Fumio Ishimori, Writer of 'Kamen Rider,' 'Zone Fighter,' and 'Ultraman Ace,' Passes Away at 93

Fumio Ishmimori with a Zone Fighter DVD in April 2017. Photo by Brett Homenick.

According to his official Facebook page, screenwriter Fumio Ishimori (sometimes credited as Shiro Ishimori) passed away on June 9. He was 93.

Born on July 31, 1931, Mr. Ishimori began his screenwriting career in the early 1960s, primarily working for Nikkatsu Studios during most of the 1960s, before transitioning to Shochiku before the end of the decade.

With Fumio Ishimori in April 2017.

In total, Mr. Ishimori wrote more than 70 movie screenplays, penning the scripts for the films Fearless Comrades (1966), A Warm Misty Night (1967), Toshio Masuda’s Monument to the Girl’s Corps (1968), The Rendezvous (1972), Journey into Solitude (1972), Toho’s Horror of the Wolf (1973), Galaxy Express 999 (1979), and Nobuhiko Obayashi’s The Rocking Horsemen (1992).

Fumio Ishimori stands outside a theater in Asakusa where a play he had written was performed in September 2016. Photo by Brett Homenick.

In terms of TV tokusatsu, he wrote Kamen Rider (1971-73) episodes 47, 50, 76, 83, 89, and 90, Ultraman Ace (1972-73) episodes 37 and 44, and Zone Fighter (1973) episode 20 (under the pen name Shiro Ishimori).

But his tokusatsu connections run even deeper — his maternal cousin was famed manga artist Shotaro Ishinomori. 

Fumio Ishimori in Asakusa after his play was performed in January 2020. Photo by Brett Homenick.

In November 2020, I had the distinct privilege of interviewing Mr. Ishimori about his prolific screenwriting career. I had come to respect and admire Mr. Ishimori since our first meeting in early 2016 that I was determined to share his story in English with the rest of the world. Mr. Ishimori was, without a doubt, one of the kindest gentlemen I met while I was in Japan. 

With Fumio Ishimori in October 2020.

As he got older, he became much less active, and I never met him again after we completed our interview. Mr. Ishimori stopped going out, although he continued to offer screenwriting lectures via Zoom. I wanted to meet him one last time before leaving Japan, but it was sadly not to be. I'm pleased that I was able to record Mr. Ishimori's screenwriting memories in my interview with him.

Rest in peace, Ishimori-sensei. Thank you for your kindness.

Actor Makoto Akatsuka, Who Appeared in the Ultraman and Kamen Rider Series, Passes Away at Age 73

Makoto Akatsuka in November 2022. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Film and television actor Makoto Akatsuka passed away on July 4 at a hospital in Ibaraki Prefecture of esophageal cancer. He was 73.

Mr. Akatsuka, who was born on March 19, 1951, began his professional film career in 1967 with Toho, playing youthful character in a variety of productions. He plays Sangoro in the film Double Suicide (1969), Mamoru Watanabe in Wet Sand in August (1971), Chuji Saito in Yoji Yamada's The Village (1975), the grandson in the Tora-san film Tora's Pure Love (1976), a chimpira in The Yellow Handkerchief (1977), Otomatsu Kawase in Nomugi Pass (1979), Makoto in Tora-san Goes North (1987), a policeman in Tora-san Makes Excuses (1992), and Yazaki in the Oscar-nominated The Twilight Samurai (2002).

On television, he appears uncredited in episode 12 of Ultraman Ace (1972-73), episode 11 of Jekyll and Hyde (1973) as a toy factory worker, Fight! Dragon (1974) as Kojiro Musashi, the all-star TV movie Tokyo Earthquake Magnitude 8.1 (1980) as Hiroshi Sakaki, episode 28 of Kamen Rider Black (1987-88) as Tsunekichi Koyama, and Kamen Rider Black RX (1988-89) as the recurring character Shunkichi Sahara.

