ONE YEAR LATER! Hanging Out with Yamamoto-san Again in Koenji!

Hiroshi Yamamoto. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Today (Monday, March 25), I was pleased to spend a couple of hours with Hiroshi Yamamoto. We met up near his home in Koenji and went to cafe to have a lengthy discussion about his career in the entertainment industry. Back in April of 2023, we hung out again for the first time in about eight years, so I'm glad we managed to get together before another eight years had passed.

Hiroshi Yamamoto poses with a VHS copy of Gamera Super Monster (1980) from his personal collection. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Yamamoto-san and I first met at an event for the late Sonny Chiba in April 2013 and have kept in touch on and off since then. Yamamoto-san worked in the post-production end of numerous tokusatsu productions, both on film and television, from the late 1970s through the early '90s.

Of particular note, Yamamoto-san has worked with director Kinji Fukasaku on projects like Message from Space (1978), Samurai Reincarnation (1981), and Legend of the Eight Samurai (1983). Some of his other credits include Gamera Super Monster (1980), G.I. Samurai (1979), and numerous Toei superhero programs, lending those projects his company's expertise in video techniques.

One interesting tidbit I learned was that Yamamoto-san is especially proud of his work on Samurai Reincarnation, and it's his favorite of his own work. I've never seen that film, so now I've got to check it out.

Before we parted ways, Yamamoto-san gave me a VHS copy of the live-action tokusatsu actioner 8 Man (1992), on which he worked as a producer. Yamamoto-san insisted I take it, and, since he has another copy at home, I felt it was OK to accept. 

It was a great afternoon with a wonderful gent. I hope we'll get a chance to hang out again someday.

THE NAGASAWA FILTRATION PLANT REVISITED! A Filming Location for Many Tokusatsu Productions!

The Nagasawa Filtration Plant. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Today (Tuesday, March 19), I braved heavy winds to pay another visit to the Nagasawa Filtration Plant (a.k.a. the Nagasawa Purification Plant) in Kawasaki, Kanagawa. This particular building was used as a filming location for countless tokusatsu movies and TV programs dating back to the early 1960s.

Among other titles, it has been featured in Invasion of the Neptune Men (1961), Gorath (1962), episode 2 of Ultraman (1966-67), the Super Sentai series, and perhaps most famously as Jounan University's Institute of Biochemistry in Kamen Rider (1971-73).

I last visited the plant back in March 2016. Hard to believe it's been eight years, but there you go. At any rate, I clearly remember that you aren't allowed to get too close to the building without prior approval (such as joining an official tour of the facility), so I made sure to stay outside the gate. 

Still, as tokusatsu buffs, we're more concerned with the outside of the building than the inside since that's what we saw in our favorite flicks. It was great to see the plant again after so long. It isn't exactly the easiest spot to visit since it's quite far from any train station, which is the main reason it's taken me so long to return, but it's well worth seeing if you have the chance. Here are my snapshots from earlier today. Enjoy! 

From VFX Master to 'Monster Hunter' Director!

Shuichi Kokumai. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Earlier tonight (Sunday, January 7), I attended an event with SFX and VFX specialist Shuichi Kokumai. Kukumai-san was promoting his new film If My Girlfriend Were a Monster Hunter... (2022), which he wrote and directed.

Shuichi Kokumai with members of his cast. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Kokumai-san has worked in practical and digital effects/VFX since the 1980s, working on such Toei TV programs as Kamen Rider Black (1987-88) and Kamen Rider Black RX (1988-89). He also worked in practical effects in such feature films as Rex: A Dinosaur's Story (1993), Kamen Rider ZO (1993), Kamen Rider J (1994), and Mechanical Violator Hakaider (1995).

In more recent years, Kokumai-san has worked in VFX, including Rebirth of Mothra III (1998), Godzilla 2000 (1999), Godzilla against Mechagodzilla (2002), and Godzilla: Final Wars (2004). He has also worked on countless Kamen Rider and Super Sentai projects in VFX, on top of being a director of low-budget movies.

The venue advertised that Eiichi Asada would also be on hand, which he wasn't, so I was pretty disappointed. To be honest, Asada-san was the main reason I came, and, when I realized he wasn't there, I was a bit perplexed as to what I was going to do at the event, especially since so much of it revolved around Kokumai-san's new movie, which I haven't seen. It was still worthwhile to meet a member of the Godzilla series VFX staff whom I'd never met before, but the event could have been much better with Asada-san on hand. Too bad.

SHOWA HERO EVENT! A 'Zyuranger' Reunion!

Reiko Chiba. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Today, I attended a special event in Nakano Sunplaza, featuring a reunion of several Kyoryu Sentai Zyuranger (1992-93) actors. The series was shortly thereafter Americanized as Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.

