I also last saw him in 2018, but was floored that he recognized me, too. I figured there was no way he would remember me (we'd only ever met once before, and that was at a similar event with many attendees), so it was a pleasant surprise that he did. He was in great spirits, and we shared quite a few laughs.

And that's a wrap! The only other thing to mention is that, at one point, Yashiro-san couldn't find the black bag she brought with her, and a few others and I scoured the place looking for it. It turned out that her companion, with whom she came to the event, had it in his possession all along. Crises averted! Otherwise, it was a great time. Let's do it again!

Legendary Tokusatsu Composer Chumei Watanabe Passes Away at Age 96

Chumei Watanabe at his home in July 2018. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Maestro Chumei Watanabe, a tokusatsu composer whose work runs the gamut from Shintoho's Starman (a.k.a. Super Giant) series to the ground-breaking Super Sentai series Himitsu Sentai Gorenger (1975-77),  passed away at 4:00 a.m. on June 23 of heart failure at a hospital in Tokyo. He was 96. A private funeral has already been held, organized by his son, Toshiyuki, the composer of the Heisei Mothra trilogy.

Born Michiaki Watanabe in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, on August 19, 1925, Mr. Watanabe would get his start in the film industry in the mid-1950s, working for Shintoho Studios. At Shintoho, Mr. Watanabe would compose the scores for the first four Starman films: Super Giant (1957), Super Giant Continues (1957), Super Giant: The Mysterious Spacemen's Demonic Castle (1957), and Super Giant: Earth on the Verge of Destruction (1957). The first two films would be edited together in the U.S. as Atomic Rulers of the World, and the third and fourth films would become Invaders from Space. 

Mr. Watanabe would also collaborate with celebrated horror director Nobuo Nakagawa on such films as The Ghost of Yotsuya (1959) and Hell (1960). In the late 1960s, he composed the scores to two of the three classic yokai films from Daiei, 100 Monsters (1968) and Along with Ghosts (1969). That said, he is much better known around the world for his various TV tokusatsu and anime scores, which began in the 1970s.

I was fortunate to meet Mr. Watanabe several times between 2017 and 2019. I was privileged to interview him in July 2018, which you can read here. Mr. Watanabe was eager to speak in depth about his early life in the interview, which you can read for yourself. My translator and I spent hours at Mr. Watanabe's home in Shibuya for the interview.

Afterward, he ordered dinner for us, which was delivered to his home. As my translator and I were leaving his home after the delicious eel dinner, my translator expressed concern about the cost of such a meal. Mr. Watanabe replied, "Don't worry, I'm rich!" 

Rest in peace, Watanabe-san.

Ultra-Series Writer-Director Toshihiro Iijima Passes Away at 89

Toshihiro Iijima in November 2018. Photo by Brett Homenick.

It was announced today that writer-director Toshihiro Iijima died of aspiration pneumonia in a hospital in Yokohama at 8:59 p.m. on October 17. He was 89.

Shozo Uehara, Toshihiro Iijima, and Eizo Yamagiwa share a laugh in March 2016. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Born on September 3, 1932, in Tokyo, Mr. Iijima was a director and screenwriter, mostly for television. In 1957, he joined what would eventually become TBS and worked his way up to becoming a director and scriptwriter.

Toshihiro Iijima in May 2017. Photo by Brett Homenick.

He occasionally wrote scripts under the pen name Kitao Senzoku. Mr. Iijima wrote and directed many episodes of Ultra Q (1966) and Ultraman (1966-67), as well as directing Ultra Seven (1967-68) and Operation: Mystery! (1968-69). In addition, he wrote and directed the feature film Daigoro vs. Goliath (1972).

Mr. Iijima stands between Susumu Kurobe (left) and Bin Furuya in October 2017. Photo by Brett Homenick.

His most notable contribution was directing episode 2 of the original Ultraman, which introduced Baltan Seijin to the series.

Kyoko Yashiro in November 2018. Photo by Brett Homenick.

He was married to actress Kyoko Yashiro. Ms. Yashiro worked with acclaimed horror director Nobuo Nakagawa the film The Lady Vampire (1959), as well as appearing in Vampire Bride (1960) and The Ghost of the Girl Diver (1960) at Shintoho.

Toshihiro Iijima in July 2016. Photo by Brett Homenick.