I met Mr. Akatsuka only once in November 2022. It was after a stage performance in Daikanyama, Tokyo. I approached him after the show to introduce myself and mentioned my interest in tokusatsu productions, specifically mentioning Ultraman Ace. He was very kind, and I enjoyed meeting him.

His acting resume was impressive enough that I did consider reaching out to him for an interview, but, given his recent health issues, it probably wasn't very likely, anyway. I'm sure he had many fascinating stories to tell.

Rest in peace, Mr. Akatsuka.

An Evening in the Village with a Village Singer!

Kazuomi Sasai. Photo by Brett Homenick.

After meeting up with Yamamoto-san today (Monday, March 25), I made my way over to Ningyocho Station to meet with Kazuomi Sasai, a member of the Village Singers. If Sasai-san seems a bit familiar to you, that's because he should be. We met just a few days ago.

I figured that meeting with Sasai-san would be the only one before leaving the country. But then the next day Sasai-san messaged me and offered to meet me again on either the 25th or 26th at Futako-tamagawa, a train station near my home.

I was pleasantly surprised to receive this offer, and I eagerly accepted. A few days later, I asked Sasai-san to tweak the schedule, as I would be coming a bit closer to Sasai-san's home, and it would fit perfectly in my schedule. Sasai-san accepted my proposal, and we met as planned.

Sasai-san wasn't too familiar with the area and asked where I wanted to go. Coincidentally, there was a big advertisement for a burger shop called Brozers' near the exit where Sasai-san was waiting, which looked pretty enticing. 

Inside Brozers'. Photo by Brett Homenick.

I pointed it out to Sasai-san, but, when he asked me if I knew where it was, I admitted that I didn't. So Sasai-san took out his phone and called the establishment. They gave him directions, and off we went.

We were looking for a police station, at which we were supposed to turn right, but the police station never appeared. Sasai-san asked a random shop employee where it was, and he found out it was in the opposite direction. So we had to change direction and try again. 

Ultimately, we found the police station, so Sasai-san called back to get the rest of the directions. Thankfully, the restaurant was basically a stone's throw from the police station, so we got there without further incident. 

I was quite amused by the layout of the restaurant. All the posters on display had a "brother" theme to them. When I pointed out the Blues Brothers poster to Sasai-san, he mentioned that one of the pair was dead. 

While we were there, I asked Sasai-san about the Village Singers' performance of "The Midnight Special." It wasn't performed in the 1960s or '70s but sometime in the 2000s. I still would have loved to  have seen it, though.

The Iron Claw is going to get delivered to you ... in burger form. Photo by Brett Homenick.

We also spent a great deal of time talking about California. He loves the beaches in the L.A. area and remembers the names of many of them. He especially loves Laguna Beach. We talked about California, as well as my family. It was a great discussion. 

Sasai-san expressed interest in visiting California again, and of course I encouraged him to come. I insisted on paying for our dinner, and then we walked back to the station. Sasai-san and I will stay in touch, and hopefully we will meet again in the near future. 

A Visit with a 1960s-Era Musician and Actor!

Kazuomi Sasai with a signed copy of Ring of Memories (1968). Photo by Brett Homenick.

 

On Friday, March 15, I had the distinct privilege of spending an afternoon with actor and musician Kazuomi Sasai (born November 12, 1944), a member of the 1960s musical group Village Singers. He served as the bassist for the band for about three and a half years. According to Japanese Wikipedia, he left the group in 1969 but eventually rejoined the group in 2002. 

Notably, he is the son of film producer Hideo Sasai, who was most closely associated with Nikkatsu, but has also produced films at Toho and Shochiku.

Kazuomi Sasai with a signed copy of Lemon in the Rainbow (1968). Photo by Brett Homenick.

I'd met only one member of the band before this -- Yutaka Hayashi. I have to admit that my interest in the Village Singers is more related to their movie appearances in the 1960s rather than their music, but both are still intriguing to me. 

In fact, I brought two DVDs with me for Sasai-san to sign -- Ring of Memories (1968) and Lemon in the Rainbow (1968). Both films, in which the Village Singers more or less play themselves, were produced by Shochiku. 

