Kaiju Eiga Secrets Revealed in New Q&A on Vantage Point Interviews!

Yoshio Suzuki in March 2024. Photo by Brett Homenick.

A new vintage account is now available on Vantage Point Interviews -- this time with Yoshio Suzuki, one of the five original suitmakers for the original Godzilla (1954). For the first time in English, Mr. Suzuki recounts his career at both Toho and Tsuburaya Productions, covering everything from the first two Godzilla movies to the enigmatic North Korean kaiju epic Pulgasari (1985).

It's all here in this brand-new Q&A from Vantage Point Interviews!

Eizo Yamagiwa, Director of Various Ultra-Shows, Passes Away at 92

Eizo Yamagiwa in July 2022. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Longtime Ultra-series director Eizo Yamagiwa passed away on November 28 at a Tokyo hospital from sepsis due to old age. A private funeral has already been held. He was 92. 

Born on July 22, 1932, Eizo Yamagiwa began his career in the film industry at Shintoho in the mid-1950s as an assistant director. During his time at the studio, he worked on the seventh entry in the Starman film series, Super Giant: The Space Mutant Appears (1958), which was one of the three Starman features that was eventually edited into the American release Evil Brain from Outer Space. 

Ultra-series alumni Shozo Uehara (left), Toshihiro Iijima (center), and Eizo Yamagiwa enjoy a chat in March 2016. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Yamagiwa-san also worked as an assistant director under Teruo Ishii at Shintoho before launching his career as a director of film and television. At Tsuburaya Productions, Yamagiwa-san directed episodes 15, 16, 17, 22, 23, 28, 29, 34, and 35 of Return of Ultraman (1971-72), episodes 3, 4, 9, 10, 15, 16, 21, 22, 28, 29, 38, and 39 of Ultraman Ace (1972-73), episodes 1, 2, 3, 10, 11, 14, 20, 21, 24, 25, 39, 40, 47, 48 (as well as episode 28 as special effects director) of Ultraman Taro (1973-74), and episodes 50 and 51 of Ultraman Leo (1974-75).

Mitsuhiro Sano, Keiji Takamine, Eizo Yamagiwa, and Shigemitsu Taguchi gather at an Ultraman Ace reunion in February 2019. Photo by Brett Homenick.

He also helmed episodes 3, 4, 14, and 15 of Silver Kamen (1971-72), episode 4 of Horror Theater Unbalance (1973), episodes 11 and 13 (as well as episode 11 as co-scriptwriter with Ei Ogawa) of Jekyll and Hyde (1973), and episodes 8, 9, 16, and 17 of the Submersion of Japan TV series (1974-75).

I first met Yamagiwa-san in March 2016 at a book-launch party for an Ultra Q (1966) tome. There were numerous luminaries in attendance from the world of tokusatsu, and Yamagiwa-san was among them. Even though I didn't know who he was at the time, Yamagiwa-san seemed surprised that an American was at the event, so he approached me. He gave me his business card, and, bowled over that he would come up and introduce himself to me, I asked that we take a picture together. Of course, it didn't take long for me to become familiar with Yamagiwa-san's work.

Eizo Yamagiwa in February 2019. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Over the years, we met several times at events and a couple of times on a personal level. In fact, a month after we first met, we went to a Chinese restaurant in Shibuya together and ate dinner. At that dinner, Yamagiwa-san signed and gave me a book about Return of Ultraman in which he participated as an interviewee. We also talked about various movies from around the world we enjoyed. One title I recall that Yamagiwa-san cited was 8 1/2 (1963). However, when I mentioned Ed Wood (1994), another movie about moviemaking, he wasn't familiar with it, which was to be expected.

Shigemitsu Taguchi (left), Eizo Yamagiwa (center), and Akihiko Iguchi gather to discuss their work on the '70s Ultra-series in November 2016. Photo by Brett Homenick.

As Yamagiwa-san got older, however, it became more and more difficult to meet up. I'd still catch him at an event here and there, but, when I would call him, we couldn't seem to get our schedules to match.

