A Toho Legend Celebrates His 85th Birthday!

Yasuhiko Saijo. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Today (Wednesday, February 28), I was privileged to spend a couple of hours in the company of former Toho actor Yasuhiko Saijo. Saijo-san is best known for his co-starring role in the Tsuburaya Productions series Ultra Q (1966) as Ippei Togawa, though he also plays Suzuki in Son of Godzilla (1967) and a Moonlight SY-3 crew member in Destroy All Monsters (1968). (Japanese sources seem to disagree about his character name in DAM, with some books naming his character Fujita while others dub him Tani.)

Saijo-san celebrated his 85th birthday on February 20, so he and his wife took a two-day trip to Hakone. In fact, he would be just returning from the trip when meeting up with me, which ended up leading to a bit of a delay.

It turns out that the train Saijo-san was using encountered an accident along the way, which caused him to arrive quite late. Thankfully, he asked a friend of his to meet me at Bishamonten Zenkoku-ji Temple, our usual meeting spot. We then went to the cafe together where Saijo-san would eventually join us.

A bit more than an hour later, Saijo-san and his wife entered the cafe. I was worried that, after such a lengthy return trip, he would be completely worn out. Thankfully, though, that would prove not to be the case at all, and he was still full of energy. All those unforeseen delays did nothing to hamper the enjoyment of the afternoon.

One interesting tidbit was, despite the cold and extremely windy weather Tokyo had experienced in the last couple of days, Saijo-san said Hakone's weather was just fine, which is the opposite of what you might expect, given its climate. I told him he was lucky because the weather in the city was just awful!

Saijo-san's wife was surprised to see how young I was. (Well, looks can be deceiving there.) I wish she would have stayed longer, but she left a bit early, which is understandable since she was literally just returning home from a trip.

After that, Saijo-san discussed his acting career for more than an hour. As usual, it was fascinating stuff. He was also kind enough to sign a few things for my collection, including a DVD sleeve of Gorath (1962), which looks especially good with his signature on it.

I brought Saijo-san two omiyage boxes as birthday presents, but I also insisted on paying for our drinks at the cafe. Saijo-san protested and even seemed a little upset that he wouldn't pay, but I felt it was the least I could do -- not only because of his recent birthday but because he went above and beyond for me today. It was my privilege.

Saijo-san is sort of like the boss of the neighborhood. It's amazing how many locals know who he is. I called him shacho, which seemed to amuse him.

Saijo-san and I walked together for a bit as I was headed toward the station, and he was heading home. Before we parted ways, he said, "Come back to me," in English, which I certainly hope to do in the future. Many thanks to Saijo-san for all his kindness today!

A Legendary Afternoon in the Company of a Toho Legend!

Yasuhiko Saijo. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Earlier today (Wednesday November 1), I had the distinct privilege of spending an afternoon with former Toho and Tsuburaya Productions actor Yasuhiko Saijo, best known for playing Ippei Togawa on the groundbreaking TV series Ultra Q (1966), as well as a bevy of Toho films, including Son of Godzilla (1967) and Destroy All Monsters (1968). 

Yasuhiko Saijo. Photo by Brett Homenick.

We met Saijo-san at a historic temple in his neighborhood as scheduled, after which we moved on to a nearby cafe run by a family friend. I brought my friend Jacob to meet Saijo-san, who of course was very excited to meet him. Considering I hadn't seen Saijo-san in four years, I was rather excited, too.

We met at 2:00, and I expected the meeting to last somewhere between 30 minutes to an hour. Would you believe we spent just under three hours together? I hope you would because we did! During the first part of the afternoon, Saijo-san regaled us with stories about his acting career and early life, talking about the various roles he had, as well as the other Toho actors he knew and worked with. 

Yasuhiko Saijo. Photo by Brett Homenick.

After that, Saijo-san graciously signed some items we brought and took pictures inside the cafe. Jacob brought some car magazines from the U.S. as gifts, knowing that Saijo-san loves cars. He was especially interested in the photos of vintage cars, as those are the ones he prefers. 

Afterward, Saijo-san took us around the neighborhood. I was fascinated by just how many people he knew. He was very much a man about town. During our walk, I was captivated by Saijo-san's sense of humanity. He doesn't like modern technology very much -- computers, smartphones, etc. -- and instead prefers people. When I heard Saijo-san explain his thoughts, and, when I saw him interact with the other residents of his neighborhood, I understood exactly what he was saying. 