Kazuomi Sasai in Toyosu. Photo by Brett Homenick.

We met near Toyosu Station and made our way to a nearby Starbucks. I got a hot chocolate, and Sasai-san got a coffee. We discussed numerous topics. Sasai-san hasn't seen Godzilla Minus One (2023) but is aware of the success it's had around the world. 

Sasai-san also told me that his favorite type of movies are suspense ones, like the works of Alfred Hitchcock.

When I asked him if he liked The Beatles, Sasai-san mentioned he prefers The Rolling Stones and Creedence Clearwater Revival. I share that opinion, so I asked Sasai-san if he knew the CCR song "The Midnight Special." I was surprised to hear that his band had actually performed it once. When I asked if there was a recording of it, he said it was just a live performance and not included on any album. Ah, well.

When I originally made plans with Sasai-san, I budgeted about two hours, though I was confident I wouldn't need that much time. To my surprise, we actually did! We hung out for the entire two hours. After Starbucks, we moved on to Hama-sushi, a conveyor belt sushi restaurant, where I ate a bowl of ramen.

As we were leaving the sushi restaurant, Sasai-san listed many Southern California towns, even pointing out that former President Nixon used to live there. 

After I got home, I found another message from Sasai-san, offering to get together much closer to me in the next couple of weeks. Of course, I'd love to do that! It was great to meet him, and I look forward to meeting him again very soon.

Shinichi Yanagisawa, Who Played Miyamoto in 'The X from Outer Space,' Passes Away at 89

Shinichi Yanagisawa in October 2020. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Actor Shinichi Yanagisawa, who is best known in the West for playing Miyamoto in Shochiku's The X from Outer Space (1967), passed away on March 24, 2022, from myelodysplastic syndrome. He was 89. Although he died nearly a year and a half ago, the news has just been released in Japan.

Mr. Yanagisawa was born on December 19, 1932, in Tokyo and began his career as an entertainer in the early 1950s, singing jazz and acting onstage. In the mid-1950s, he signed with Nikkatsu Studios, beginning his film career, and shortly thereafter married actress Junko Ikeuchi in October 1957. The marriage didn't last long, and the pair divorced in January 1958. The scandal cost Mr. Yanagisawa his contract at Nikkatsu, which forced him to go freelance for a few years. 

Shinichi Yanagisawa in February 2017. Photo by Brett Homenick.

(As an aside, when Yosuke Natsuki was driving me home after dinner in October 2015, I mentioned something about Mr. Yanagisawa to him. Afterward, Mr. Natsuki told me he wondered why Mr. Yanagisawa got divorced from Ms. Ikeuchi.)

Shinichi Yanagisawa in February 2015. Photo by Brett Homenick.

During his time as a freelancer, Mr. Yanagisawa would appear in the Takarazuka Eiga production The Poem of the Blue Star (a.k.a. An Orchestra Whipping Up a Storm, 1960), an all-star musical featuring Akira Takarada, Tadao Takashima, Izumi Yukimura, and Tatsuyoshi Ehara. 

In 1964, Mr. Yanagisawa would find a permanent home at Shochiku, where he would stay until the early 1970s. The year 1967 would see Mr. Yanagisawa appear in his most famous role around the world, that of the comic-relief character Miyamoto in the kaiju romp The X from Outer Space.

However, Mr. Yanagisawa would garner his greatest fame in Japan on television. He is widely remembered in his home country for providing the Japanese voices for Ricky Ricardo in I Love Lucy, Wilbur Post in Mister Ed, and Darrin Stephens in Bewitched.

Shinichi Yanagisawa in February 2015. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Aside from his pursuits in the entertainment industry, Mr. Yanagisawa was well known for his activism in humanitarian causes, which even earned him an award from the Japanese prime minister in 1981. 