Eizo Yamagiwa interviewed at his home in November 2020. Photo by Brett Homenick.

In 2020, I began doing interviews again in a big way, and I was pleased that Yamagiwa-san agreed to do one with me. In fact, in the beginning, he wasn't sure he would participate at all. I guess he felt he'd given enough interviews on his work in the Ultra-series and wasn't too keen on doing any more. So he wanted to see a sample of the questions I wanted to ask before accepting.

With Eizo Yamagiwa in June 2018.

My translator mailed him the translated version of my questions, which covered a wide variety of topics, including his early life and his work at Shintoho, with the Starman series. It was apparently enough to get him to agree to the interview, as we conducted it just a few weeks later.

Eizo Yamagiwa next to his bookshelf in November 2020. Photo by Brett Homenick.

We did the interview at Yamagiwa-san's home in Eifuku. It was a fascinating history, and I'm very glad he shared it with me. I was especially interested in hearing about his work on the Starman series. In fact, after the interview, I told Yamagiwa-san how I first saw clips of the Starman movies on the old Muppet Babies cartoon show in America. I wanted to point out how the Starman movies became part of American pop culture in surprising ways. His reaction? I'll do my best at an exact quote from memory: "If that had been Japan, I would have tried to sue them." I guess my anecdote didn't go over very well.

Ultra-series veterans Susumu Kurobe (left), Mitsuko Hoshi (center), and Eizo Yamagiwa share the stage in June 2018. Photo by Brett Homenick.

My other memory from the interview is that Yamagiwa-san wanted his photo taken next to his bookshelf so that people could see his collection. I guess he was quite proud of it!

I last saw Yamagiwa-san at an event in July 2022. It was great to see him again there, and I finally was able to get him to sign something Starman-related. I had a DVD sleeve made from cardstock from an old Mill Creek 50-movie pack that included Evil Brain from Outer Space. I brought it for Yamagiwa-san to sign, and I told him it was the U.S. version of the Starman movie he worked on. I remember he did a great job of reading the U.S. title out loud from the DVD sleeve, which was fun to see.

After the event, I bumped into him again by chance as he was getting into a taxi as he was leaving. I said goodbye to him again as he entered the vehicle to go home. Little did I know I'd never see him in person again.

With Eizo Yamagiwa in November 2020.

To the best of my memory, I called him in May 2023, asking to meet up. He told me he was too old, so he had to decline my request. When I knew I was leaving Japan, I asked a mutual friend to try to arrange a meeting, hoping he would have better luck, but that didn't work, either. I wish I could have met him again before I left.

With Eizo Yamagiwa in July 2022.

Rest in peace, director. Your legacy in film lives on.

A Visit with One of Tokusatsu's Greatest Art Directors!

Yoshio Suzuki. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Today (Sunday, March 24), I was privileged to meet art director Yoshio Suzuki, a veteran of Godzilla (1954) and numerous other Toho and Tsuburaya Productions works. Suzuki-san was one of the members of the modeling staff who worked on the original Godzilla suit, so to say that he is a living cinematic legend would be the understatement of the year.

Yoshio Suzuki signs a Godzilla (1954) mini poster. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Suzuki-san brought quite a few fascinating items with him. The most interesting thing had to be the photobook with various Mighty Peking Man (1977) stills in it, most likely taken by official Shaw Brothers photographers. I'd never seen any of those photos published anywhere before, so it was a rare glimpse into the history of that particular Hong Kong production.

Suzuki-san's wife Mitsuyo was also on hand for the meeting, and she was quite lovely. Suzuki-san was interested in seeing the photos of Pulgasari that I showed him on my phone again, so I arranged to send the photos to Mitsuyo-san before leaving. Mitsuyo-san also snapped a few photos of me on her phone when I was talking to her husband.