While the discussion was mostly fun and lighthearted, Saijo-san did share some of his memories during the war and immediately after it, as well as his thoughts on some of the goings-on around the world. Suffice it to say, I was mesmerized by our discussion.

I was over the moon to see Saijo-san doing so well. He pointed out that he turns 85 in February next year, but you'd never know it to look at him. I told him he's looking well, and he responded by saying that he is doing well. Now that's what I wanted to hear!

Saijo-san is a true legend. Jacob and I took many photos with Saijo-san, and he was more than happy to oblige our requests. In the above photo, he was trying to get closer to my height, which you can probably see in his expression. I should also point out that, when we were leaving the cafe, I intended to pay the bill, but the owner told us the bill had already been taken care of. I tried to protest, but it did me no good. They just don't make folks like this anymore. 

What a day. It exceeded all my expectations by far. It would've been incredible just to share a few moments with Saijo-san at the cafe. But to get a guided tour of his neighborhood afterward was simply amazing. The three hours flew by in what seemed like a third of the time. I'm still processing it all. 

Thank you very much, Saijo-san! This day was truly one for the history books!

"Happy" Days Are Here Again!

Yasuhiko Saijo. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Earlier tonight, I attended a special event with actor Yasuhiko Saijo, who is best known for playing Ippei Togawa (a.k.a "Happy") in Tsuburaya Productions' Ultra Q (1966). Saijo-san got his start as a Toho actor, appearing in such tokusatsu classics as The Secret of the Telegian (1960), Gorath (1962), Son of Godzilla (1967), and Destroy All Monsters (1968).

Yasuhiko Saijo in a replica Ippei jacket and cap. Photo by Brett Homenick.

I had a very fun chat with Saijo-san. When I mentioned the "We Are Space Pilots" song from Gorath (which Saijo-san has sung at recent events in Tokyo), he almost doubled over in laughter. The conversation covered a variety of topics, including Toho directors and his Ultra Q memories.

A fun time was had by all. I've met Saijo-san several times before, and this time was certainly among the most fun. Even though I was completely exhausted after work, I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Let's do it again soon!

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!

A Memorial Celebration of Yosuke Natsuki

Toward the end of March, I received an invitation in the mail to attend a memorial celebration of Yosuke Natsuki. Naturally, I immediately decided to attend, and so I made the necessary arrangements.

The celebration was held today (April 12) at the Capitol Hotel Tokyu in Nagatacho, Tokyo. Many of Natsuki-san's colleagues from his acting days were in attendance, and there were a few I got to meet for the first time.

Many of Natsuki-san's personal items were on display in the entrance, but once you got to the main ballroom, it was filled with about 320 people who knew Natsuki-san onscreen and off-.

Many familiar faces were on hand, and it was certainly great to see them again. Below, I will talk about some of my personal experiences and encounters at this memorial event.

Yasuhiko Saijo. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

The first person I ran into was actor Yasuhiko Saijo, a supporting actor at Toho and one of the stars of Ultra Q (1966). While on my way to the main ballroom, I had a (very brief) encounter with Toho actress Yoko Tsukasa. After entering the main ballroom, I encountered director Tom Kotani and had a brief chat with him.

Machiko Naka. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

Toho actress Machiko Naka was also in attendance, as were a number of folks I hadn't met before. Director Minoru Kawasaki came up to me to say hello, and I later bumped into producer Shogo Tomiyama.

Akira Takarada and Yoko Tsukasa. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

Many of the event's VIPs spoke in honor of Natsuki-san. While Akira Takarada and Yoko Tsukasa's comments struck a lighter tone, Tom Kotani's comments underscored the sadness of Natsuki-san's passing.

With Akira Wakamatsu. 

Early on in the event, I approached Toho actor Akira Wakamatsu, whom I met for the first and only time three years ago. I was surprised to find that he immediately recognized me. He came all the way from Fukushima to attend.

With Daijiro Harada. 

I had an amusing chat with Natsuki-san's G-Men '75 (1975-82) co-star Daijiro Harada. He's better known in the West as Mechagodzilla's pilot in Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II (1993). We had a fun chat about the English he spoke in the film. We snapped the above photo right before Harada-san had to leave to be interviewed by the Japanese media.

With Yumi Mizusawa. 