The guest of honor (for me, anyway) was Reiko Chiba, who played Mei (Ptera Ranger) on Kyoryu Sentai Zyuranger. Even though I'd only met her twice before, and the last time was pre-pandemic, she recognized me when she saw me. I was rather amazed by that! Our interaction was brief (as it was with all the guests this event), but Chiba-san's friendly and warmth made it all worth it. 

Shiro Izumi. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Another guest was Shiro Izumi, who portrayed Change Pegasus in Dengeki Sentai Changeman (1985-86) and Burai (Dragon Ranger) in Kyoryu Sentai Zyuranger.

Izumi-san is a cool guy, and I would have liked more of a chance to interact, but, at events like these, you just don't get the opportunity.

Takumi Hashimoto. Photo by Brett Homenick.

A surprise guest who wasn't advertised was Takumi Hashimoto. Hashimoto-san played Boi (Tiger Ranger) on the series. 

And it was certainly a surprise to see him there! I was expecting only two guests but was lucky enough to get three. It was definitely a great way to cap this cool afternoon.

A Showa Hero Event Brings Gamera and Yoshito Chujo Together!

Noboru Kaneko. Photo by Brett Homenick.

While I was in between events on Sunday, September 25, I figured I had just enough time to stop by the Showa Hero event in Nakano to meet the guests, neither of whom I'd ever met before. Who were they, you ask? Why, Noboru Kaneko and Hirofumi Fukuzawa!

Noboru Kaneko played Gao Red in Hyakujuu Sentai Gaoranger (2001-02), but Godzilla fans know him for playing Yoshito Chujo in Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. (2003). My interaction with him was brief but pleasant. There just wasn't any time for anything else!

Hirofumi Fukuzawa. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Hirofumi Fukuzawa is a suit actor best known for his appearances in the Super Sentai series (where he often plays the Red Ranger of the series), as well the Kamen Rider series. However, most kaiju fans will recognize him as the Gamera suit actor from Gamera 3 (1999). Suffice it to say, I was quite interested to meet him. And he was a very cool guy, just like most other suit actors you're likely to meet.

And that's a wrap! I was basically in and out because everything was basically over by the time I arrived. But I had just enough time to meet the guests. A very cool way to spend the few moments I had there!

A Visit to TV Asahi

The TV Asahi building in Roppongi Hills. Photo by Brett Homenick.

On Saturday, July 9, I had some time to waste in Roppongi Hills, so I entered the TV Asahi building there to look around. There were quite a few fun sights -- some even tokusatsu-related! Here's what I saw. Enjoy!

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.

Fiveman Is Back!

Kei Shindachiya. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

Earlier tonight, I paid another visit to the bar owned and operated by Chikyu Sentai Fiveman (1990-91) star Kei Shindachiya, who played FiveBlue on the show. Shindachiya-san also made guest appearances on Choriki Sentai Ohranger (1995-96) and Ultraman Gaia (1998-99) after his success on Fiveman.

We had a great conversation about many topics. Shindachiya-san talked about being a big Godzilla fan in his younger days and would see the movies at the theater. He didn't keep up with the Heisei versions but did see the American versions, as well as Shin Godzilla. Of the American versions, his favorite was Godzilla: King of the Monsters. We also talked about the recent Star Wars series, as well as various locations in California we were both familiar with.

Overall, it was a great way to spend an evening. I can't believe it had been nearly two years (!) since I last visited the bar. Time sure does fly. I'll certainly do my best to return long before another two years pass.

TV Asahi in Roppongi!

While out and about in Roppongi on Sunday, I made a visit to the TV Asahi building there. Here's a sample of what I saw. Enjoy!

SHE'S BACK! Tanaka-san Takes the Stage One More Time!

Yumiko Tanaka. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

On Saturday evening, April 6, I immediately left work to attend a special performance with actress Yumiko Tanaka. The first half of the show was a comedic stage play, and the second half was made up of various vocal performances.

For the uninitiated, Tanaka-san stars in Kamen Rider Super-1 (1980-81) as Harumi Kusanami and also appears in a small role toward the beginning of Godzilla (1984) in a scene with Ken Tanaka.

Eri Kanuma. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

Also on hand as an attendee was actress Eri Kanuma. Kanuma-san plays 007/Yoko Kato in Himitsu Sentai Goranger (1975-77), as well as appearing in episodes of Kaiketsu Lion Maru (1972-73), Inazuman Flash (1974), Spider-Man (1978-79), Battle Fever J (1979-80), and Taiyo Sentai Sun Vulcan (1981-82).

During the intermission, I had a pleasant chat with Kanuma-san. When I attended a similar event last year, Kanuma-san also attended as an attendee. She is quite supportive of her fellow actresses.

Naturally, I had to take a photo with Tanaka-san and the other performers. As you can see, their costumes and makeup were elaborate. The show was a lot of fun, and I look forward to attending the next one.