A Special Evening with the Actor Behind 'Megalon's' Goro Ibuki!

Katsuhiko Sasaki. Photo by Brett Homenick.

 

On Saturday, March 16, I was lucky enough to have dinner with Toho actor Katsuhiko Sasaki, the star of several 1970s-era tokusatsu productions at the studio. Sasaki-san is best known for headlining Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973) and Terror of Mechagodzilla (1975).

We met at Futako-tamagawa Station and headed to a restaurant that Sasaki-san is quite fond of. We spent at least two hours there, and the conversation covered a wide range of topics. I was especially interested in Sasaki-san's memories of filming Evil of Drcaula (1974) and how unexpectedly difficult and dangerous it was. The fight scene with Toshio Kurosawa was already tough, but having to film the scene in which Sasaki-san's character drowns was much more dangerous. 

Katsuhiko Sasaki signs autographs. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Sasaki-san also reminisced about his father, actor Minoru Chiaki, and how director Akira Kurosawa scouted him while watching him perform onstage as part of the Bara-za theater company. Sasaki-san enjoys Ikiru (1952) among his father's Kurosawa's films.

I must say that Sasaki-san was quite generous when it came to signing things. I brought a bevy of Megalon-related items to sign, and Sasaki-san graciously signed everything I wanted. Definitely a one-of-a-kind gentleman!

In particular, I was extremely glad to add his signature to my Blu-ray sleeve of Megalon that already featured that autographs of Yutaka Hayashi and Hiroyuki Kawase. With Sasaki-san's signature, I now have the autographs of all three leads of the film on that Blu-ray cover. Suffice it to say, it's one of my favorite pieces.

I should also point out that Sasaki-san paid for our dinner, which, again, was very kind of him. It's this level of generosity that I will miss after I leave Japan. 

As we were walking back to the station, I reminded Sasaki-san that Megalon was my first Godzilla movie, to which he patted me on the back. It was a small gesture, but, when considered through the prism of my personal history with the genre, it means a lot. This was truly an evening I'll always remember. Many thanks to Sasaki-san for making it possible!

A GODZILLA SERIES STAR REHEARSES! Going Behind the Scenes with a Genre Legend!

Masaaki Daimon. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Yesterday (Tuesday, March 12), I was invited to visit actor Masaaki Daimon as he was rehearsing his upcoming stage play. Last year, I saw Daimon-san onstage at the same theater where this one will be performed, but I will unfortunately not be available to see any of the public performances due to my own scheduling issues. 

It was quite fascinating to see this group of actors rehearse. The cast gathered in a building in Edogawa Ward that was designed for such activities, which includes an area for building sets and props. Pretty nifty!

For a while, I thought this was my first time to see a rehearsal of a stage play in Japan, but then I remembered hanging out with Akira Takarada in 2013 when he was rehearsing one. So it's been more than ten years.

When I arrived via taxi, Daimon-san's manager (Imai-san) met me outside and led me into the premises. Shortly after I sat down, Daimon-san approached me and shook my hand. Then, for about the next hour and a half, I watched the rehearsal.

The story is about two men (one of whom is played by Daimon-san) who inexplicably undergo a time slip back to their younger days in the early 1970s. In fact, actress-singer Ayumi Ishida gets name-checked in the script, which I found pretty amusing. 

The other cast members were quite friendly, too, including Mai-san, who came up to me, introduced herself, and proceeded to have a lengthy chat with me. In fact, she joined us later for dinner! Don't you just love it when you make new friends so easily?

After the rehearsal was finished, I was asked to stand up and introduce myself to the cast in Japanese, which I did. Then we all posed for a photo in which I'm seated next to Daimon-san, and Mai-san was directly behind me. I haven't gotten a copy of this photo yet, so I hope to receive it soon.

Masaaki Daimon. Photo by Brett Homenick.

After that, the four of us (including Daimon-san, Imai-san, Mai-san, and yours truly) gathered in Imai-san's car as we went out for dinner. The night's fare was Japanese, which I found pretty tasty. Before we ate, Daimon-san asked the staff to take a photo of our group on his phone. As I've said countless times, it's always great when someone of Daimon-san's caliber wants to take a photo with you.

We must have spent a couple of hours there, but I lost count. It really was a fun evening, with Daimon-san sharing some stories about his career, as well as some of his upcoming goings-on. He also very generously signed a few autographs for me and went out of his way to make sure he spelled my name correctly in English on them.

