The Trouble with Toy Dispensers

A toy dispenser in Toho Cinemas Shinjuku with lots of Toho kaiju goodness inside. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Earlier today, I briefly stopped by Toho Cinemas Shinjuku with the hope that I might find the toy dispenser I'd recently heard about that offers four different Toho kaiju, of which I was particularly interested in Sanda and Gaira from The War of the Gargantuas (1966). But, hey, Godzilla and Gigan aren't half bad, either. In any case, I was in luck because there it was!

Well, it didn't take me long to realize that I didn't have enough change on hand, so I went ahead and bought a small trinket (in this case, a Godzilla-themed magnet) in order to make more change. The cashier gave me exactly what I needed -- a 500-yen coin! Or so I thought.

While I had the exact amount of change I needed, I found out real quick that the machine didn't accept 500-yen coins. No way was I going to make change again when I already had a pocketful of it. Much like Jumpin' Jeff Farmer, I don't like it when things aren't going my way, so I metaphorically threw up my hands and gave up. Oh, well. Maybe next time.

A Reunion of Two Toho and Tsuburaya Pro Legends!

Bin Furuya poses with actress Wakako Tanabe in front of a Gamera Super Monster (1980) poster. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Saturday, August 12, was an interesting day for me. I had to work that day, as usual, but I also committed to attend a dinner in Daikanyama with some of my work colleagues. After I agreed to attend, however, I found out about an event with Bin Furuya, the original Ultraman (1966-67) suit actor himself, and actress Wakako Tanabe to be held in Jimbocho. I was in luck, however, because the timing of the event ensured that I had just enough time to finish work, stop by Jimbocho for about an hour, and then head over to my dinner. Ultimately, everything worked out according to plan. 

Naturally, I arrived a bit late. Shortly after I took my seat (toward the back of the room), Furuya-san saw me and gave me a shout-out in the middle of his interview. After Furuya-san wrapped up talking about his days at Toho, it was time for Tanabe-san to talk about her days as an actress at Toho and Tsuburaya Productions.

Tanabe-san would be best remembered by kaiju fans in the U.S. as the unfortunate victim who gets eaten by Gaira at the airport in War of the Gargantuas (1966). She played Torahata's companion while he speaks to Kumayama on the phone in Godzilla vs. the Thing (a.k.a. Mothra vs. Godzilla, 1964), as well as a Kilaak in Destroy All Monsters (1968). Her other action/tokusatsu credits include: The Lost World of Sinbad (1963), Ironfinger (1965), episode 19 of Ultra Q (1966), episode 45 of Ultra Seven (1967-68), episode 21 of Fight! Mighty Jack (1968), episode 8 of Operation: Mystery! (1968-69), Konto 55: Space Adventure (1969), and episode 12 of Horror Theater Unbalance (1973).

In between Wakako Tanabe and Bin Furuya.

Tanabe-san presented a slideshow featuring photos taken in more recent years with actors Yosuke Natsuki and Hisaya Morishige, as well as director Shue Matsubayashi. She described her relationship with these Toho legends toward the end of their lives and what they were like offscreen.

When I got close enough in line for Tanabe-san to see me, she said "Wow!" and instantly recognized me, even though we'd only met twice before (including our 2018 interview). When I knelt down next to her to take our photo, she asked if I recognized her, which obviously I did. (I mean, how could I not?!) The only downside is that there wasn't much -- OK, any -- time to chat, as the line had to keep moving, and I had to leave. But it was well worth it, even if our interaction was all too brief.

With director Minoru Kawasaki. Photo by Brett Homenick.

And, as an added bonus, director Minoru Kawasaki showed up, too, to join the festivities. All in all, it was a great event (especially for the limited time I was able to spend there), and I'm relieved the timing worked out as well as it did. I hope to see Tanabe-san for a longer period of time soon!

GAIRA SWAM HERE! A Visit to Shimoda's Sotoura Beach!

A view of Sotoura Beach. Photo by Brett Homenick.

On Monday, July 31, I visited Sotoura Beach in Shimoda, Shizuoka Prefecture, for the first time. Given that it's the southernmost point on the Izu Peninsula, it goes without saying that it took me a long time to get there. Luckily, I was able to take an limited-express train directly to Izukyu-Shimoda Station from Yokohama Station for 5,000 yen, a rather reasonable price. On the way back, however, there were no more limited-express trains in service, so I had to take local trains. (Thankfully, I didn't have to change trains a whole lot, but it certainly was a long trip back!)

But I'm getting ahead of myself. Why did I travel so far to see this random beach? Well, it's a filming location in The War of the Gargantuas (1966)! Some locals are trying to pull a heavy object out of the ocean before the thing they're trying to pull starts pulling them toward the water instead. Then Gaira suddenly pops out of the sea, sending the terrified locals scurrying away. 

It's a fairly short scene in the movie, but it's one that made an impression, especially the triangular rock (or would that be an islet?) seen in the background. I first saw War of the Gargantuas when I was about eight years old, which was the perfect age to see this movie. I never thought I'd one day walk around the beach featured in the film, but life is full of surprises.

