A Mechagodzilla Reunion Rocks Tokyo!

Tomoko Ai and Masaaki Daimon pose for the camera. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Today, I attended a wonderful Showa Hero event with two of the stars from the '70s Mechagodzilla movies: Masaaki Daimon and Tomoko Ai. While it happened the day after Godzilla's birthday, it was certainly close enough to satisfy me!

Masaaki Daimon. Photo by Brett Homenick.

I had just seen Daimon-san two months ago at Toho Studios for his NBC interview, so it came as a bit of a surprise to me when I found out I'd get to see him again. This was the first time I got to hear a lot of details about his work on Mechagodzilla, such as the fact that he was cast without an audition, and that visiting Okinawa felt like going to another country.

As a longtime fan of the two '70s Godzilla movies, I was especially happy to add Daimon-san's signature to a few MG items I had. I'd been waiting quite a while for the opportunity!

Tomoko Ai. Photo by Brett Homenick.

The other guest of the afternoon was Katsura Mafune herself, Tomoko Ai. I was already quite familiar with her stories, having interviewed her in the past, but it was certainly a lot of fun to see her interact with Masaaki Daimon.

I last saw Ai-san by chance at my train station about three years ago. She asked me if I still lived in the same place, to which I answered in the affirmative. It'd definitely been too long, so hopefully I won't have to wait three years for the next meeting!

ANOTHER COINCIDENCE! A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Work!

With actress Tomoko Ai in Chicago during the summer of 2014.

During my years in Japan, I have met several actors and filmmakers by sheer coincidence, usually on trains or in train stations. In most cases, I'd already met them, so they already knew who I was.

Today was another such coincidence. After I got on the train and sat down on the way to work today, I looked up and noticed none other than actress Tomoko Ai, the star of Terror of Mechagodzilla (1975), sitting across from me. It was my first time seeing her in a long time, and shortly after I noticed her, she spotted me, and invited me to sit next to her.

We talked until I had to get off at my stop. It was certainly great to see Ai-san again, and we both had a good laugh over the amazing coincidence.

I've bumped into both stars of Terror of Mechagodzilla in my neighborhood this year alone. What are the odds?! 

G-FEST XXI: Your Humble Blogmeister Shares His Memories!

My G-FEST experience began at Narita Airport where I met special guests Katsuhiko Sasaki and Tomoko Ai (along with her entourage). I met Sasaki-san first and later caught up with Ai-san. As Sasaki-san and I were checking our luggage, Ai-san greeted us. So, technically speaking, the Terror of Mechagodzilla reunion happened at the ticket counter of United Airlines!

We all ate a small lunch together and took some photos. While we were about to board the plane, I spotted Shinpei Hayashiya and his producer-wife Atsuko Tsunakawa who were also waiting to board the plane.

The plane ride to Chicago was quite memorable. I sat right next to Sasaki-san, and Ai-san was seated next to Sasaki-san. During the flight, Ai-san gave me a small Mechagodzilla toy as a gift. As cool as that was, it was really amazing to be a fly on the wall while Ai-san and Sasaski-san spoke about the old days at Toho. At one point, Ai-san mentioned Espy (1974), which was fascinating to me. I later found out that she was talking about how that film and Terror of Mechagodzilla were being filmed at basically the same time.

After landing, we took Sasaki-san to dinner. Joining us were Yasushi from Tokyo and my brother Erik, who runs the official English-language Akira Ifukube Web site. We went to Giordano's and sampled some of its renowned deep-dish pizza. Sasaki-san was floored by its size, but he enjoyed a few slices. Say, isn't that Sasaki-san's former co-star Biollante lurking in the background?

The next day we took Sasaki-san and modeling guest Hiroshi Sagae to the Art Institute of Chicago. Ms. Hiroko Saito provided the guests with a Japanese-language tour of the gallery. Many thanks to Ms. Saito for arranging and hosting the tour.

