Celebrating an American Classic with Three Tsuburaya Productions Legends!

Masao Nakabori. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Today (Sunday, March 17), I received a very kind invitation from former Tsuburaya Productions script supervisor Atsuko Tanaka to join a special event in Jimbocho. The topic of the event was a breakdown of the various film techniques used to create Citizen Kane (1941), hosted by Japanese cinematographer Masao Nakabori. 

What made this invitation special in particular is that she offered to meet me about 40 minutes before the start of the event so that we could spend some time together prior to the event. She also invited me to the after-party, which was even more generous of her. But, as it turned out, that wasn't all.

Atsuko Tanaka. Photo by Brett Homenick.

She told me that another Tsuburaya Productions script supervisor, Noriko Shishikura (a.k.a. Noriko Suzuki) would be joining her. Shishikura-san doesn't do many appearances at events in Japan, and I'm not aware of her appearing at any other gathering. Suffice it to say, it was a rare opportunity!

Miyanobu Inori. Photo by Brett Homenick.

First, let's take a closer look at the day's VIPs. Atsuko Tanaka is a former Tsuburaya Productions scripter (known these days as a script supervisor), who worked on Ultra Q (1966), Ultraman (1966-67), Ultra Seven (1967-68), The Space Giants (1966-67), and Kaiju Booska (1966-67). In fact, when I showed her my Kaiju Booska DVD sleeve for her to sign, she was quite amused by it.

With Noriko Shishikura.

Masao Nakabori is a cinematographer whose credits include Ultraman, Ultra Seven, Operation: Mystery! (1968-69), Silver Kamen (1971-72), and Ultraman Taro (1973-74). On the big screen, Mr. Nakabori frequently collaborated with director Akio Jissoji, including the films Tokyo: The Last Megalopolis (1988) and Ultra Q: The Movie (1990).

Noriko Shishikura (born in 1937) has worn many hats in the Japanese film and television industry, having worked at different times as a scripter, screenwriter, director, and a producer. She was formerly married to Ultra-series director Toshitsugu Suzuki.

Atsuko Tanaka signs a Kaiju Booska DVD sleeve. Photo by Brett Homenick.

As a scripter, Shishikura-san has worked on Ultra Q, Ultraman, Ultra Seven, Silver Kamen, Tokyo: The Last Megalopolis, and a bevy of Nikkatsu films from the 1960s, going as far back as 1961. After that, she directed Ultraman: Great Monster Decisive Battle (1979), which is essentially a clip show of previous Ultraman episodes with some new footage edited into it.

Noriko Shishikura signs an Ultraman DVD sleeve. Photo by Brett Homenick.

She also produced the Tsuburaya Productions TV series Star Wolf (1978), Nobuhiko Obayashi's Cute Devil (1982), Ultra Q: The Movie, and Ultraman Tiga (1996-97), though only with director Jissoji.

An even bigger surprise was meeting Miyanobu Inori, who worked on three Akira Kurosawa movies in the camera and electrical department. Inori-san had a few stories to share about his experiences. 

On Dreams (1990), the staff had to create realistic-looking cherry blossoms. Kurosawa was pleased with the results and gave about one bottle per six staff members of White Horse, Kurosawa's favorite whiskey, for a job well done.

For the scene depicted on the poster of Rhapsody in August (1991), Inori-san was personally involved in putting film lights under the water to create the desired effect. (I didn't realize one would even do such a thing!)

Kurosawa liked shooting from far away with a zoom lens. On Madadayo (1993), there was an open set in Gotemba for a scene that took place right after the war. As you might imagine, it's difficult to light a scene from far away. They used a spotlight, with which the actors were fine. But Kurosawa didn't like it because it was too shiny and didn't look realistic.

A lot to write about, but that only scratches the surface! I had a great time today, and I must thank Tanaka-san for the invitation. It was truly remarkable!

ULTRAMAN UNMASKED! Spending a Memorable Evening with the Superhero from M78!

Bin Furuya. Photo by Brett Homenick.

On Saturday, March 9, I attended another special event headlined by the original Ultraman suit actor Bin Furuya. Furuya-san got his start as a Toho New Face in 1960 alongside future Ultraman (1966-67) cast member Masanari Nihei. 

By the time I arrived, the first half of the event was already winding down. I brought a few items for Furuya-san to sign (two vintage Ultraman cards along with a vintage Ghidrah the Three-Headed Monster one), and luckily there was still time to get them signed. Afterward, we posed for pictures with Furuya-san.

