Out and About in Ginza!

The Hattori Clock Tower stands atop the Wako Department Store, a notable location featured in the original Godzilla (1954). Photo by Brett Homenick.

I spent the evening in Ginza tonight, so I had the opportunity to check out a few sights. Here's what I saw. Enjoy!

Seeing the lovely and talented Grace Mike perform at a Ginza nightclub.

Could that be King Kong monkeying around in Ginza? Photo by Brett Homenick.

Or maybe it's Queen Quong! Photo by Brett Homenick.

Ultraman Flies into Ginza!

A familiar location to fans of tokusatsu. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Yesterday (Sunday, April 23), I went to Ginza to attend an event hosted by Bin Furuya. Entitled "Ultra Live Concert," the event was mostly a performance of tokusatsu music. A five-member band played mostly electronic renditions of well-known tunes from the Toho and Tsuburaya Productions world.

Bin Furuya addresses the audience. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Naturally, recordings of the performances weren't allowed. I'd say the most authentic-sounding rendition was that of the Ultra Q (1966) theme. It was basically spot-on. The other music was obviously well performed, but it wasn't like hearing an orchestral rendition of it. Many cues from Ultra Q, Ultraman (1966-67), and Ultra Seven (1967-68) were performed, as were marches and other tracks from King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962), Ghidrah the Three-Headed Monster (1964), Monster Zero (1965), and The War of the Gargantuas (1966), all of which feature Furuya-san in small roles. 

Bin Furuya. Photo by Brett Homenick.

In between sets, Furuya-san held a Q&A during which he talked about some of his more recent outings. The event also served as an early 80th birthday celebration (at least it was billed that way -- he doesn't turn 80 until July 5), and Furuya-san shared his thoughts about turning 80. He asked the audience if there was anyone who was also 80, and I'm sure you can guess the answer.

He also shared some behind-the-scenes info about developing the fighting style of Ultraman, such as incorporating the karate chops of famed Korean-born Japanese wrestling star Rikidozan. During one amusing moment, Furuya-san noticed the lack of picture-taking of his session (due to the rules regarding the concert) and started encouraging folks to take pictures during his interview.

During an intermission, Furuya-san came up to my seat to greet me. I told him I was also 80 years old, but he didn't seem to believe me. I'm not sure why. As we were leaving the event, I got this quick selfie with him.

And that's a wrap! I can only wonder if there will be a more proper birthday event for Furuya-san as we get closer to his real birthday, but only time will tell.

Watch Out for Godzilla at Wako!

As part of the King of the Monsters' 65th anniversary (as well as the 20th anniversary of the creation of its Spring Drive technology), Grand Seiko has recently announced its Godzilla 65th anniversary limited-edition watch. It's certainly a nice-looking watch, but at a reported 1.3 million yen, I'll have to take a pass. The watch is set for release on November 9 in Japan.

What's really cool, however, is this promotional Godzilla head in the storefront of Wako. Best of all, it's totally free to see. Take a look.

Out and About in Hibiya and Ginza

Last night, I was out and about in Hibiya and Ginza, and while I was there, I took some shots of sights that ought to be familiar to readers of this blog. It's all pretty self-explanatory by this point, so I'll let the photos do the talking. Enjoy!

Out and About in Ginza

The Yurkakucho Mullion Building. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

While walking around Ginza today, I took some photos of a couple of familiar locations. One was the Yurakucho Mullion Building (as seen in Godzilla 1985), and the other was the Hattori Clock Tower atop the Wako department store (as seen in Godzilla '54). Enjoy!

HATTORI CLOCK TOWER AND YURAKUCHO MULLION! Two Iconic Kaiju Locations!

The Hattori Clock Tower (atop the Wako department store) was featured prominently in Godzilla (1954). Photo by Brett Homenick. 

While walking around Ginza, I couldn't resist the urge to photograph some familiar locations. It was a beautiful day, which made any resistance nearly impossible. It truly was perfect weather for photography. Anyhow, here are some shots of the Hattori Clock Tower (as seen in the original Godzilla) and the Yurakucho Mullion Building (as seen in Godzilla 1985). Enjoy!