TAKURO TATSUMI: From Destoroyah to Governor?

With actor Takuro Tatsumi in June 2018.

I came across a very interesting bit of news today. Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) attempted recruiting Osaka-born actor Takuro Tatsumi to run for Osaka governor next month, but it was just announced a few hours ago that Mr. Tatsumi has decided against running. 

What makes this news particularly noteworthy is that Takuro Tatsumi was the star of Godzilla vs. Destoroyah (1995). Having a Godzilla movie star as Osaka governor would have been quite amusing, to say the least, but, given his decision not to run, it appears it will remain just a fun thought experiment. 

Opera, Wine, and Destoroyah!

Takuro Tatsumi (left) onstage at Blue Mood with his daughter, Marie. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Tonight, I had the privilege of meeting actor (and wine connoisseur) Takuro Tatsumi. Tatsumi-san starred in Godzilla vs. Destoroyah (1995), which was the main reason I attended the event. Tatsumi-san was the emcee, and his daughter, Marie, did most of the performing.

She is a soprano singer and actress, and her performances were the first time I'd heard operatic singing in Japanese. A lot of her singing was in English, and after the show, she asked me for my advice on pronunciation. I was happy to help.

It was a great evening, and the event itself was much different from the types I usually attend. Marie's soprano singing was terrific, but there were times I was fully expecting all the wine glasses in the room to break. What a powerful voice! Tatsumi-san was also great to meet. Let's do it again!