Visiting the King of the Kaiju Designers!

Akihiko Iguchi. Photo by Brett Homenick.

On Thursday, September 23, I went to a special event in Shibuya where kaiju and mecha designer Akihiko Iguchi was selling his wares. I stopped by to say hello and pick up a few items (one of which was for a rather lucky friend).

It feels like things are slowly getting back to normal with more events like this, so all I can do is hope the trend continues. As always, Iit was a lot of fun seeing Iguchi-san again, and I hope to have another chance to see him again soon in the future.

Godzilla and NBC at Toho Studios!

In between actor Masaaki Daimon and NBC reporter Scott Swan at Toho Studios.

I'm pleased to report that on Tuesday, September 3, I participated in an NBC News story about Godzilla that will air in the U.S. in July 2020 (just in time for the Tokyo Olympics). The story was produced by the NBC affiliate in Indianapolis, Indiana, but it will be made available to other NBC affiliates nationwide. I'm also told that the story will be available online. So, no matter where you are in the U.S. (or. hopefully, the world), you will get a chance to see it.

I arranged for a couple of Toho alumni to appear in the story, which was shot at Toho Studios. Actor Masaaki Daimon (Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla, Terror of Mechagodzilla) was the first interviewee, and he shared his memories of making Mechagodzilla, as well as his thoughts on the character of Godzilla.

I was very happy to see Daimon-san again, which was the first time since 2016. I was also rather pleased that he remembered me!

Akihiko Iguchi. Photo by Brett Homenick.

After Daimon-san's interview, kaiju designer Akihiko Iguchi was interviewed, and he seemed to have a lot of fun discussing his design work. Actually, on the way to Toho, I ran into Iguchi-san at a train station quite by accident, and we went to Toho Studios together. 

After Iguchi-san's interview, yours truly was interviewed for the story, discussing my interest in the character and how Godzilla has endured for all these years. Naturally, I can't wait for the story to air. The NBC crew has a lot of surprises and exclusives in store for you that no other documentary has ever gotten access to. When they showed me one photo in particular, my jaw dropped!

Many thanks to Scott Swan, the NBC crew, and the folks at Toho for making this day one for the history books!

Tokusatsu DNA!

The Tokusatsu DNA exhibit opened in Kamata, Tokyo, today, and I paid a visit. Honestly, I've never had more fun at any other exhibit. The sheer number of original, screen-used props on display was incredible, many of which I'd never seen before at similar exhibits. There was a Q&A event featuring Kazuki Omori, Megumi Odaka, and Kenpachiro Satsuma, which I attended. Suitmaker Fuyuki Shinada was also on hand for the festivities (having participated in a separate interview session earlier in the day). Pictures are truly worth a thousand words, so here are just a few.

DINNER WITH A DESIGNER! Akihiko Iguchi and I Break Bread in Kawasaki!

Kaiju designer Akihiko Iguchi poses with an autograph for a lucky fan (other than myself, of course). Photo by Brett Homenick. 

Tonight I had a pleasant dinner with kaiju/mecha designer Akihiko Iguchi in Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture. I hadn't seen Iguchi-san in a few months, so this meeting was long overdue.

Although Iguchi-san speaks a little English, and my Japanese is terrible, we were able to communicate and share a lot of laughs. He showed me many illustrations he has made over the years, as well as photos from some of the trips he has made around the world. I was quite impressed by everything I was shown.

When it was all finished, I paid for dinner. It's always a treat to see Iguchi-san, and I hope the near future will hold many more visits. It's hard to believe our last meeting was way back in February before I'd even moved to Tokyo!

That's all, folks! See you next time!