After lunch, Yasushi and I took Sasaki-san to Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower), which was also my first time in the tower. It was great to see Sasaki-san take photos of Chicago from one of the tallest buildings in the world.

Opening ceremonies was Friday night, and the guests were very well received. I don't think an opening ceremonies at G-FEST has ever seen a bigger audience. Following the guests' introductory remarks, I played video greetings provided by Toru Ibuki, Wataru Mimura, and Shigeo Kato.

The next morning, I interviewed Tomoko Ai about her acting career. It was fascinating to hear her stories about Ultraman Leo, Terror of Mechagodzilla, and her acting roles beyond.

After that, I interviewed Sasaki-san about his career. This was actually the second time I interviewed him, but even then this interview still managed to cover new ground.

The band got back together for another meal together at Gibsons Steakhouse. Sasaki-san enjoyed his steak immensely, and Yasushi provided us with very special gifts from Japan. Good times were had by all!

Jay Johnson interviewed the great Don Frye about Godzilla: Final Wars as well as other subjects. Don had the audience in stitches with his witty and sometimes self-deprecating sense of humor. Despite being a famous fighter, actor, and you-name-it, Don Frye is about as ego-free as they come.

Next came the autograph sessions, which like everything else were bigger than ever. Although some hiccups did occur, the G-FEST staff made sure everything ran smoothly.

After the autographs were finished, it was time to head to Chicago! Sasaki-san, Ai-san, and all of us went to Buddy Guy's Legend for dinner and live music. The food and entertainment were quite good, and afterward we were all feeling quite tired, so we started to make our way back.

The ride back to the hotel was one for the history books, as a panhandler came onto the train and decided to liven things up for us. Thankfully, he was escorted out of our train car before too long!

Sunday morning saw a panel discussion on Godzilla: Final Wars, with Don Frye, Martin Arlt, and yours truly. Many topics were covered during the session, including the WWF, Michael Mann movies, and bar fighting.

During the Sunday autograph session, I was showing Ai-san's manager photos of the Don Frye session I was just on, and her eyes widened. She asked me to show Ai-san the photos. She got really excited and said she was a big fan of Don Frye and wanted to meet him. I knew Don was just about to leave for the airport, but I found him in the lobby just in the nick of time. As you saw in the photo above, meeting him really made her day.

Hanging out with Yasushi, Shinpei Hayashiya, and Hiroshi Sagae was another highlight!

I almost missed getting a photo with Koichi Kawakita, but I finally got one Sunday night. That said, Kawakita-san is a fixture of various events in Japan, and I've met him several times. But it was nice to get one at G-FEST.

Photo by Loren Portillo.

And that's a wrap! There were many highlights throughout the weekend, but this blog post covers most of the events of the weekend that I was a part of. Of course, there were a lot of other great sessions and events at G-FEST, but I didn't even get to see most of them! But there's always next year.

See you at G-FEST XXII!

G-FEST XXI: Interviews and Presentations

I have posted several of the interview sessions from the weekend to YouTube, and just for your viewing pleasure, here they are!

G-FEST XXI: A Big Success!

 

Actor Katsuhiko Sasaki and special effects director Koichi Kawakita swap stories at the G-FEST staff dinner Sunday night. Photos by Brett Homenick.

With roughly 3,000 attendees, G-FEST XXI was the largest, most successful convention in its history. The highlight of the show was the reunion of actors Katsuhiko Sasaki and Tomoko Ai, who hadn't seen each other since making Terror of Mechagodzilla in 1975!

Actress Tomoko Ai is a Don Frye fan and got to meet the professional fighter/actor at G-FEST!

There were many surprises along the way, but I will write a longer report with more details. Congratulations to everyone involved for making this G-FEST one for the history books!

TERROR OF MECHAGODZILLA REUNION AT G-FEST! KATSUHIKO SASAKI and TOMOKO AI Set Their Sights on Chicago This July!