Suzuki-san was very lively and energetic for our two-hour-plus get-together. Would you believe he turns 90 next year? I wouldn't! Then again, on the way to our meeting room, we passed a friend of the Suzukis who was singing karaoke in the rec room of the building. That friend is 99 years old. The 100-year life is truly a reality in Japan.

A big thanks to the Suzukis for making this afternoon one to remember. 

Welcoming the New Year with a Toei Icon!

Mariko Matsuoka. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Yesterday evening (Sunday, January 21), I was invited to join a gathering that was both a New Year's party as well as a get-together with friends. I was invited by actress Mariko Matsuoka, about whom I've blogged a few times since last year. Overall, I was at the event for about three hours.

For some background, Mariko Matsuoka plays android girl Carolyn in episode 24 of Ultraman Leo (1974-75), Ritsuko Okamura in Kamen Rider Amazon (1974-75), Misaki Minekawa in episode 29 of Akumaizer 3 (1975-76), episode 32 of UFO Great War Fight! Red Tiger (1978), and Jun in episode 37 of Kyoryu Sentai Koseidon (1978-79). She also appears in the Fumio Ishimori-penned Shochiku film Frozen River (1976) as Harumi Hayata.

Mariko Matsuoka sings karaoke. Photo by Brett Homenick.

We met at a restaurant in Toranomon and had a Japanese course meal. While there, I had the chance to pick her brain and find out some more details about her. Matsuoka-san told me that her favorite movies are Field of Dreams (1989) and Singin' in the Rain (1952). 

Because Matsuoka-san's English skills are superior to those of most Japanese I know, I asked her how she learned the language. Surprisingly, she said that she learned English in high school. Additionally, in junior high school, she had a conversation class where she read books like Gulliver`s Travels and Peter Rabbit. She was living in Setagaya Ward at the time.

Matsuoka-san was curious about how I taught English, so I did a demo class with her in which she read a news story in fairly simple language. She thought it was too difficult for her level, but I explained that she would get better over time practicing it like that with a teacher.

At one point, the conversation turned to Shintoism and all the gods in it. Someone mentioned Greek gods, which prompted me to bring up Roman mythology and Hercules. Matsuoka-san that she liked Hercules movies as a kid. But, when I showed her a picture of Steve Reeves, she didn't seem to recognize him, so it's possible she was thinking of something else. A bit later, she mentioned Ben-Hur (1959) as another movie she enjoyed.

When talking about music, she mentioned that she loves Simon & Garfunkel and Nat King Cole.

The owner had a few fun props and assorted items on hand (like a toy gun, a toy katana, etc.), and, due to all the talk about tokusatsu, he brought out a toy Ultra Eye from Ultra Seven (1967-68). he said I look like Moritsugu with the Ultra Eye. When I put it on, Matsuoka-san commented that I looked like Koji Moritsugu, who played Dan Moroboshi in the series. I'll take it!

Matsuoka-san also sang a few karaoke songs during the evening, which was quite fun to hear.

Because Matsuoka-san and I live just one train station apart, we left and rode the trains back together. While riding the trains, she told me about the time she performed in the Soviet Union. She didn't remember exactly when it was, but it was before she was on Kamen Rider Amazon. She went there for about a month and a half for singing engagements, not acting.

She traveled the country via all kinds of transportation modes, including airplanes. The pilots were military, so the way they flew was rough, according to Matsuoka-san, and it was scary to be on those planes. It was also very cold there, and, when she traveled by train, she mostly just saw snow fields. At one point, it was around -40 degrees Celsius. Fascinating stuff! I'd love to hear more sometime!

Two Tsuburaya Pro Veterans Perform Onstage!

Hiroshi Chiba and Mariko Matsuoka perform onstage. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Earlier tonight (Friday, November 10), I attended another live performance by Hiroshi Chiba and Mariko Matsuoka. Chiba-san came all the way from Fukuoka for the event, so you could imagine he gave it his all!

