Revisiting Dracula's Former Abode in Tokyo!

The entrance to Kyu-Furukawa Gardens. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Today (Thursday, January 25), I braved freezing temperatures and strong winds to pay another visit to Kyu-Furukawa Gardens in Kita, Tokyo. I go into more details about the location here, but, suffice it to say, it has been used as a filming location for a number of movies -- most notably Evil of Dracula (1974). 

What I wasn't expecting was that the Western-style house on the property, which of course is the filming location in question, would be under renovation. Still, it was a rather unique sight to behold, so it was interesting to see. (You can see those photos below.) A staff member I spoke with told me the renovations will be going on until March, so maybe I'll return around that time to see the finished renovations. I guess we'll see how that goes.

Until then, here's what I saw today. Enjoy!

Paying a Visit to Dracula's Former Home in Tokyo!

The Western-style house in Kyu-Furukawa Gardens. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Today, I paid another visit to Kyu-Furukawa Gardens in Kita, Tokyo, near Nishigahara Station. The park features a Western-style house whose construction was completed in May 1917. It was originally built as a private residence but was opened as a public park on April 30, 1956. I last visited the park in May 2016, so I figured I was long overdue for another look.

What's so special about this place? Well, the house in question was used as a filming location for numerous genre movies and TV shows. It was used as Shin Kishida's vampiric principal character's residence in Evil of Dracula (1974), the spooky house in the Hajime Sato-directed House of Terrors (a.k.a. The Ghost of the Hunchback, 1965), and it also turns up in the Toho mystery Murders in the Doll House (a.k.a. Crazy Doll Trick, 1979), starring Yusaku Matsuda.

It was great to walk around the property and take in some excellent tokusatsu history. In particular, it was fascinating to see the house's carriage porch up close and personal, which is prominently featured in Evil of Dracula. (The car driving Toshio Kurosawa's character to the university pulls into the carriage porch.) 

The photos below will tell the story. Enjoy!

KYU-FURUKAWA GARDENS! A Go-To Location for Many Japanese Horror Films!

The Western-style residence in Kyu-Furukawa Gardens has been used as a filming location in countless Japanese productions. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

It's hard trying to document the filming locations used in many Japanese genre productions, and the proof is in the lack of quality English-language research done in this area. Little by little, I intend to fill the void, and today I shine my spotlight on a new location.

Kyu-Furukawa Gardens is a beautiful park located in Kita, Tokyo, near Nishigahara Station. The centerpiece of the park is its Western-style residence, and it's easy to see why. You see very few buildings like this in Tokyo. Although it was at one time a private residence, it was converted into a public park in 1956.

The Western-style residence appears in several classic Japanese horror films. It was used as Shin Kishida's vampiric principal character's residence in Evil of Dracula (1974), the spooky house in the Hajime Sato-directed House of Terrors (a.k.a. The Ghost of the Hunchback, 1965), and it also turns up in the Toho mystery Murders in the Doll House (a.k.a. Crazy Doll Trick, 1979).

As much as I wanted to step inside the house, you can only do so if you join a guided tour, which unfortunately I didn't have enough time to do. Still, it was cool to see this filming location from the outside. It does seem tailor-made for horror movies!

It's a beautiful park, regardless of its history on film. I'd highly recommend it to anyone, even if he or she isn't into any of the aforementioned films. There's so much to see and photograph. I'm sure I'll eventually go back and join one of the guided tours.

How cool is it to see where Shin Kishida's vampire character once lived? It's very cool, and I'm glad to have had the opportunity to visit yet another incredible filming location. I can't wait to see more!

ALL-NIGHT FILM FEST IN KYOTO! Actor Teruo Yoshida Greets Fans in Kansai!

Actor Teruo Yoshida ponders a question about his career in Kyoto. Photo by Brett Homenick.

During the evening of August 15 (and the morning of August 16), the Kyoto Minami Kaikan hosted an all-night film festival devoted to Japanese horror movies. The three features on tap were Goke Body Snatcher from Hell (1968), House of Terrors (a.k.a. The Ghost of the Hunchback, 1965), and The Ring (1998).

The first feature of the evening was Goke, and while the print was a bit worn, it still was a sight to behold on the big screen. Following the movie, a Q&A session with the film's star, Teruo Yoshida, was held onstage. Yoshida-san also starred in the controversial Horrors of the Malformed Men (1969) and appears in Yasujiro Ozu's An Autumn Afternoon (1962).

Yoshida-san spoke for a while about his career, but after his interview was finished, he left the stage, and that was it. The staff then distributed pre-signed autographs from Yoshida-san to those who purchased them. Naturally, it was disappointing not to meet the guest of honor, but this seems to be the norm with events sponsored by Cast Co.

The next feature was the rarely seen Toei thriller House of Terrors, which can only be viewed these days via an Italian-dubbed release. The print screened at the festival was beautiful, and it was great to see the film on the big screen the way it was meant to be seen.

Following House of Terrors, I did my best to get some sleep, completely missing out on The Ring. I still had a full day ahead of me, so I had to try to get some shut-eye!

By the way, when I was browsing the merchandise tables, I saw some copies of Ifukube 100 CD for sale. Obviously, folks in Japan have taken notice! From what I understand, this year's Symphonic Fury concert was by far the coolest kaiju-related event in Chicago all summer. That's not hard to believe at all.

All-night film festivals are not my cup of tea, but once in a while they can be fun. The last time I attended one was in 2011 at the same venue. Akira Kubo was the guest of honor. While I'm not sure if I'd return to Kyoto for another such event, I'll keep my options open. If it's a good lineup, I may just hop on the shinkansen again!