Bin Furuya. Photo by Brett Homenick.

When that portion of the event wrapped, Furuya-san asked me to join him onstage (to the extent you could call the platform he was standing on a stage, I suppose) and asked me to say a few words to the gathered audience in Japanese, which I did my best to do. He then said a few words of his own, which, as you'd expect, were very heartfelt and generous.

After that, we moved on to the dinner event. Furuya-san sat down next to me early on and asked me about where I'd be living in California.

Bin Furuya. Photo by Brett Homenick.

We used the little dishes holding various food items to represent various cities, and I essentially made a map of California (and even Arizona and Nevada), using the dishes to mark the location of the cities, such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, Phoenix, Las Vegas, etc. I pointed out how far it would take to drive from my home to these particular places, which was something Furuya-san was particularly curious about.

One of the dishes contained radish, and, when my tablemate encouraged me to eat it, I said, "Daikon haiyu," which means "radish actor" in Japanese. A "radish actor" in Japan means a rather stiff performer, which got a laugh out of Furuya-san. (I certainly wasn't talking about him!)

Given that this was an event with Furuya-san, the topic of James Dean eventually came up. Furuya-san mentioned the film East of Eden (1955) in Japanese, so I mentioned how to pronounce Eden in English, which (naturally) is a bit different from the Japanese way. Furuya-san seemed interested to learn the English pronunciation and repeated it a few times during the evening.

While we were sitting next to each other, Furuya-san took out his phone and asked the person sitting across from us to take our photo. I've said it countless times before, but it's always a blast when one of the guests at events like this wants to get a photo with you.

During the evening, Furuya-san mentioned the sheer number of actors I've met throughout the years and how many autographs I've gotten. He seemed quite impressed, especially with some of the rarer folks who don't usually do events. Well, it's a lot of fun!

We also spent a little bit of time talking about Furuya-san's days as a New Face at Toho and some of his early roles at the studio. Of course, he doesn't remember much about some of his more obscure appearances, like Gorath (1962), very well. Then again, he was essentially an extra during that time, so what would there be to say after all these years?

We also reminisced about the time Furuya-san visited Gifu Prefecture in 2013. Someone at the table asked me if that was the first time I met Furuya-san, but it certainly wasn't. By that time, I'd traveled halfway across the world with him!

At the end of the evening, Furuya-san asked me to stand up and again addressed the audience with me next to him (though, technically speaking, I was positioned in front of him this time). Suffice it to say, it was a great evening with a great gentleman, whom I hope to visit again very soon.

ULTRAMAN FLIES AGAIN! Another Fun Evening with the Superhero from M78!

Bin Furuya. Photo by Brett Homenick.

 

Last night (Saturday, February 17), I attended another event with Ultraman suit actor Bin Furuya. I arrived late due to my work schedule, and by the time I arrived the festivities were already winding down. Luckily, I was able to attend the after-party that started immediately thereafter. 

When Furuya-san arrived at the izakaya for the after-party, he asked me to stand up and proceeded to tell the folks in attendance about my March plans. He also shared a story about going to a restaurant in Chicago with Akira Takarada and me, recalling how much I ate and drank there. Well, it was a fun memory for me, too!

Furuya-san sat with my table two separate times during the evening, during which he was seated directly next to me. We talked about his interest in James Dean, the movie Shane (1953), and Japanese pro wrestler Rikidozan. There was also a fascinating talk about some of his recent signing events. 

Funnily enough, Furuya-san  recalled the time he called me on my cell phone when I happened to be on a date with a girl in December 2021. I guess he thought things were a lot more serious between her and me than they actually were! (But, hey, who could blame him?)

It was also pretty fun to hear Furuya-san use more English words. I'd actually never heard him use so many before. It was quite fascinating to hear due to the fact that it's rather rare in my experience.

Furuya-san was also great about putting his arm around your shoulder or making physical contact in some other way. After all, who wouldn't want to get that kind of affirmation from Ultraman himself?

Suffice it to say, it was another fun evening with the man from M78. Of course, my interest in Furuya-san is as much rooted in his early Toho roles as it is with his more impressive turns at Tsuburaya Productions, but I'll happily take both. Many thanks to Furuya-san for another great evening!

All the World's a Stage ... Even in Japan!

Hiroyasu Yamaura. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Yesterday (Monday, February 12), I attended a special performance written by and co-starring Hiroyasu Yamaura. It'd been quite a while since Yamaura-san's last performance, so it was a wonderful opportunity to visit with him again.