Mariko Matsuoka. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Mariko Matsuoka plays android girl Carolyn in episode 24 of Ultraman Leo (1974-75), Ritsuko Okamura in Kamen Rider Amazon (1974-75), Misaki Minekawa in episode 29 of Akumaizer 3 (1975-76), episode 32 of UFO Great War Fight! Red Tiger (1978), and Jun in episode 37 of Kyoryu Sentai Koseidon (1978-79). She also appears in the Fumio Ishimori-penned Shochiku film Frozen River (1976) as Harumi Hayata.

I was able to spend more time with Matsuoka-san after the show than with Chiba-san. Matsuoka-san mentioned again that we should go to a particular pizza restaurant near where she and I live, so hopefully we can do that soon. I'm waiting patiently for it!

With Mariko Matsuoka.

Chiba-san (under the stage name Masahiro Oyake) played Pigmon as a suit actor in episode 37 of Ultraman (1966-67). He also appears in human form in episode 36 of the same series. In the movies, he played the main character Tetsugoro (who was performed by Hideki Takahashi) as a boy in the Nikkatsu actioner Family Crest: Man against Death (1969). 

Another role of his is in Tsugunobu Kotani's film F2 Grand Prix (1984), starring Ken Tanaka and Katsuhiko Sasaki. Chiba-san also played Yasohachi Yamagishi in a series of Nikkatsu films based on the risque Go Nagai manga called Harenchi Gakuen ("Shameless School"), namely: Harenchi Gakuen: Shintai Kensa no Maki (1970), Harenchi Gakuen: Tackle Kiss no Maki (1970), and Shin Harenchi Gakuen (1971).

With Hiroshi Chiba.

Due to my work schedule, I came in late. When I entered the venue, Matsuoka-san was performing onstage, and Chiba-san was in the audience. Chiba-san greeted me as I entered. When it was over, Chiba-san asked me if I enjoyed myself, which I did, particularly the part of the show that focused on West Side Story. As I was leaving, Chiba-san thanked me for coming.

And that's a wrap! 

Actor Hiroshi Chiba Turns 67 in Style in Roppongi!

Hiroshi Chiba. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Today (Sunday, September 10) I had the privilege of attending actor Hiroshi Chiba's 67th birthday event at the piano bar MyScotch in Roppongi. Of course, the actor won't actually turn 67 until his birthday, which will take place on September 19.

Hiroshi Chiba on the guitar! Photo by Brett Homenick.

This was my first time meeting Chiba-san, so I was quite excited. When I showed up, I was surprised to see actress Mariko Matsuoka there. It turns out that she's been friends with Chiba-san for a long time. When I walked in, Matsuoka-san waved to me and beckoned me over to her table, at which she offered me a seat.

Hiroshi Chiba blows out his birthday cake. Photo by Brett Homenick.

I also greeted Chiba-san, who was just getting ready to start, when I came in. Matsuoka-san asked him if we knew each other, to which Chiba-san replied that we had only communicated via social media when I made my reservation.

Actors Hiroshi Chiba and Mariko Matsuoka. Photo by Brett Homenick.

But just who is Hiroshi Chiba? Well, Chiba-san (under the stage name Masahiro Oyake) played Pigmon as a suit actor in episode 37 of Ultraman (1966-67). He also appears in human form in episode 36 of the same series. In the movies, he played the main character Tetsugoro (who was performed by Hideki Takahashi) as a boy in the Nikkatsu actioner Family Crest: Man against Death (1969). Another role of his is in Tsugunobu Kotani's film F2 Grand Prix (1984), starring Ken Tanaka and Katsuhiko Sasaki.

Mariko Matsuoka. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Chiba-san also played Yasohachi Yamagishi in a series of Nikkatsu films based on the risque Go Nagai manga called Harenchi Gakuen ("Shameless School"), namely: Harenchi Gakuen: Shintai Kensa no Maki (1970), Harenchi Gakuen: Tackle Kiss no Maki (1970), and Shin Harenchi Gakuen (1971). 

