Nikkatsu Actress Masako Izumi Passes Away at 77

Masako Izumi in February 2015. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Nikkatsu starlet Masako Izumi passed away on July 9 at 1:03 p.m. at her home after a battle with an undisclosed form of cancer. She was 77.

Ms. Izumi, who was born on July 31, 1947, began her acting career in 1958 and quickly became a star when she signed with Nikkatsu Studios in the early 1960s. At Nikkatsu, she starred in such films as Toshio Masuda's tragic World War II drama Monument to the Girls' Corps (1968), Seijun Suzuki's Tattooed Life (1965), and Kirio Urayama's Each Day I Cry (1963).

Masako Izumi holds a poster for her film The Bride Is 15 Years Old (1964) in February 2019. Photo by Brett Homenick.

I was fortunate enough to meet Ms. Izumi multiple times at various events between 2015 and 2023. You can tell by the photos accompanying this blog post that she was always fun to spend time with. Unlike many Japanese actresses who attain a certainly level of fame, she was about as easygoing and unpretentious as it gets. 

Masako Izumi under a poster for her film Thank You for the Tears (1965) in January 2016. Photo by Brett Homenick.

A very interesting story that Ms. Izumi once shared is that she was offered a part in the movie Sanjuro (1962) personally by Akira Kurosawa. However, she had just signed with Nikkatsu Studios at the time, so she couldn't join Kurosawa's production. The part she was offered ended up going to Toho actress Reiko Dan.

With Masako Izumi in June 2023.

Another fun story is that Ms. Izumi watched some of the monster scenes in Gappa the Triphibian Monster (1967) being filmed at Nikkatsu. It was her first time to see the production side of tokusatsu in person, so it left quite an impression on her.

With Masako Izumi in January 2016.

Aside from being a prolific Nikkatsu Studios actress during the 1960s, she turned her attention to becoming an adventurer in the 1980s, attempting to become the first woman to visit the North Pole on foot and sled in 1985.

Masako Izumi poses with a poster for Toshio Masuda's Monument to the Girls' Corps (1968) in June 2023. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Unfortunately, she was not able to complete her attempt, and another woman, Ann Bancroft (not the actress with the similar name), became the first in 1986. Undaunted, Ms. Izumi became only the second woman to travel to the North Pole in 1989.

Masako Izumi in January 2016. Photo by Brett Homenick.

According to NHK, Ms. Izumi fell in May of this year and was hospitalized in Tokyo. While recovering at home, her health suddenly declined, and she passed away. 

Ms. Izumi leaves behind an acting legacy few Japanese actresses of the Showa era can match. May she rest in peace.

An Evening with a 1960s Nikkatsu Starlet!

Masako Izumi. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Well, it had been a long time, but it was well worth the wait! Tonight (Saturday, June 10), I attended a special event with former Nikkatsu Studios actress Masako Izumi. The last time I met her was just before the pandemic, so it had been several years. But it was wonderful to see her again, and it felt like no time had passed at all.

Masako Izumi poses with a poster for Monument to the Girls' Corps. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Izumi-san (born in 1947) began her acting career in 1958 and quickly became a star when she signed with Nikkatsu Studios in the early 1960s. At Nikkatsu, she starred in such films as Toshio Masuda's tragic World War II drama Monument to the Girls' Corps (1968) and Seijun Suzuki's Tattooed Life (1965).

Masako Izumi. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Even after so long, she recognized me when she saw me and asked me how I'd been, which was a pleasant surprise. I can't say I always get recognized, and, given that nearly three and a half years had passed since we last met, you can never be sure. 

I was fortunate to sit across from Izumi-san during the dinner portion of the event, which made chatting with her easy. And chat we did! Izumi-san was full of energy and didn't let up the whole evening. I asked her about working with director Toru Murakawa on Monument to the Girls' Corps (on which he was an assistant director), as well as the time she was being considered for the role in Akira Kurosawa's Sanjuro (1962) but ultimately couldn't participate because she was signed to Nikkatsu. (The role eventually went to Reiko Dan.)

Izumi-san felt lucky to join Nikkatsu, as she liked the youth pictures they were producing. It was a good fit for her, so feels she ended up at the right studio. Still, I'm sure any actor would consider a role in a Kurosawa movie a plus for his or her resume. We also joked around about various random things, including her dislike of shochu, and it was all a lot of fun. Honestly, it was the most fun I've had at an event like this in a while. Izumi-san is truly something else!

