Beware the Ulf-man!

Former Seatopian operative Ulf Georgii-Hemming (whom you may know under his alias Wolf Otsuki) strikes a pensive pose inside the Danish restaurant Scandia in Yokohama, Japan.

If you're a loyal reader of this blog (and, hey, who isn't?), you may remember this blog post from May of this year. I paid tribute to one of the coolest dues in Japan, Ulf Georgii-Hemming.

Ulf and Brett, about to chow down in Yokohama.

I had the opportunity to meet up with Ulf again during my last trip to Tokyo. Unlike our first meeting, this was a one-on-one affair, and I was surprised to learn that Ulf wanted to take me to Yokohama!

Look at all that ice cream! I'm getting a brain freeze just looking at it!

He took me to Scandia, one of his favorite restaurants in the Tokyo-Yokohama area. It serves Danish food, which, thanks to my good friend Ib Melchior, I'm already a little accustomed to. Although I'll always be a burgers-and-pizza kinda guy, I did enjoy the food served to us.

It also marked my first time in Yokohama. From one of the buildings upper floors, I managed to take a couple of photos of Cosmo Clock 21, the well-known (to kaiju enthusiasts, anyway) location seen during Godzilla vs. Mothra (1992). More impressive, however, was the sight of Tokyo Bay. Even though I've seen it featured in many Japanese films (most notably Toho's 1975 actioner Conflagration, with Hiroshi Fujioka and Tetsuro Tanba), you simply must see it in person to appreciate its sheer size.

That's all, folks!

A big thank-you to Ulf for driving me around Tokyo and Yokohama. Let's do it again!

Tokyo: The Movie!

Ulf Georgii-Hemming (a.k.a. Wolf Otsuki) drives me to Yokohama, shortly before a massive typhoon hits the area. Mr. Georgii-Hemming played the bearded Seatopian agent in Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973) and has appeared in numerous tokusatsu TV series during the 1970s.

While I managed to snap a bunch of photos during my recent visit to Tokyo, I shot some footage, too.

The video clip below was taken completely by accident. I must have hit the record button on my camera as I tried to take a photo of me with Ulf. Still, it's a pretty fun video, and it captures some of the fun we had that day.

Enjoy!

A salute to Ulf Georgii-Hemming

Your humble blogmeister meets the great Ulf Georgii-Hemming at his home in Tokyo.

As a lifelong fan of the movie Godzilla vs. Megalon, it was truly an honor for me to meet one of the most memorable characters from the film, none other than Ulf Georgii-Hemming. Often billed as "Wolf" Otsuki, the 76-year-old is a veteran of both the silver screen and the small screen, working as a character actor in Tokyo for decades.

Ulf stands in front of the Tokyo Sky Tree, even though he's not a huge fan of it!

Megalon is, by far, his best-known credit, but his work also includes: Kamen Rider Super-1, Rainbowman, and a regular role on Daitetsujin 17 as Professor Hessler.

Ulf in all his villainous glory in Daitetsujin 17.

Although Ulf improvised on the set of Daitetsujin 17, very little of his improvisations were allowed to remain in the finished programs.

But who is Ulf Georgii-Hemming? In G-FAN #89 (fall 2009), I interviewed him about his life and career, and in describing his background, Ulf reported:

I was born as a son to a Swedish architect, Gösta Georgii-Hemming, and a Japanese pianist, Toako Otsuki, (they married in Berlin, 1931) in Tokyo in 1934 and naturally got a Swedish nationality. But when Gösta was stopped in Stockholm under the Nazi invasion of European countries, I was forced to stay in Japan with my elder sister Fujiko and my mother. Then when I became 20 years old in Japan, I lost my Swedish nationality automatically because I had not entered Sweden even once. Besides, my parents split up by the end of the war and, in 1970, the divorce was legally confirmed. After having been a stateless person, I decided to get a Japanese nationality in the 1970s.

Tokyo shenanigans! You just know these two are up to no good!

Ulf is truly a larger-than-life character, a warm and generous man who absolutely loves life. This side of him was in evidence when I spent the day with him during Golden Week in Tokyo. On top of being a wonderful host and a great traveling companion, he showed me so much generosity, buying me dinner and a couple of souvenirs. He's certainly nothing like the Seatopian agent I watched growing up!

It's the Sky Tree again! However, as you can tell, Ulf doesn't seem to mind it so much in this shot.

I would certainly say that Ulf is an unsung hero of the genre. Perhaps this blog post will begin to change that. I certainly hope so. And maybe Ulf could turn up at a future G-FEST. I know an event like that would be a natural for him!

That's a wrap! Ulf and I dine on uncooked ocean dwellers to cap off a fun night. Photo by Yuri Nikaido.

You've seen the photos; now watch Ulf Georgii-Hemming in action! Below are some videos recorded from the day I hung out with him. Now isn't he the coolest?!

Tokyo: Third pictures

Brett with Ulf Georgii-Hemming (a.k.a. Wolf Otsuki), the bearded Seatopian agent from Godzilla vs. Megalon. The Tokyo Sky Tree is in the background.

The third and final day of my Tokyo trip has come to a close. Here are just a few of the photos taken!

I got to meet all sorts of interesting people!

Ulf pays his respects.

With Shelley Sweeney at Becker's.

Under Rainbow Bridge with Shelley Sweeney.