His best-known role (in Japan, at least) would have to be his appearances as a regular on the massively popular TV series G-Men '75 (1975-82), playing Detective Akio Taguchi from 1979 through 1981.

Mariko Matsuoka plays android girl Carolyn in episode 24 of Ultraman Leo (1974-75), Ritsuko Okamura in Kamen Rider Amazon (1974-75), Misaki Minekawa in episode 29 of Akumaizer 3 (1975-76), episode 32 of UFO Great War Fight! Red Tiger (1978), and Jun in episode 37 of Kyoryu Sentai Koseidon (1978-79). She also appears in the Fumio Ishimori-penned Shochiku film Frozen River (1976) as Harumi Hayata.

Hiroshi Chiba on the piano. Photo by Brett Homenick.

As you could imagine, it was a lot of fun being seated next to Matsuoka-san for the event. We chatted in between the songs that Chiba-san performed. We live very close to each other, so hopefully we'll get together soon. We discussed grabbing dinner in the near future, so let's hope it happens soon.

After the show wrapped, Matsuoka-san brought me over to Chiba-san for a formal introduction. We had a brief chat -- as you could imagine, Chiba-san was swamped by admirers -- and I didn't want to take up too much of his time. But it was great to get a proper introduction by a close friend of his.

After that, Matsuoka-san escorted me to the elevator to see me off. We again talked about getting together soon. What a fun and lively time! Many thanks to Chiba-san and especially Matsuoka-san for making it one for the history books!

A Kamen Rider Series Actress Celebrates Her Birthday in Style!

Mariko Matsuoka. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Earlier today (Sunday, June 25), I attended a special birthday event for actress Mariko Matsuoka. I met Matsuoka-san for the first time a couple of months ago, and after I had the chance to get to know her a bit at that time, I was looking forward to my chance to see her again. Today was that opportunity.

And it actually is her birthday today, which made the occasion extra special. The event was divided into two parts: The first part were manzai-style comedy routines that were read directly from a script. Although several were performed, the one that stuck out to me the most was the one where Matsuoka-san played an old woman who had her credit card information stolen but got easily distracted when talking on the phone with the investigator who was trying to look into her situation. 

Mariko Matsuoka with her birthday cake. Photo by Brett Homenick.

The second half of the event focused entirely on signing. It wasn't just Matsuoka-san who sang, however. Two other female vocalists also performed songs. A live pianist was on hand to provide musical accompaniment.

Now make a wish! Photo by Brett Homenick.

Mariko Matsuoka plays android girl Carolyn in episode 24 of Ultraman Leo (1974-75), Ritsuko Okamura in Kamen Rider Amazon (1974-75), Misaki Minekawa in episode 29 of Akumaizer 3 (1975-76), episode 32 of UFO Great War Fight! Red Tiger (1978), and Jun in episode 37 of Kyoryu Sentai Koseidon (1978-79). She also appears in the Fumio Ishimori-penned Shochiku film Frozen River (1976) as Harumi Hayata.

When chatting with Matsuoka-san after the show, I found out that she happens to live in my general area. That was a surprise! I'd love to meet up with her a lot closer to home sometime. Let's hope it happens.

Happy birthday, Matsuoka-san!

An Evening with One of Tokusatsu's Most Prolific Scriptwriters!

Shigemitsu Taguchi with a LaserDisc of the anime feature The Wonderful Adventures of Nils (1982). Photo by Brett Homenick.

Earlier today, I attended a special event headlined by tokusatsu scriptwriter Shigemitsu Taguchi. I've met Taguchi-san many times over the year, but, since the pandemic, my chances to see him have been few and far between. I had a chance to meet him last December, but our talk was much shorter than I'd hoped. So this was a great opportunity to spend more time with him.

Among other series, Taguchi-san has written for Return of Ultraman (1971-72), Mirrorman (1971-72), Ultraman Ace (1972-73), Jumborg Ace (1973), Ultraman Taro (1973-74), and Ultraman Leo (1974-75). Of course, he has written for many other TV programs, including anime, but his tokusatsu connections are extensive.