At the end of the evening, Imai-san paid for the dinner, which was enormously generous of him. We also posed for a few more photos before piling back into Imai-san's car. We drove out to an area around Shinjuku Station (very close to the Hotel Gracery Shinjuku, in fact), at which point Mai-san and I were dropped off. I shook hands with Daimon-san before parting ways. 

What an incredible evening! After I got home, I exchanged some texts with Imai-san, who told me that Daimon-san expressed his wish that I could see one of the cast's public performances of the play. I wish I could, too, but you can't always get what you want, as Mick Jagger once told us. This evening, however, was certainly what I needed.

UPDATE (3/14): Though a bit tiny, here's the group shot I mentioned elsewhere in this blog post.

Seeing 'Terror of Mechagodzilla' in 35mm!

The National Film Archive of Japan. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Today (Sunday, February 18), I took a trip to the National Film Archive of Japan to catch a screening of the kaiju classic Terror of Mechagodzilla (1975) in 35mm. The movie was shown as part of its program called Women Who Made Japanese Cinema [Part 2]: From the 1970s to the 1980s. In particular, this screening honored screenwriter Yukiko Takayama's contributions to Japanese cinema.

The print itself was in excellent shape, with very few noticeable blemishes. The movie's subject matter is quite dark, and director Ishiro Honda does a great job of highlighting the consequences of the monster attacks on everyday people. The movie has always been one of my favorites.

The poster for Terror of Mechagodzilla outside the theater. Photo by Brett Homenick.

There was an impressive turnout for the film, despite the fact that it had already been screened twice before in the last couple of weeks. Not much else to say. Even though the screening started a bit earlier than I would have preferred (12:30), I'm very glad I went. A great way to kick off a fairly warm (by February standards) Sunday! 

Celebrating the New Year with a Toho VIP!

Toru Ibuki. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Tonight (Wednesday, January 10), I had the distinct privilege of spending the evening with former Toho actor Toru Ibuki. Would you believe it had been about five years since I last met him? Ibuki-san turns 84 at the end of the month, and I was pleasantly surprised to see that he was still looking well. 

Toru Ibuki signs autographs. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Ibuki-san stays healthy by going for long walks and doing squats every day, which is hard even for me at my age!

I was able to attend a beginning-of-the-year party, at which Ibuki-san was the guest of honor. Ibuki-san and his daughter gave me a Godzilla-themed T-shirt as a gift, which I wasn't expecting but was more than pleased to receive. In honor of Ibuki-san's upcoming birthday, I presented him with not one but two omiyage boxes.

Of his own movies, Ibuki-san named Operation Enemy Fort (1962) as his favorite, as well as talking about some of his memories of Frank Sinatra in America. I asked Ibuki-san if he'd seen any movies recently, which he hasn't. I also enjoyed speaking to Ibuki-san's daughter on a wide range of topics.

Naturally, I couldn't resist bringing a few items to get signed, which Ibuki-san graciously did. The items were Blu-ray sleeves (of Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster and Terror of Mechagodzilla), as well as Godzilla Store cards of Sea Monster and Monster Zero. I told the attendees that Ibuki-san had a beard in Terror of Mechagodzilla, and, when I asked him if it was a real beard, he said it was.

The party lasted just over two hours, and I enjoyed every bit of it. I can't tell you how good it was to see Ibuki-san again after such a long time. It felt even better to see that he was doing well. Tonight was certainly an evening for the history books.

Honoring the Life and Career of Screenwriter Yukiko Takayama

Yukiko Takayama's funeral at Koyasan Tokyo Betsuin. Photo by Brett Homenick.

This morning (Monday, June 12), I attended the funeral for screenwriter Yukiko Takayama, who penned the classic Toho tokusatsu production Terror of Mechagodzilla (1975). The funeral started at 11:00 a.m. at the Buddhist temple Koyasan Tokyo Betsuin in Minato Ward. The service lasted about an hour. 

When I arrived, I signed in at the reception area and then made my way over to the hall where the funeral would take place. Outside the room were numerous posters, books, photos, and home video releases of Ms. Takayama's works. (Photos of which you can see below.)

The Intermezzo from Pietro Mascagni's opera Cavalleria Rusticana (which was used as the theme to Martin Scorsese's 1980 film Raging Bull) was playing on speakers there, as well.