In more recent years, Mr. Yanagisawa would sing jazz (as well as play drums) at the HUB Asakusa on the third Tuesday of every even month (February, April, June, etc.). Starting in October 2014, I attended just about every performance I could (the December 2019 show was the only one I missed pre-COVID, which was due to work commitments), and I believe the last one I attended with Mr. Yanagisawa was in December 2020. After that, to the best of my knowledge, he never returned to the HUB.

With Shinichi Yanagisawa in February 2020.

I was told by one of his bandmates that Mr. Yanagisawa was an extremely private person, even with them. From what I was told, even his bandmates didn't know much about Mr. Yanagisawa's private life. I was always a bit puzzled that, even though Mr. Yanagisawa studied English at university and sang English-language jazz songs very well, he never spoke English around me. So I could see the bandmate's point.

One evening, after his performance, Mr. Yanagisawa was leaving the HUB but seemed quite wobbly. He was in his late 80s even then, and, given that I wasn't sure where he was going after the show, I insisted on helping him. Of course, at first, Mr. Yanagisawa assured me that he would be all right on his own, but it quickly became clear to both of us that that certainly was not the case.

With Shinichi Yanagisawa in August 2019.

I got the same bandmate to help me as we assisted Mr. Yanagisawa to his destination. It turned out we didn't have to go very far. He booked a hotel room for the evening not that far from the venue. We assisted Mr. Yanagisawa up to his hotel room, and he thanked us for our help. All I knew was, I wasn't going to let Mr. Yanagisawa get hurt that night.

His bandmate theorized that perhaps bar patrons poured Mr. Yanagisawa a few too many drinks in between sets. (During breaks, Mr. Yanagisawa would always sit with audience members and chat with them.) That explanation certainly seemed plausible. I was concerned that no one from the bar staff intervened before I did, but I just chalked it up to the fact that Mr. Yanagisawa was a private person and that no one wanted to disturb him.

With Shinichi Yanagisawa in October 2018.

I was fortunate to interview Mr. Yanagisawa in September 2014. The interview can be read here. He gave me a great interview, and it's one I'm proud to host on Vantage Point Interviews.

Shinichi Yanagisawa in October 2018. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Rest in peace, Mr. Yanagisawa. Thank you for all the wonderful Tuesday evenings.

A Lively Q&A with a Legend of the Silver Screen!

Yoko Takahashi. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Today (Wednesday, May 24), I had the distinct privilege of interviewing actress Yoko Takahashi. I've blogged about Takahashi-san many times in the past, but, for those of you not in the know, she has worked with directors Kon Ichikawa, Kinji Fukasaku, and Kei Kumai -- as well as actors Tetsuro Tamba, Kunie Tanaka, Ken Tanaka, and Rentaro Mikuni -- throughout her illustrious career, during which she was usually the lead actress. 

The interview covered a lot of ground, and Takahashi-san spoke a lot about her childhood. Naturally, hearing about her star-making turn in Journey into Solitude (1972) and her memories of working on the Oscar-nominated Sandakan 8 (1974) were also enlightening. I'd love to publish the interview right away, but, as readers of this blog know by now, the process will take a while before it's ready.

Many thanks to Takahashi-san and her agency for their hospitality -- and for allotting way more time for the interview than I could have expected. I'm very grateful!

A Legendary Shochiku Actress in Concert!

Yoko Takahashi. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Actress Yoko Takahashi held a fun event earlier tonight (Wednesday, March 22) in Daikanyama. It was something of a mini variety show, as she not only sang and played the guitar but also acted in a comedy skit and talked about her acting career.

Yoko Takahashi sings and plays the guitar. Photo by Brett Homenick.

The bulk of the event, of course, featured Takahashi-san singing and playing the guitar. I wasn't all that familiar with the songs she sang, but she did perform one by Kyu Sakamoto, and at least I know he is!

Yoko Takahashi as a cat! Photo by Brett Homenick.

The highlight for me was the skit that took place just after the intermission. Takahashi-san played a cat that communicates with a space alien using telepathy! It was just as silly as it sounds. The alien sure seemed surprised to hear about milk!

