A Legendary Afternoon in the Company of a Toho Legend!

Yasuhiko Saijo. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Earlier today (Wednesday November 1), I had the distinct privilege of spending an afternoon with former Toho and Tsuburaya Productions actor Yasuhiko Saijo, best known for playing Ippei Togawa on the groundbreaking TV series Ultra Q (1966), as well as a bevy of Toho films, including Son of Godzilla (1967) and Destroy All Monsters (1968). 

Yasuhiko Saijo. Photo by Brett Homenick.

We met Saijo-san at a historic temple in his neighborhood as scheduled, after which we moved on to a nearby cafe run by a family friend. I brought my friend Jacob to meet Saijo-san, who of course was very excited to meet him. Considering I hadn't seen Saijo-san in four years, I was rather excited, too.

We met at 2:00, and I expected the meeting to last somewhere between 30 minutes to an hour. Would you believe we spent just under three hours together? I hope you would because we did! During the first part of the afternoon, Saijo-san regaled us with stories about his acting career and early life, talking about the various roles he had, as well as the other Toho actors he knew and worked with. 

Yasuhiko Saijo. Photo by Brett Homenick.

After that, Saijo-san graciously signed some items we brought and took pictures inside the cafe. Jacob brought some car magazines from the U.S. as gifts, knowing that Saijo-san loves cars. He was especially interested in the photos of vintage cars, as those are the ones he prefers. 

Afterward, Saijo-san took us around the neighborhood. I was fascinated by just how many people he knew. He was very much a man about town. During our walk, I was captivated by Saijo-san's sense of humanity. He doesn't like modern technology very much -- computers, smartphones, etc. -- and instead prefers people. When I heard Saijo-san explain his thoughts, and, when I saw him interact with the other residents of his neighborhood, I understood exactly what he was saying. 

While the discussion was mostly fun and lighthearted, Saijo-san did share some of his memories during the war and immediately after it, as well as his thoughts on some of the goings-on around the world. Suffice it to say, I was mesmerized by our discussion.

I was over the moon to see Saijo-san doing so well. He pointed out that he turns 85 in February next year, but you'd never know it to look at him. I told him he's looking well, and he responded by saying that he is doing well. Now that's what I wanted to hear!

Saijo-san is a true legend. Jacob and I took many photos with Saijo-san, and he was more than happy to oblige our requests. In the above photo, he was trying to get closer to my height, which you can probably see in his expression. I should also point out that, when we were leaving the cafe, I intended to pay the bill, but the owner told us the bill had already been taken care of. I tried to protest, but it did me no good. They just don't make folks like this anymore. 

What a day. It exceeded all my expectations by far. It would've been incredible just to share a few moments with Saijo-san at the cafe. But to get a guided tour of his neighborhood afterward was simply amazing. The three hours flew by in what seemed like a third of the time. I'm still processing it all. 

Thank you very much, Saijo-san! This day was truly one for the history books!

"Happy" Days Are Here Again!

Yasuhiko Saijo. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Earlier tonight, I attended a special event with actor Yasuhiko Saijo, who is best known for playing Ippei Togawa (a.k.a "Happy") in Tsuburaya Productions' Ultra Q (1966). Saijo-san got his start as a Toho actor, appearing in such tokusatsu classics as The Secret of the Telegian (1960), Gorath (1962), Son of Godzilla (1967), and Destroy All Monsters (1968).

Yasuhiko Saijo in a replica Ippei jacket and cap. Photo by Brett Homenick.

I had a very fun chat with Saijo-san. When I mentioned the "We Are Space Pilots" song from Gorath (which Saijo-san has sung at recent events in Tokyo), he almost doubled over in laughter. The conversation covered a variety of topics, including Toho directors and his Ultra Q memories.

A fun time was had by all. I've met Saijo-san several times before, and this time was certainly among the most fun. Even though I was completely exhausted after work, I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Let's do it again soon!

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.

HAPPY 80TH, SAIJO-SAN! The Toho and Tsuburaya Pro Veteran Turns 80!

Actor Yasuhiko Saijo dresses up as his most famous character, Ultra Q's Ippei Togawa. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

February 20 marked the 80th birthday of former Toho and Tsuburaya Productions actor Yasuhiko Saijo. Saijo-san is best known for playing Ippei Togawa on Ultra Q (1966), but he can also be seen in such Toho classics as Secret of the Telegian (1960), War of the Gargantuas (1966), Son of Godzilla (1967), and Destroy All Monsters (1968), among many others.

On Friday, February 22, I attended a special birthday event for Saijo-san, during which he recalled his Toho and Tsuburaya days. Many of the stories he recounted at the event were shared in my 2017 interview with him, which you can read here.

The event itself was a lot of fun, and it was great to see Saijo-san in such great spirits. Can't wait to see him again!

TALKING TOHO'S GOOD OLD DAYS! Ippei Recalls His Happy Times!

Actor Yasuhiko Saijo. Photo by Brett Homenick.

On Wednesday, September 27, I had a very nice chat with actor Yasuhiko Saijo, who starred as Ippei Togawa on Tsuburaya Productions' Ultra Q (1966) as well as having appeared in numerous Toho productions in the 1950s and '60s.

Saijo-san is as cool as they come. It's always a joy to visit with him. Hope to do it again soon!