When I left, I approached Izumi-san to let her know. She extended her hand to me, and we shook hands. She also said the Japanese equivalent of, "See you again." I certainly hope so. Tonight was a lot of fun, and I definitely want to do it all over again!

Nikkatsu in the Evening!

Masako Izumi. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Immediately after work tonight, I attended an event with former Nikkatsu actress Masako Izumi. If you've been following this blog for any length of time, you ought to recognize her by now. She's been doing events once a year in February for the last five years. I've attended each one.

Izumi-san began her acting career in 1958 and quickly became a star when she signed with Nikkatsu Studios in the early 1960s. At Nikkatsu, she starred in such films as Toshio Masuda's tragic World War II drama Monument to the Girls' Corps (1968) and Seijun Suzuki's Tattooed Life (1965). Naturally, she has many other roles to her credit.

She's always a lot of fun to hang out with. Occasionally, actresses can be a bit challenging to deal with, but not Izumi-san. She's one of the warmest and friendliest I've ever met. It was great to share some laughs with her and listen to her stories about some of the Nikkatsu directors she's worked with. It was a great way to spend an evening.

Nikkatsu Night with Actress Masako Izumi!

Masako Izumi: Then and now! Photo by Brett Homenick. 

Tonight, I attended a dinner event with former Nikkatsu star Masako Izumi. There's usually such an event with Izumi-san around this time of year, and I've been attending since 2015.

Izumi-san began her acting career in 1958 and quickly became a star when she signed with Nikkatsu Studios in the early 1960s. At Nikkatsu, she starred in such films as Toshio Masuda's tragic World War II drama Monument to the Girls' Corps (1968) and Seijun Suzuki's Tattooed Life (1965). Naturally, she has many other roles to her credit.

Izumi-san is always a lot of fun to hang out with. She is completely approachable and more than friendly with her fans. I look forward to attending the next one next year!

TOKYO BLACKOUT! Teruyoshi Nakano's Birthday Blowout Features a Screening of This Obscure Sci-Fi Flick!

Teruyoshi Nakano celebrates his 81st birthday. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

October 9, 2016, marked Teruyoshi Nakano's 81st birthday (despite the persistent misinformation in the West that his birthday falls on October 1), and on his birthday, many of Nakano-san's fans gathered to take in a screening of the rather obscure sci-fi epic Tokyo Blackout (1987). 

Model maker Takashi Naganuma discusses his work. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

Although it was directed by Toshio Masuda (The Last Days of Planet Earth) and based on a novel by Sakyo Komatsu (Submersion of Japan), the film remains little known outside Japan (and even within Japan!) among tokusatsu fan circles. It's not a bad film by any means, but it's a little slow and has a tendency to be a bit melodramatic. In any case, I enjoyed seeing it in 35mm. I doubt I'll ever have another chance to see it that way!

After the film, its SFX director (and the day's guest of honor) Teruyoshi Nakano discussed his work on the film, and model maker Takashi Naganuma also added his expertise to the proceedings.

After the Q&A session ended, we ate dinner with the guests, and then Nakano-san's birthday cake was brought out. As you'd expect, Nakano-san blew out the candles. No word on what he wished for.

An unexpected treat was a special showing of a TV interview from circa 1981, featuring Teruyoshi Nakano, Tomoyuki Tanaka, and Tsuburaya Productions' Koichi Takano. The trio discussed tokusatsu movies, and at one point Nakano-san was paired with an interesting Godzilla attraction suit that I've never seen before. (Eleking appeared alongside Takano-san for his scenes.) There was also some behind-the-scenes footage taken inside Tsuburaya Productions' office, and in the background was director Noriaki Yuasa, who was working on Ultraman 80. Very cool stuff!

All in all, it was a great day spent in great company. Let's do it again soon!

BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS CONTINUE! Catching Up with Another Old Friend!

Ulf Otsuki poses in front of some mini sakura. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Today I paid a visit to Ulf Otsuki's home and spent the day with him. Ulf is an actor who has appeared in numerous tokusatsu films and TV programs, including Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973) and, most recently, episode 17 of Kamen Rider Drive (2014-15). 

Ulf showed me one of his more obscure movie roles, that of a Russian military officer in Toshio Masuda's all-star war film 203 Kochi (1980), produced by Toei Studios. This was most certainly a highlight of the day!

Afterward, we enjoyed a great Italian dinner at a nearby restaurant. Suffice it to say, fun times were had by all. Plans for the future are being cooked up as I type this, so stay tuned for further developments!