For those of you not aware, Takahashi-san starred in the Shochiku classic Journey into Solitude (1972), which was followed by turns in the Oscar-nominated film Sandakan 8 (1974), as well as Kon Ichikawa's The Devil's Ballad (1977).

After the performance, Takahashi-san signed autographs and posed for pictures with the audience. I was lucky enough to get a couple of photographs, as well as exchange a few words with her. I should mention that she came out to greet members of the audience before the show started, and she hung out with my friend (who's also a tokusatsu fan) and me for a few minutes. So I came away from the event more than satisfied.

Many thanks to Takahashi-san for such a wonderful evening!

A Special Screening of 'Goke Body Snatcher from Hell' in 35mm!

Goke Body Snatcher from Hell (1968) at the Laputa Asagaya. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Earlier tonight (Sunday, February 26), I attended a screening of Goke Body Snatcher from Hell (1968) in 35mm. It's the penultimate film of the Laputa Asagaya's Science Fiction Film Festival. The film print was in good shape, though the usual specks and scratches were present throughout the movie. 

Publicity material for Goke in the theater lobby. Photo by Brett Homenick.

I've seen the film several times over the years, and it's been a favorite of mine since I saw the dubbed version on VHS in the year 2000. The movie has held up quite well, and I'd have to say that it's the screening I've enjoyed the most so far as part of the program. 

A poster for Goke in the theater lobby. Photo by Brett Homenick.

It's hard to believe there's only one film left -- that being Espy (1974). Actually, the theater put up a sign informing patrons that the film print for Espy is faded, so they are apologizing in advance for it. No worries, though -- I'm quite interested to see how it compares with the other prints they've screened. 

A poster for Romance Express (1961) in the theater lobby. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Also in the theater lobby was this poster for director Yuzo Kawashima's Romance Express (1961). It's not particularly relevant to anything, but I'm happy to photograph and share anything with the dazzling Yumi Shirakawa in it, so here you go.

A 50-Year 'Journey into Solitude' Celebrated at Meguro Cinema!

A Journey into Solitude poster outside of Meguro Cinema. Photo by Brett Homenick.

On Friday night, October 21, I attended a screening of the Shochiku drama Journey into Solitude (1972), starring Yoko Takahashi and written by Fumio Ishimori, at Meguro Cinema. After the film, Takahashi-san took the stage for a Q&A session about the film. The film was released in Japan 50 years ago on October 27, 1972.

Another Journey into Solitude poster. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Due to my work schedule, I arrived quite late, and I was only able to catch the last half or so of the movie. Still, it looked absolutely gorgeous in 35mm with its luscious Shikoku locations. Seeing it 50 years after it was made, it still almost felt like you were really there!

19-year-old Yoko Takahashi is all smiles on this Journey into Solitude poster. Photo by Brett Homenick.

This film was Yoko Takahashi's debut performance, and it singlehandedly launched her film career. She went on to star in the Oscar-nominated film Sandakan 8 (1974), as well as Kon Ichikawa's The Devil's Ballad (1977). 

Yoko Takahashi's Q&A event. Photo by Brett Homenick.

During her Q&A, Takahashi-san talked about auditioning for the film and shared some of her memories of the location shooting. It was a very entertaining talk, and, despite the lateness of the hour, Takahashi-san was laughing and in great spirits throughout it.

A photo of Takahashi-san taken in 1996 is projected onto the big screen. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Takahashi-san stayed in the theater after her interview for a short while, taking photos and signing autographs. It didn't take long for a crowd of people to gather around her, so I decided to approach Takahashi-san's Journey into Solitude co-star, Rie Yokoyama, instead. 

Rie Yokoyama. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Yokoyama-san often accompanies Takahashi-san to her public events, and, considering that she also appears in the film, it wasn't a surprise to see her there. She wasn't being mobbed like Takahashi-san was, so the approach was much easier. Not only did she remember me, but she even introduced me to another person she was talking to. How cool is that?