Shigemitsu Taguchi. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Taguchi-san, as always, was a lot of fun to see. At first, I asked him about his adorable dog Stella, but of course I wanted to ask him about various tokusatsu topics. He hasn't seen Shin Ultraman (2022) or even Shin Godzilla (2016). He described director Eizo Yamagiwa as a "gentleman," and, when I asked him about the strictest director at Tsuburaya Productions, he talked about the detailed shots that Akio Jissoji would set up and how Jissoji liked doing close-ups. He also greatly admires the kaiju designs of Tohl Narita. Moreover, Taguchi-san was worried because I wasn't eating, so he offered me some of his pasta. It was very kind of him, but I just wasn't hungry!

Taguchi-san was a bit surprised to see me at the event and asked how I found out about it. Of course, I keep my eyes peeled for any event with cool guests, even if the event itself doesn't have a tokusatsu theme. So, when I saw that Taguchi-san would be attending, that was good enough for me. He then asked me if I took the train to attend, which of course I did. 

Taguchi-san, on the other hand, explained that a driver would be taking him home -- very lucky! I also told Taguchi-san about my neighborhood, but, right after that, the event wrapped. It was great to visit Taguchi-san again, who is also very much a gentleman.

A New Interview About Classic Tokusatsu on Vantage Point Interviews!

With Minoru Kujirai in November 2021.

My interview with animator Minoru Kujirai has just been posted on Vantage Point Interviews. In the interview, Mr. Kujirai discusses working for Toei Animation in the mid-1960s, on which he worked on the animated series King Kong (1967). From there, Mr. Kujirai would briefly work on a few Toei tokusatsu series, including the original Kamen Rider (1971-73), but it would be his work at Tsuburaya Productions throughout the 1970s, including the Ultraman series, that would define his tokusatsu career. Read all about it on Vantage Point Interviews where content is king!

Lunch with an Animation Legend!

Minoru Kujirai. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Today, I enjoyed a pleasant lunch with animator and tokusatsu veteran Minoru Kujirai, whose career in animation and tokusatsu is quite impressive. He worked on tokusatsu projects for Toho, Toei, Tsuburaya Productions, and beyond.

It was my first time to visit with Kujirai-san since the pandemic, so it had been quite a while. Hopefully, we can do it again much sooner!

Eizo Yamagiwa Q&A Now Up at Vantage Point Interviews!

With Eizo Yamagiwa.

Another brand-new interview is now live at Vantage Point Interviews: my November 2020 Q&A with Tsuburaya Productions director Eizo Yamagiwa. Yamagiwa-san discusses his early life during World War II, as well as his start at Shintoho in the mid-1950s. At Shintoho, he worked on the seventh Starman actioner Super Giant: The Space Mutant Appears (1958), which was later edited into the cult classic Evil Brain from Outer Space.

At the end of the 1960s, Yamagiwa-san joined Tsuburaya Productions as a director, helming such TV programs as Return of Ultraman (1971-72), Ultraman Ace (1972-73), Ultraman Taro (1973-74), and Ultraman Leo (1974-75), among others. He also directed episodes of Silver Kamen (1971-72) and the Submersion of Japan TV series (1974-75). Yamagiwa-san discusses these productions and much more in our interview. 

With such incredible, in-depth interviews, Vantage Point Interviews continues to prove that content is king!

An Ultra-Afternoon with an Ultra-Director!

Eizo Yamagiwa in his home. Photo by Brett Homenick.

I had the distinct privilege today of conducting a lengthy interview with Ultra-series director Eizo Yamagiwa in his home. We covered a variety of topics -- not just on his work on the '70s Ultra-series, but also going back to working at Shintoho in the 1950s. We covered all that and much more.

It was a very enlightening interview with one of the most accomplished directors in TV tokusatsu history.  I'm very excited to share it on Vantage Point Interviews in the near future.