I had the privilege of meeting both Mr. Iijima and Ms. Yashiro at several events over the years. They were never anything less than friendly. I was surprised once when Mr. Iijima-san thanked me for always coming out to his events. I should have been thanking him!

With Mr. Iijima in May 2017.

Rest in peace, Mr. Iijima. Thank you for helping to make television history.

An Ultra-Afternoon with an Ultra-Director!

Eizo Yamagiwa in his home. Photo by Brett Homenick.

I had the distinct privilege today of conducting a lengthy interview with Ultra-series director Eizo Yamagiwa in his home. We covered a variety of topics -- not just on his work on the '70s Ultra-series, but also going back to working at Shintoho in the 1950s. We covered all that and much more.

It was a very enlightening interview with one of the most accomplished directors in TV tokusatsu history.  I'm very excited to share it on Vantage Point Interviews in the near future.

Happy Birthday, Chumei Watanabe!

Chumei Watanabe. Photo by Brett Homenick.

August 19 marks the 94th birthday of film and television composer Chumei Watanabe. If you're not familiar with Watanabe-san or his work, here is a good place to start.

Chumei Watanabe plays with a Daitetsujin 17 toy. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

I was privileged to attend a special celebration of Watanabe-san last night. I was pleased to see that Watanabe-san hadn't lost a step and is still going strong.

Most of all, I was just happy to see him again and personally wish him a happy birthday. I know that Watanabe-san is an inspiration to me, and I can only hope to be in such good health if and when I reach his age.

Happy birthday, Watanabe-san!

Toho Star Tadao Takashima Passes Away at 88

A recent photo of Tadao Takashima. Photo © Nikkan Sports.

Veteran Shintoho and Toho star Tadao Takashima passed away at his home on June 26 of natural causes at around 1:00 p.m. He was 88.

Tadao Takashima is best remembered among Godzilla fans for his starring roles in King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962), Atragon (1963), Frankenstein Conquers the World (1965), and Son of Godzilla (1967). His sons Masahiro and Masanobu went on to appear in the Heisei Godzilla series.

Rest in peace, Mr. Takashima.

Chumei Watanabe Interview on VPI!

Composer Chumei Watanabe during his July 2018 interview. Photo by Brett Homenick.

My interview with Japanese film composer Chumei (a.k.a. Michiaki) Watanabe is now live at Vantage Point Interviews. Mr. Watanabe composed the scores for numerous Nobuo Nakagawa horror films at Shintoho in the 1950s and early '60s, as well as entries of the Starman (a.k.a. Super Giant) film series. At Daiei, Mr. Watanabe composed the scores for the yokai classics 100 Monsters (1968) and Along with Ghosts (1969). It's a Q&A full of history, so please enjoy.

Ultraman and Kamen Rider Alums Gather in Nakano for a Showa Hero Event!

From left to right: Toshihiro Iijima, Nana Yanagisawa, and Susumu Kurobe. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Today, I attended a Showa Hero event in Nakano, Tokyo. It featured the cast and crew of the film Homecoming (2011), directed by Toshihiro Iijima and starring (among others) Susumu Kurobe and Nana Yanagisawa.

Of course, all three guests are no strangers to the world of kaiju and tokusatsu, and that's what really drew the folks in attendance to the event.

Susumu Kurobe poses with a Beta Capsule. Photo by Brett Homenick.

The featured guest was actor Susumu Kurobe, who portrayed Shin Hayata (Ultraman's alter ego) in the series of the same name. Before Ultraman, Kurobe-san was a Toho New Face who appeared in a numerous films produced by the studio. Among his most recognizable monster movies are Ghidrah the Three-Headed Monster (1964), Son of Godzilla (1967), King Kong Escapes (1967), Destroy All Monsters (1968), and Latitude Zero (1969). In later years, Kurobe-san returned to the Godzilla series during the Heisei era and can be seen in Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (1991) and Godzilla vs. Mothra (1992).

Director Toshihiro Iijima. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Director Toshihiro Iijima, who helmed episodes of Ultra Q (1966), Ultraman (1966-67), Ultra Seven (1967-68), and Operation: Mystery! (1968-69), was also there. He also directed the Tsuburaya Productions children's movie Daigoro vs. Goliath (1972).

Actress Kyoko Yashiro. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Accompanying Iijima-san was his wife, former Shintoho actress Kyoko Yashiro. Yashiro-san worked with acclaimed horror director Nobuo Nakagawa on The Lady Vampire (1959). She also appeared in Vampire Bride (1960) and The Ghost of the Girl Diver (1960). I first met her two years ago but hadn't seen her since then. I was very glad that she appeared at this event.