During the ceremony, the priest-in-residence said that Ms. Takayama passed away at age 83, which confirms the information in the recent news reports about her passing.

As expected, I was more than a little rusty on Japanese funeral customs, so I watched what the other mourners would do and emulated them to the best of my ability. This came in handy particularly during the incense-offering part of the ceremony, which went off without a hitch after I observed what the other mourners were doing. 

The toughest part of the funeral for me was laying flowers in the casket. The staff at the temple encouraged mourners to lay flowers multiple times until all the flowers were put in the casket, and I did so three different times. It was a very moving experience, and one I won't ever forget. 

Afterward, the casket was taken to the hearse, and Ms. Takayama's family left, too. I have to admit that this was the most emotional funeral or memorial celebration I've attended in Japan. 

For the record, and for whatever it's worth, I didn't see anyone associated with Terror of Mechagodzilla (or tokusatsu, for that matter) at the ceremony. I wasn't expecting anyone like that to show up, anyway, but I'm sure some people would be wondering about that, which is why I'm mentioning it here.

Terror of Mechagodzilla has always been one of my favorite Godzilla movies, and I wanted to make sure to honor the life and career of the person who wrote it. There was never a doubt in my mind about whether I should attend Yukiko Takayama's funeral. 

Rest in peace, Takayama-san.

'Terror of Mechagodzilla' Screenwriter Yukiko Takayama Passes Away at Age 83

Yukiko Takayama in January 2016. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Terror of Mechagodzilla (1975) screenwriter Yukiko Takayama passed away of natural causes in her Tokyo home on June 2 at 11:16 a.m. She was 83 years old. Her funeral will be held on June 12 in Minato Ward, for which the chief mourner has been announced as Naoki, her oldest son.

Back in 2009, I was privileged to be able to submit a few questions about Terror of Mechagodzilla to Ms. Takayama, who graciously answered them. That brief interview can be read here.  

In 2016, I finally met Takayama-san at two different events. One was with Terror of Mechagodzilla chief assistant director Kensho Yamashita, and the other was with Mineko Okamoto, the widow of legendary director Kihachi Okamoto.

Below are photos I took at both events. RIP, Takayama-san.

Yukiko Takayama with Kensho Yamashita in January 2016. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Yukiko Takayama in April 2016. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Yukiko Takayama with Mineko Okamoto. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Vantage Point Interviews Returns with Two Great Interviews!

Yoshiro Uchida in March 2022. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Vantage Point Interviews returns with a brand-new vintage account -- this time with former child actor Yoshiro Uchida, who played the young boy Toshio in the Daiei classic Gamera the Giant Monster (1965), a.k.a. Gammera the Invincible (1966). His memories of those days are few, but it's still a fascinating read. Check it out!

Yours truly with Uchida-san after the interview in March 2022.

But that's not all! The second of three interviews with Toho special effects director Eiichi Asada has also been posted! In this interview, Asada-san describes the bulk of his assistant-directing career at Toho during the mid-1970s through the mid-'80s. Asada-san describes what it was like to work under tokusatsu directors Teruyoshi Nakano and Koichi Kawakita.

Eiichi Asada in June 2021. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Asada-san's memories of the Godzilla and other tokusatsu films that he worked on during this time are rather detailed, so don't miss out on this one! Content is once again king at Vantage Point Interviews!

Former Godzilla Series SFX Director Teruyoshi Nakano Passes Away at Age 86

Teruyoshi Nakano in August 2017. Photo by Brett Homenick.

The Japanese news media are reporting that longtime Toho special effects director Teruyoshi Nakano passed away on June 27 of sepsis. He was 86.

Teruyoshi Nakano with director Kazuki Omori in October 2017. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

Born in what is now Dandong, China, on October 9, 1935, Mr. Nakano repatriated to Japan shortly after the war and attended Nihon University College of Art's film department. He later joined Toho in 1959, intending to become a film director. However, he was moved over to the tokusatsu side of filmmaking and quickly moved up the ranks, becoming chief assistant director under Eiji Tsuburaya by 1963.

SFX directors Teruyoshi Nakano and Eiichi Asada team up to sing "Godzilla and Jet Jaguar: Punch! Punch! Punch!" from Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973) in October 2015. Photo by Brett Homenick.