Hiroyasu Yamaura. Photo by Brett Homenick

The play's title could be translated as "Counseling Macbeth and His Wife," which, I'm sure you can guess, is based on the Shakespeare play. In this version, King Macbeth and Lady Macbeth visit a psychosomatic clinic to deal with their various issues.

Hiroyasu Yamaura. Photo by Brett Homenick

In a funny twist, the counselor was played by Yamaura-san himself. It's always a lot of fun seeing Yamaura-san act in the plays he writes, and this time he's basically onstage the whole time.

Hiroyasu Yamaura. Photo by Brett Homenick

The staging was quite intriguing. The actors were always facing the audience, yet they were supposed to be speaking face to face. Obviously, you can't have an actor with his or her back to the audience when delivering lines, so I thought this was a clever workaround. So long as you bring your suspension of disbelief, it's not that distracting.

When I entered the venue, Yamaura-san, who was already seated onstage from which he would perform, got up and approached me to shake my hand. Naturally, when he offered me his hand, I stood up to shake it I'd already told Yamaura-san about my plans for March. Since the show was still being set up at the time, he didn't have much time to chat, but thankfully there would be ample time afterward.

Yamaura-san ended his performance by quoting Shakespeare's famous line, "All the world's a stage," in Japanese. After the show, Yamaura-san asked me how to say the line in English, which I told him. 

I asked Yamaura-san to sign some postcards from the Godzilla Store with a lobby card design. He was a bit curious and asked me about them. He was surprised to see that they were just postcards and to hear how cheap they were. They certainly do look impressive!

Yamaura-san informed me of the sad reason he took a break from doing these shows, which was depressing to hear. But he pointed out that he still has many friends in his social circle and that writing still gives him purpose. I was overjoyed to see Yamaura-san doing well and doing what he loves.

Many thanks to Yamaura-san for spending those precious moments with me after the performance!

Kicking Off the New Year with Ultraman!

Bin Furuya. Photo by Brett Homenick.

On the evening of Saturday, January 20, I attended an event hosted by Ultraman himself, Bin Furuya. Due to my work schedule (how often have you heard me say that?), I arrived late. When I arrived at the first venue, Furuya-san was sitting with some event staff members at a table while the rest of the attendees were in a screening room, watching a video.

When I arrived, Furuya-san greeted me in English, which I've rarely heard him do over the years. I sat with Furuya-san for a few minutes at his table before the video ended, and the audience came back out. He even kindly bought me a sports drink from a nearby vending machine during that time -- how cool is that?!

After the first event wrapped, many of the attendees headed out to an izakaya for an after-party. Furuya-san, of course, came, too, and he was happy to mix and mingle with the attendees. The photos above and below will attest to that.

Despite the cold and dreary weather (there were some predictions it would snow, but thankfully it just rained), it was well worth attending, and I hope to do it again soon!

Ultraman Jack Celebrates the Year That Was 2023!

Kaiju Sakaba in Shimbashi. Photo by Brett Homenick.

 

Last night (Friday, December 22), I attended another end-of-the-year party, but this time it was at Kaiju Sakaba near Shimbashi Station. It'd been a long time since I last went to Kaiju Sakaba, which made it a bit more special as a location. 

Photo by Brett Homenick.

I'd forgotten about the Roman Holiday-inspired Jamila display that lights up and roars when you put your hand in it. It's something the staff basically forces you to put your hand in before you enter. 

Gomora is ready to party! Photo by Brett Homenick.

The guest of honor was suit actor Eiichi Kikuchi. Kikuchi-san is principally known as Ultraman Jack's suit actor in Return of Ultraman (1971-72). He also donned the Ultra Seven suit in Ultra Seven (1967-68) for two episodes (14 and 15) and tussles with Sean Connery in the classic James Bond thriller You Only Live Twice (1967).

Photo by Brett Homenick.

It was a lot of fun to see Kikuchi-san again. His clothing style that evening suggested that of a cowboy. In fact, he was wearing a belt buckle that read something along the lines of, "In Dixie, we don't call 911." I asked Kikuchi-san where he bought his belt, and, interestingly enough, he said he got it in Japan!

Eiichi Kikuchi and an old friend. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Underneath his flannel shirt, however, was a T-shirt he wore in honor of Jiro Dan, the late actor who played Hideki Go, Ultraman Jack's human alter ego in Return of Ultraman, who passed away in March of this year. 