Since school's out in Japan, there were a lot of families at the beach, so photographing the area was a little tricky. Still, I was able to get some pretty good shots without swimmers or other beach-goers in them, so it all worked out in the end. 

I didn't go swimming, even though I considered it. With all the stuff I brought with me, I decided it would've been too much trouble. I haven't ruled out returning someday with a lighter load and a bigger emphasis on having fun than documenting a filming location, but we'll see how that plays out. Even if this visit turns out to be a one and done for me, I'm pretty satisfied with it.

Below are just some of the photos I took at Sotoura Beach. Enjoy!

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.

Secrets of Americanizations Revealed on Vantage Point Interviews!

A recent photo of Richard Krown. Photo © Richard Krown.

First up is a brand-new interview with Richard Krown, UPA's post-production supervisor on the company's various Japanese releases, including Monster Zero (1965), The War of the Gargantuas (1966), Godzilla's Revenge (1969), and Terror of Mechagodzilla (1975). He was also heavily involved in the American releases of Woody Allen's What's Up, Tiger Lily? (1966) and the Toho war epic Retreat from Kiska (1965), about whose Americanization he goes into great detail.

Also on deck is a brand-new interview with director R. J. Kizer, who Americanized Godzilla 1985 (1984) for American release. This is the most in-depth director Kizer has ever gotten about the making of the film, and he reveals many new details for the first time. Who was the Roger Corman regular up for the role of General Goodhue? Read the interview to find out!

If you didn't already know that content is king on Vantage Point Interviews, you do now!

Godzilla Speaks on Vantage Point Interviews!

With Haruo Nakajima in March 2015.

I'm very pleased to share that my 2008 interview with the original Godzilla suit actor, Haruo Nakajima, has been updated on Vantage Point Interviews with a new translation, which contains more details than the previous version. It also includes Mr. Nakajima's responses to audience questions, which was not included in the earlier version at all.

Content truly is king on Vantage Point Interviews!

Content Is King at Vantage Point Interviews!

With Don Frye in July 2014.

Vantage Point Interviews is back with several great interviews. One is a never-before-published July 2008 interview with Godzilla: Final Wars (2004) star Don Frye, whose role as Captain Douglas Gordon remains a fan favorite to this day.

The other two Q&As are brand-new and concern the late producer-screenwriter Reuben Bercovitch, whose credits include: Frankenstein Conquers the World (1965), Monster Zero (1965), The War of the Gargantuas (1966), Woody Allen's What's Up, Tiger Lily? (1966), and Hell in the Pacific (1968) with Toshiro Mifune. The biographical interview was conducted with Mr. Bercovitch's wife and oldest son. A follow-up interview with another son of Reuben Bercovitch reveals a fun tidbit about War of the Gargantuas.

Check 'em out today!

A Look at Haneda Airport!

Haneda Airport. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Haneda Airport is a location that has been featured in several Toho kaiju movies, namely Varan the Unbelievable (1958), War of the Gargantuas (1966), and Godzilla vs. Destoroyah (1995). Coincidentally, I happened to be visiting an area right next to a popular sightseeing spot from which you can get a good view of planes taking off from Haneda Airport. And given Haneda's connection with monster movies, I had to give it a look myself.

HAPPY 80TH, SAIJO-SAN! The Toho and Tsuburaya Pro Veteran Turns 80!

Actor Yasuhiko Saijo dresses up as his most famous character, Ultra Q's Ippei Togawa. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

February 20 marked the 80th birthday of former Toho and Tsuburaya Productions actor Yasuhiko Saijo. Saijo-san is best known for playing Ippei Togawa on Ultra Q (1966), but he can also be seen in such Toho classics as Secret of the Telegian (1960), War of the Gargantuas (1966), Son of Godzilla (1967), and Destroy All Monsters (1968), among many others.

On Friday, February 22, I attended a special birthday event for Saijo-san, during which he recalled his Toho and Tsuburaya days. Many of the stories he recounted at the event were shared in my 2017 interview with him, which you can read here.

The event itself was a lot of fun, and it was great to see Saijo-san in such great spirits. Can't wait to see him again!

Wakako Tanabe Q&A at Vantage Point Interviews!

Actress Wakako Tanabe. Photo by Brett Homenick.

My interview with Toho actress Wakako Tanabe is now live at Vantage Point Interviews. She was Gaira's Haneda Airport victim in War of the Gargantuas (1966), but if you'd like to find out more about her career, check out the interview right now!

A New Interview Is Coming Soon

 Wakako Tanabe. Photo by Brett Homenick.

On August 12, I had the privilege of conducting an interview with former Toho actress Wakako Tanabe, whose notable roles include Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964), War of the Gargantuas (1966), and Destroy All Monsters (1968). 

The interview covers numerous aspects of her life and career and was quite informative. She has some entertaining stories to tell. Look for it on Vantage Point Interviews soon!