Yokoyama-san has enjoyed a varied career on the big and small screen. She appears in such films and television programs as: Nagisa Oshima's Diary of a Shinjuku Burglar (1969), Female Prisoner #701: Scorpion (1972), episode 10 of Horror Theater Unbalance (1973), Zatoichi's Conspiracy (1973), and Kinji Fukasaku's New Battles without Honor and Humanity: Last Days of the Boss (1976). 

I had a nice, but brief, chat with Yokoyama-san, who was about ready to leave when I approached her. I hung around for a while to see if I could talk to Takahashi-san, but she was quickly whisked away by the staff shortly thereafter. Oh, well. It was still great to see the film on the big screen for its 50th anniversary, as well as to spend a few moments with Yokoyama-san, so the trip was well worth it. 

I'm already looking forward to the next event!

'What to Do with the Dead Kaiju?' (2022) Review

What to Do with the Dead Kaiju? poster outside Toho Cinemas Roppongi. Photo by Brett Homenick.

What to Do with the Dead Kaiju? opens today in Japan, and I had a chance to check out the first screening at Toho Cinemas Roppongi. Overall, the film is disappointing, but what really makes it a real disappointment is that it had the potential to be much better than it turned out.

For most of the first hour, I was basically enjoying the movie. Unlike most other Japanese films these days (which look like they were shot for TV), this one at least tried to be cinematic. It may not be able to compete with current multimillion-dollar Hollywood tentpoles, but by Japanese standards it was quite impressive for a movie of its type. I suppose I remember all the other "parody" kaiju movies that came out in the years after the release of Godzilla: Final Wars (2004), which were low on budget, quality, and laughs, and essentially expected more of the same here.

Theater-exclusive goods for What to Do with the Dead Kaiju? Photo by Brett Homenick.

But I was pleased that such wasn't the case. The direction and cinematography were commendable, the visual effects were enjoyable, and the actors (especially the older ones playing the politicians) did a good job. The major problem here is that the first hour led to the second hour, by which point the movie wears out its welcome. A film like this should tell its story in a brisk 90 minutes. This one drags on for a hair under two hours -- way longer than this movie has any right to be. 

What's more, given the premise, you'd think that the film would explore all kinds of fun ways that a military clean-up crew would dispose of dead monsters once they've been neutralized. Not here. Oddly, the kaiju basically looks the same at the start of the movie as it does at the end (which defeats the purpose of making a movie like this), and the various ways the government tries to get rid of the carcass aren't imaginative in the slightest. 

Since we never see the monster in action, and since there's only one creature onscreen, the movie lacks the kind of excitement or intrigue that fans of the genre would expect from it. It's sort of like someone watched Shin Godzilla (2016) and thought it would be funny if the focus were on removing the dead body instead. And it's not a bad concept; you just have to do something with it.

Chibi Godzilla is happy the military is trying to blow someone else up for a change. Photo by Brett Homenick.

The ending proved that the filmmakers really had no idea what to do with the premise. I won't spoil it, but the resolution comes out of nowhere, and, if you're expecting something creative whatsoever, it'll just make you roll your eyes. In fairness, they do set up (in a way) what happens early on in the film, but the joke -- if you can call it that -- simply doesn't work. It's not funny, and it's the movie's way of telling you that you've just wasted two hours of your time. 

There's also a subplot involving mushrooms that I suppose is some kind of tribute to Matango (1963), but, other than giving the film an excuse to make raunchy jokes (um, you'll just have to see the movie to find out), it adds nothing to the story and should have been excised. (Anything bringing the running time down would have been a huge benefit.) I mean, there's even a (monsterless) post-credits gag! Didn't these guys hire an editor?

In short, this one can easily be skipped. But that's not because this was a shabby production -- quite the opposite. It just didn't know what to do with its premise and dragged on for far too long. If you want to see monster action, this one definitely doesn't have any. It's a shame that the script wasted its potential, but I guess we'll have to see whether Shin Ultraman does any better later this year.