Attending a Screening of Toho's 'The H-Man' in 35mm!

Signage for tonight's screening of The H-Man at the Laputa Asagaya. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Not only did I see An American Werewolf in London (1981) earlier today (Sunday, January 29), but I capped off the evening with a screening of Toho's The H-Man (1958) in 35mm. It was part of the Laputa Asagaya's Science Fiction Film Festival, and I was quite eager to see it. I'm much more familiar with this movie than the previous three I've seen as part of this program, and tonight's film features many of my favorite Toho performers.

Publicity materials for The H-Man inside the theater lobby. Photo by Brett Homenick.

The film looked gorgeous in 35mm. As always, there were a few flaws, but very few jumps that would have proved too distracting. Yumi Shirakawa was absolutely radiant here -- just an unbelievably beautiful woman. Masaru Sato's score is excellent, and the effects are impressive, too, though they would get even better over time.

It's interesting to think that Daiei's The Invisible Man vs. the Human Fly (1957) came out the previous year when the two films look like they were made decades apart. This was made just after Toho hit its stride with its SFX flicks, and, unlike a few of the studio's previous releases, it actually looks like a movie made in the year it came out. 

Oh, and there was a small earthquake that happened during the screening. It wasn't too disruptive or anything, but it was kind of interesting. Just thought I'd include that little tidbit.

That's all for tonight. Now to get some sleep!

Yumi Shirakawa: One Glorious Day

Toho star Yumi Shirakawa in May 2015. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

Writing this blog entry will be difficult for a few reasons. First, there's a lot to say. Second, I don't want to say too much. Third, the news of Shirakawa-san's passing is still a bit too fresh in my mind. Still, some of my blog readers requested more details about my meeting Shirakawa-san, and I thought it was a splendid idea. Here goes.

Yumi Shirakawa breaks into laughter when presented with a piece of memorabilia for her to sign, as Yosuke Natsuki looks on. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

I met Yumi Shirakawa for the first and only time on Sunday, May 3, 2015. The event was Akira Takarada's 81st birthday celebration, which took place in a restaurant high up the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building (a.k.a. the Tax Towers). The event was a star-studded one, and it featured several celebrity guests who rarely (if ever) make personal appearances. The luminaries included: Yumi Shirakawa, Yuriko Hoshi, Yosuke Natsuki, Machiko Naka, Akira Wakamatsu, and several others. The guest who jumped immediately out to me was Yumi Shirakawa. There's a reason for that.

Yosuke Natsuki and Yumi Shirakawa, two Toho stars who remained close friends for decades. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

Yumi Shirakawa is my favorite actress. She an aura and a presence onscreen unlike any other actress I've seen. Watch her in The H-Man (1958) and The Secret of the Telegian (1960), and you're likely to see what I mean. She was beautiful, feminine, vulnerable, and ethereal. There was something about her that appealed to me more than any other Toho actress. She seemed a bit mysterious to me, and I liked that.

In fact, when I was planning a move to Japan, Yumi Shirakawa was at the top of the list of actors and actresses I wanted to meet. No joke. She was always in the number-one spot. I knew it wouldn't be easy, but it was a challenge I couldn't refuse. It was worth doing.

A fun group shot featuring Yumi Shirakawa and many of her co-stars. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

I didn't get my opportunity until four years into my stay. Yosuke Natsuki gave me a big assist, and I will always be grateful for his help. Not only did Natsuki-san personally introduce me to her, but he invited me to sit at the table reserved for the special guests with him and Shirakawa-san. I was the only fan at the event invited to do so. So I essentially got to spend the entire afternoon with Shirakawa-san, and even though she didn't speak English, I most certainly enjoyed our time together.

Actresses Yuriko Hoshi and Yumi Shirakawa listen to a speech. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

What impressed me most was how unlike her screen persona she was. She was open-minded, down-to-earth, and friendly -- not at all like the reserved and shy presence I saw in the movies. She also seemed to have an impish sense of humor. She was very close with Natsuki-san, and I snapped many photos of the two of them together on her camera. Of course, I was more than happy to make myself available to her for anything she needed.

Bin Furuya and Yumi Shirakawa pose for pictures. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

When the party moved to a nearby restaurant, Shirakawa-san was the only female guest to join us. When attendees and guests were taking seats, I intentionally tried to sit at a different table from Shirakawa-san and Natsuki-san (in order to give other fans a chance), but Natsuki-san wouldn't hear of it, and he insisted I sit with them. At the restaurant, Shirakawa-san posed for many photos (including a few with Bin Furuya) and signed many shikishi boards and DVDs. She seemed amused by seeing so many fans of her movies. When I asked a few of my friends who their favorite guest of the day was, they unanimously said Yumi Shirakawa. I agreed.

Yours truly with Yumi Shirakawa.

Look at this picture, and you'll see why. A picture truly does speak a thousand words -- and more. I couldn't tell you how excited I was to meet her, but she looks much more excited than I do! Unfortunately for them, a lot of tokusatsu fans in the Western world never seemed very interested in Shirakawa-san, probably because she never starred in a Godzilla movie. Those people truly missed out on an exceptional person, someone I am honored to have met.