Photo by Brett Homenick.

Here are some memories from the evening: At one point during the evening, I made the Specium Ray pose, but Kikuchi-san corrected the position of my arms, pointing out that it would have obscured the Color Timer. Well, folks, that's why he's Ultraman!

Photo by Brett Homenick.

Another fun memory was when Kikuchi-san (whom I had the privilege of sitting almost directly across from during the evening) was coming back to his seat. He put his hand on my shoulder as he passed my chair, which was a lovely thing for him to do. 

Photo by Brett Homenick.

Also on hand was former Toho SFX crew member and tokusatsu book author Masahiko Shiraishi, who worked primarily on the Heisei series, starting with Godzilla vs. Biollante (1989) and culminating with Godzilla: Final Wars (2004). 

It'd been a while since I last saw Shiraishi-san, and our conversation covered such topics as MGM musicals (Shiraishi-san loves them!) and Fred Astaire movies (he loves those, too!). 

During the evening, I asked Shiraishi-san if he considers Chofu (the home of Daiei and Nikkatsu) or Seijo (the home of Toho) to be Japan's equivalent of Hollywood. He selected neither of those options and went with Kyoto instead. A very fascinating and unexpected answer! I hadn't considered Kyoto a possibility before, but, at least in the context of its Showa-era heyday, it ought to be in the running.

Masahiko Shiraishi. Photo by Brett Homenick.

There were other familiar faces on hand, such as Yutaka Arai, who has worked as an SFX director on independent kaiju eiga. It was great to say hello to several folks I hadn't seen in a while.

What a wonderful end-of-the-year celebration this was. Everyone was in the holiday spirit and had a fun time. I'm glad I went and, as always, can't wait to do it again!

Paying Respects to the Actor Behind 'Ultraman's' Ito

A young mangaka, Akiko Fukushima, and Bin Furuya. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Yesterday (Thursday, November 23), I was able to join a unique event held in Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture, celebrating the life of the actor Masanari Nihei. Billed as a "garden party," this event was actually held at Nihei-san's home where his family still lives. It was an incredible opportunity and one I couldn't pass up.

Akiko Fukushima with a shikishi board featuring a drawing of her late husband. Photo by Brett Homenick.

For those of you not in the know, Nihei-san got his big break in 1966 when Ultraman (1966-67) was launched on Japanese television. Playing Science Patrol member Ito (Ide in the Japanese version), he would ultimately become one of the most recognizable characters in the Ultra-franchise.

With Bin Furuya.

After arriving at Kamakura Station, I took a taxi directly to the Nihei home. The taxi ride was a bit longer than I expected, and the route back to the station was -- shall we say -- a bit less than clear to me. Thankfully, though, I left the event with the group, so I could find my way back with no issues whatsoever.

On hand for the festivities were his widow Akiko Fukushima and one of their two daughters, Kazuka. Fukushima-san, a professional photographer, married Nihei-san in 1972, and they stayed married until his passing on August 21, 2021. The pair prepared and served food and drinks to the guests in backyard of their home.

The view of the Pacific Ocean from a point near the Nihei home. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Bin Furuya, the legendary suit actor who portrayed the original Ultraman, as well as Amagi in the follow-up series Ultra Seven (1967-68), was the guest of honor. He was a fellow Toho New Face with Nihei-san in the same class. So, suffice it to say, their history together dates back much further than Ultraman. 

Another view of the Pacific Ocean with Mount Fuji in the distance. Photo by Brett Homenick.

A young female mangaka was in attendance, and she gave Nihei-san's widow a wonderful drawing of her late husband on a shikishi board (which you can see in photo that's second from the top of this blog post). 

Bin Furuya studies a toy of his alter ego. Photo by Brett Homenick.

As the event was winding down, our group headed to the nearby cemetery to pay our respects to Nihei-san at his grave. While there, we were mesmerized by the view of the ocean from a particular viewing spot from which you could also see Mount Fuji in the distance. What a sight it was!

I took a lot of photos at the garden party, so I'll just let them speak for themselves. There's really not much else to say -- we were there to hang out and have fun. 

I guess I should add that we all got a souvenir for attending -- a commemorative mini poster (about a fraction of the size of an average sheet of paper) on glossy stock with the aforementioned mangaka's rendering of Nihei-san and Furura-san on it, signed by Furuya-san himself. It's quite a cool keepsake!