Nana Yanagisawa. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Also on hand was actress Nana Yanagisawa, who played Phantom Thief Selene on GoGo Sentai Boukenger (2006-07) and Megumi Aso on Kamen Rider Kiva (2008-09).

With Toshihiro Iijima.

The guests were all friendly and a lot of fun to see. I'd met all of them on previous occasions (with the exception of Yanagisawa-san), and I enjoyed seeing them again. Of course, any time you can meet Susumu Kurobe or Toshihiro Iijima is an opportunity not to be missed.

With Nana Yanagisawa.

Of all the guests in attendance, the one I spoke with the most was the unofficial guest, Kyoko Yashiro. Of course, she was never announced to the attendees, and it didn't seem that most folks even knew who she was. I instantly recognized her, and was pleased to find that she remembered me, too.

With Susumu Kurobe.

Suffice it to say, the event was Ultra-good, and I'm already looking forward to the next one. I just hope it isn't too far in the future!

With Kyoko Yashiro.

As always, this blog will be the place to learn about all the coolest happenings in Japan. Stay tuned!

NOBUO NAKAGAWA CELEBRATED! Attending a Special Event Honoring the Legendary Director!

Composer Chumei Watanabe answers questions during a Q&A. Photo by Brett Homenick.

On Sunday, September 23, I had the honor of attending a special event in Tokyo celebrating the career of director Nobuo Nakagawa. It was my first time to attend such an event, but I was really surprised at how impressive it was. There were quite a few luminaries on hand for the festivities -- much more than I expected.

Shinkichi Nakagawa, the son of director Nakagawa. Photo by Brett Homenick.

The event kicked off with a screening of Nakagawa's Ningyo Sashichi torimonocho: Oedo Ushimitsudoki (1957), which was scored by the event's guest of honor: 93-year-old composer Chumei Watanabe. I missed the film screening but arrived just in time for Watanabe-sensei's Q&A following the event.

With Shinkichi Nakagawa.

I was amazed when Watanabe-sensei mentioned my interview with him last July at the end of his interview session, during which he also discussed the interest his work has among many fans internationally. He's proud of the international following his work enjoys -- and rightfully so.

Actress Sumiko Abe. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

After Watanabe-sensei's interview, the group gathered in a nearby restaurant that had been reserved specifically for the event. The gathering was a veritable "who's who" of friends, family, and colleagues of director Nakagawa. I was quite surprised at just who was in attendance.

With actress Sumiko Abe.

The first person I was introduced to was the director's son, Shinkichi. I certainly wasn't expecting to meet him at the event! We exchanged greetings as well as business cards.

Director Masahisa Sakashita. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Also on hand was actress Sumiko Abe, whose credits are very impressive. She had just turned 88 years old on September 3, but you wouldn't have guessed it had you not already known. She was incredibly spry and in great spirits. Among her credits are: Toho's Love in a Teacup (1953), starring Toshiro Mifune and directed by Yasuki Chiba, Shintoho's The Depths (1957), directed by Nobuo Nakagawa, and Shochiku's Flag in the Mist (1965), directed by Yoji Yamada.

Akihide Tsuzawa. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

I also met Nikkatsu Studios veteran Masahisa Sakashita. While he worked his way up through Nikkatsu Studios during the 1970s, more recently he has worked as a freelance television director.

With Akihide Tsuzawa.

I also had a fun chat with actor Akihide Tsuzawa, best known for playing Hoshino on the original Ultraman (1966-67) TV series. I was pleased to find that Tsuzawa-san remembered me from our first meeting two years prior. He also called me cool, which coming from a veteran of the original Ultraman is quite a compliment. 

Chumei Watanabe. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

Suffice it to say, I met a lot more folks than I had ever anticipated. Toward the end of the event, while the MC was handing the microphone to the various special guests on hand, he offered me the microphone. I had no idea what to say, but I did my best to muster something. After saying a few things, I noticed Watanabe-sensei walking in my direction, so I handed him the mike. I was very thankful for his well timed assist!

What an afternoon! I elected to miss the latest Super Festival in order to attend, and I'm very glad I did. The more recent Super Festivals have been pretty lackluster (in my opinion, of course), but this event was anything but. One for the history books, for sure!