And now she's gone. I took the news of her passing pretty hard. She gave me a lot to look forward to, as I was confident our paths would cross again. The world seems like a darker place without her. Seems like? Okay, I'll say it. It is a darker place without her.

Rest in peace, Shirakawa-san. Your life brought joy to so many others. I'll always remember.

Yumi Shirakawa Remembered

Yumi Shirakawa poses with a fan at gathering in Tokyo. Photo by Brett Homenick.

On June 14, Toho actress Yumi Shirakawa died of heart failure at the age of 79. She starred in such Toho classics as Rodan (1956), The Mysterians (1957), The H-Man (1958), The Secret of the Telegian (1960), The Last War (1961), and Gorath (1962). In 1964, she married Nikkatsu star Hideaki Nitani, who would later star in the Tsuburaya Productions TV series Mighty Jack (1968).  

Yuriko Hoshi, Yosuke Natsuki, and Yumi Shirakawa pose for pictures. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

I had the distinct honor (a word I most certainly don't use lightly) to meet Shirakawa-san at an event in Tokyo in May 2015. It was billed by the organizers as a once-in-a-lifetime event, and I couldn't disagree with that assessment. Stars like Shirakawa-san, Yuriko Hoshi, Yosuke Natsuki, Akira Takarada, Machiko Naka, and others gathered to celebrate Takarada-san's 81st birthday. Thanks to Natsuki-san, I was able to spend quite a bit of time around Shirakawa-san.

I'd always hoped to visit Shirakawa-san again, but I will always cherish the memories of that afternoon when I was able to meet my favorite actress in person. I couldn't have asked for a nicer, warmer person to meet.

Rest in peace, Shirakawa-san.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SAHARA-SAN! The Toho Icon Turns 82!

Kenji Sahara chats with fans at a Grissom Gang signing event in June 2012. Photo by Brett Homenick.

It's May 14 in Japan, and that means screen legend Kenji Sahara turns 82. Sahara-san is the star of such Toho classics as Rodan (1956), The Mysterians (1957), The H-Man (1958), King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962), and Godzilla vs. the Thing (1964). Happy birthday, Sahara-san, with many more to come!

MAKOTO SATO: 1934-2012

Makoto Sato takes no prisoners in Toho's 1959 wartime actioner Dokuritsu Gurentai, directed by Kihachi Okamoto.

The Japanese press is reporting that famed Toho Studios character actor Makoto Sato died on December 6, 2012, of pneumonia, following a fall near his home. He was 78.

Born on March 18, 1934, in Saga Prefecture, Sato began his professional acting career in 1956 at Toho Studios. Prior to his being hired at the studio, Sato trained to become an actor at Haiyu-za alongside Ken "Starman" Utsui and Tatsuya (Ran, Kagemusha) Nakadai.

He quickly became well known for his appearances in youth films, usually playing tough guys or baddies. For genre fans, his best-known credits include: The H-Man (1958), Akira Kurosawa's The Hidden Fortress (1958), Chushingura (1962), The Lost World of Sinbad (1963), The Killing Bottle (1967), Message from Space (1978), and The Imperial Navy (1981), among countless others. Sato was a favorite of revolutionary director Kihachi Okamoto, who often cast Sato in his action pictures.

RIP to a talented actor.

Will the real Yumi Shirakawa please stand up?

Ever hear that old saying, "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery"?

I think this video disproves it.

The great Yumi Shirakawa (Rodan, The Mysterians, The H-Man, etc.) is impersonated in the video below. But what makes this impersonation particularly interesting is that it's done by a man!

Just when you thought Japanese TV couldn't get any stranger.

Above right, Ms. Yumi Shirakawa in a recent photo. Source: tbs.co.jp.

Oh, and there's also someone trying to imitate Akira Nakao (from the Heisei Godzilla series), but at least his imitator's of the same gender.

Mr. Sahara meets The H-Man

August Ragone, Kenji Sahara, Brett, and Danny Tokarz enjoy a happy moment in Mr. Sahara's hotel room at G-FEST. Photo by totorom.

One of the most interesting aspects of G-FEST for me was that, not only did we American fans learn a lot about Mr. Sahara's career, but that Mr. Sahara himself learned a few things about it! For instance, Mr. Sahara never realized, until G-FEST, that he appears in the Japanese trailer for Mothra (1961).

Much more amusing, however, was Mr. Sahara's reaction to learning the American title to his 1958 SFX film Bijo to Ekitai Ningen, which as many of you know is The H-Man. Well, it turns out that the letter "H" has a much different connotation in Japan, a -- shall we say -- fairly risque connotation. Thus, the idea of an H-Man to Mr. Sahara brings to mind something entirely different from what Columbia Pictures, the American distributor of The H-Man, originally intended!

I had the privilege of interviewing Mr. Sahara Sunday night in his hotel room with totorom. When the time came to ask him about the 1958 film in question, I began, "My next question would be about Bijo to Ekitai Ningen, otherwise known as ... H-Man!"

We all laughed.