In 1969, Mr. Nakano would serve as special effects director on his first film, The Crazy Cats’ Big Explosion. Mr. Nakano would direct the special effects on every Godzilla film between Godzilla vs. the Smog Monster (1971) and Godzilla 1985 (1984). He earned critical acclaim for his special effects work in Submersion of Japan (1973).

Teruyoshi Nakano poses with the posters of two of his most famous works in April 2015. Photo by Brett Homenick.

I really can't find the words to express what a devastating loss this is. It might even be possible to say I've visited him in the last 10 years more than any other Toho figure. He was always very approachable and friendly at any gathering he attended.

Teruyoshi Nakano strikes a familiar pose in June 2017. Photo by Brett Homenick.

While he started using a cane in recent years, he still seemed completely healthy, especially for a gentleman his age. That all seemed to change this year. Earlier this year, one of my Japanese friends showed me a photo taken of Mr. Nakano in his hospital bed.

Two heroes for the price of one: Teruyoshi Nakano in August 2017. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Apparently, he had just spent about a month there but had recently been discharged. Despite the shocking photo, I was assured that he was doing much better, so there was no need to worry. But I did.

Teruyoshi Nakano poses for a photo at a memorial event for Koichi Kawakita at Toho Studios in February 2015. Photo by Brett Homenick.

I wanted to believe it, but I couldn't. And now I know there was good reason not to believe it. I'll really miss Mr. Nakano's presence at future events. I tried my best to interview him in recent years, but he told me that he wanted to wait until after COVID to do it.

Teruyoshi Nakano plays around with his old colleague Zone Fighter in September 2017. Photo by Brett Homenick.

While I had the privilege of interviewing him twice in 2004 (which, strangely, I believe turned out to be his final appearance in the U.S.), I felt those interviews never did Mr. Nakano justice and wanted to do something much more in-depth. I wish it could have worked out.

Teruyoshi Nakano, Takashi Naganuma, and director Kensho Yamashita pose with a poster for Battle of Okinawa (1971) in July 2016. Photo by Brett Homenick.

There's so much to say, but I'll end with this. A few years ago, as Nakano-san and I were posing for a photo, we shook hands, and he said (in English), "Family." That's certainly how I felt.

Rest in peace, Mr. Nakano. Thank you so much for your work, your time, and your kindness.

Veteran Tokusatsu Actor Goro Mutsumi Passes Away at the Age of 86

Goro Mutsumi in April 2013. Photo by Brett Homenick.

It has been reported that actor Goro Mutsumi, best known for playing alien leaders Kuronuma in Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (1974) and Mugar in Terror of Mechagodzilla (1975), passed away on June 5, 2021, at the age of 86.

Unfortunately, I'd known that this had been likely since September of last year. I mailed Mutsumi-san a birthday card that month to his home in Kawasaki, which eventually was returned to me unopened. Considering that the New Year's greeting card that I'd sent a few months prior to that wasn't, I immediately became worried that something was wrong. To make matters worse, neither of the two phone numbers I had for him worked anymore. A message to the acting school where he had been recently teaching went unreturned. I didn't want to accept it, but I knew what likely had happened. I'm deeply saddened that my fears have been confirmed.

I had the privilege of meeting Mutsumi-san three times -- all of which were in the year 2013. I met him twice in April of that year, both times were to conduct an interview. (The interview ran a bit long, so we agreed to meet a few days later to finish it.) The last meeting, circa July 2013, was purely social. The biggest memory I have of that occasion was that I asked to take photos at the end of the dinner, but, because he had been drinking throughout the evening, he didn't want to be photographed.

In the summer of 2016, I invited him to see Shin Godzilla (2016) with me, but, while he couldn't make it, he said he wasn't even aware that the film was coming out! I thought that was pretty amusing. 

To the best of my memory, I last spoke to Mutsumi-san on the phone in March 2019. He was sometimes hard to get a hold of, and it was never easy making plans with him. I really wish I could have arranged to see him again, but I was never able to do it. But I'm grateful for the time I was able to spend in his company.

I was able to conduct two interviews with Mutsumi-san. The first interview is from 2009, and it was done by correspondence. The second interview was conducted in April 2013 in person. As you could imagine, it's much more detailed and comprehensive. For those of you who'd like to get a sense of Mutsumi-san's life and career, I'd highly recommend reading them.

Rest in peace, Mutsumi-san.