While walking around Yotsuya, I found the Nihon Shashin Kaikan. The Portrait Gallery is on the fifth floor, but I didn't go up. Actually, I really didn't need to. Something especially cool was right there at the ground-floor entrance.
While walking along the street, this collection of photos caught my eye. Several very recognizable faces are among these photographs, and they're not the type that you see every day in Japan.
The Peanuts (Yumi and Emi Ito) were the ones who initially grabbed my attention. They, of course, are well known in the West for playing the Shobijin in several Godzilla and Mothra movies at Toho Studios.
Also featured is the legendary Ken Takakura. While he is virtually unknown in America (at least when compared to the likes of Toshiro Mifune), he is easily one of Japan's most popular and beloved stars -- a true icon if there ever was one.
Koji Tsuruta was another headliner in the collection. While he went on to mark his mark at Toei Studios, Tsuruta appeared in numerous Toho productions during the 1950s and early '60s, such as The Big Boss (1959), The Three Treasures (1959), and Secret of the Telegian (1960).
Suffice it to say, this was an unexpected (and totally welcome) surprise.