Actor Katsuhiko Sasaki speaks about his career during an interview in Tokyo. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Terror of Mechagodzilla (1975) remains one of the most popular entries in the Godzilla franchise, and G-FEST XXI has chosen the occasion of the Big G's 60th anniversary to honor this beloved film with the first-ever reunion of its two leading actors in the U.S., from July 11-13 in Chicago. The two Toho stars are looking forward to signing autographs and answering G-fans' questions!

KATSUHIKO SASAKI, who starred as Akira Ichinose in Terror of Mechagodzilla, makes his first convention appearance in North America at G-FEST.

The son of actor Minoru Chiaki (Seven Samurai, Godzilla Raids Again), Mr. Sasaki also stars in Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973) as inventor Goro Ibuki.

His work can be seen in numerous other Toho titles like Battle of Okinawa (1971), The Evil of Dracula (1974), The Last Days of Planet Earth (1974), Conflagration (1975), Godzilla vs. Biollante (1989), and Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (1991). In recent years, Mr. Sasaki has become a prolific voice actor who has dubbed the voices of such American stars as Robert De Niro, Liam Neeson, Alec Baldwin, and William Hurt for various Japanese releases of American movies. Mr. Sasaki is the most identifiable actor from the 1970s cycle of Toho films, and G-FEST is proud to host his debut appearance in the U.S.

Actress Tomoko Ai poses with some substantial reading material in Tokyo. Ms. Ai is excited to make her first North American public appearance at G-FEST XXI in July. Photo courtesy of Tomoko Ai.

G-FEST is also pleased to announce that TOMOKO AI, who played Katsura Mafune in Terror of Mechagodzilla, will make her first convention appearance in the United States. Ms. Ai looks forward to meeting her fans and celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Godzilla series this summer.

Prior to her performance in Terror of Mechagodzilla, Ms. Ai played a recurring role in Tsuburaya Productions' Ultraman Leo (1974-75) as Monster Attacking Crew (MAC) member Haruko Matsuki.

Ms. Ai worked with acclaimed Godzilla series director Ishiro Honda (Godzilla  '54, Godzilla vs. the Thing), and acted alongside such Toho luminaries as Akihiko Hirata (Godzilla '54, King Kong vs. Godzilla), Goro Mutsumi (Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla, Espy), and Toru Ibuki (Ghidrah the Three-Headed Monster, Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster). Her starring role in one of the most popular Godzilla movies of all time make her one of the most anticipated guests in G-FEST's history.

Actor Yosuke Natsuki talks shop about his career at Toho. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Adding to the 60th-anniversary excitement is a live Skype Q&A with Toho star YOSUKE NATSUKI. Mr. Natsuki wished to attend G-FEST in person, but unfortunately some long-term ailments prevent him from joining the convention. However, not only will he be at the convention in spirit, he will participate in a live Skype chat with G-FEST attendees, directly from Tokyo!

Mr. Natsuki starred in Ghidrah the Three-Headed Monsters (1964) as Detective Shindo, Dogora the Space Monster (1964) as Inspector Komai, and Godzilla 1985 (1984) as Professor Hayashida. He also appeared in Akira Kurosawa's Yojimbo (1961), Hiroshi Inagaki's Gen and Acala (1961), and Shue Matsubayashi's Attack Squadron! (1963), among many other titles. From Ishiro Honda to Akira Kurosawa, from Toshiro Mifune to Takashi Shimura, from Kumi Mizuno to Yumi Shirakawa, Mr. Natsuki has worked with them all, and he will share his stories at G-FEST in a live Skype session all the way from Tokyo! (This interview has regretfully been cancelled.)

G-FEST XXI takes place in Rosemont, IL, at the Crowne Plaza O'Hare from July 11-13. Don't miss it, be there!

UPDATE (6/25): Yosuke Natsuki's scheduled Skype interview has regretfully been cancelled. For more details, please follow this link.