One actress I met for the first time was Yumi Mizusawa, one of the regulars on Natsuki-san's popular TV series What Is Youth? (1965-66). She was selected as a member of Toho New Talent's 5th class in 1965 (along with Son of Godzilla's Bibari Maeda) and went on to become a prolific television actress and singer. While her credits are mostly non-genre, she appeared in episode 91 of Kamen Rider (1971-73) and episode 16 of Iron King (1972-73). Her most notable film appearance is in Kihachi Okamoto's Epoch of Murder Madness (1967).

During the event, a slide show was projected onto a big screen that featured many photos from Natsuki-san's life and career. One interesting photo was of Gene Hackman's visit to the set of a period piece with Natsuki-san and Toshiro Mifune. Another notable shot was a candid of Natsuki-san (in full Professor Hayashida garb) and Yasuko Sawaguchi that was taken (presumably with Natsuki-san's personal camera) on the set of Godzilla (1984). One of the final photos in the presentation was one that I took. You can see it above. Suffice it to say, it was quite an honor that one of my photos was used in the tribute to Natsuki-san's life.

Overall, it was an excellent event, and the organizers did a top-notch job. While the reason we gathered in this hotel ballroom was especially sad, the warmth and  kindness of those in attendance truly made this a celebration of a great man.

YASUHIKO SAIJO INTERVIEW NOW UP! Vantage Point Interviews Has the Scoop!

Yasuhiko Saijo. Photo by Brett Homenick.

I'm pleased to announce that my interview with Ultra Q (1966) star Yasuhiko Saijo (who played Ippei Togawa on the program) is now online at Vantage Point Interviews. The interview was conducted last September, and it chronicles Saijo-san's acting career at Toho, as well.

Last night, I was able to visit Saijo-san again, and despite the cold temperatures, it was a lot of fun. Check out the interview today!

TALKING TOHO'S GOOD OLD DAYS! Ippei Recalls His Happy Times!

Actor Yasuhiko Saijo. Photo by Brett Homenick.

On Wednesday, September 27, I had a very nice chat with actor Yasuhiko Saijo, who starred as Ippei Togawa on Tsuburaya Productions' Ultra Q (1966) as well as having appeared in numerous Toho productions in the 1950s and '60s.

Saijo-san is as cool as they come. It's always a joy to visit with him. Hope to do it again soon!

ULTRA-HEROES, UNITE! A Great Gathering of Tsuburaya Veterans!

 Director Kazuho Mitsuta (left) and actor Bin Furuya (right). Photo by Brett Homenick.

Following the Masaru Sato concert, I switched gears and joined an event with more of a focus on Tsuburaya Productions. Although there was certainly a Toho connection, this event was, well, Ultra-good! 

Actor Yasuhiko Saijo gives a thumbs-up! Photo by Brett Homenick.

One of the guests on hand was Yasuhiko Saijo, whose best-known role was that of Ippei Togawa on Ultra Q (1966). However, Saijo-san can also be seen in such Toho genre classics as Secret of the Telegian (1960), Gorath (1962), Frankenstein Conquers the World (1965), War of the Gargantuas (1966), Son of Godzilla (1967), and Destroy All Monsters (1968). 

Director Kazuho Mitsuta. Photo by Brett Homenick.

It was my first time to meet veteran Tsuburaya Productions director and producer Kazuho Mitsuta. Mitsuta-san has directed episodes of Ultra Q, Ultraman (1966-67), Ultra Seven (1967-68), Kaiju Booska (1966-67), Mighty Jack (1968), Fight! Mighty Jack (1968), Operation: Mystery! (1968-69), Mirrorman (1971-72), Ultraman Ace (1972-73), Horror Theater Unbalance (1973), Dinosaur War Izenborg (1977-78), and Ultraman 80 (1980-81), among many other credits. 

As you can imagine, it was fun just to hang out...

... until we saw a monster!

Seriously, it was a great time. I enjoyed catching up with Saijo-san. (It had been too long!) Even though Mitsuta-san turns 80 this August, he certainly seemed in great shape to me. In fact, he attended Bin Furuya's birthday celebration in Okinawa, so that ought to tell you something!

To top everything off, Bin Furuya (Ultraman himself) made a surprise visit. It's always a joy to hang out with Furuya-san, so his appearance elevated the proceedings to the next level. Many thanks to everyone for the great evening!

MORE PHOTOS! Yasuhiko Saijo's 77th Birthday Bash!

Yasuhiko Saijo and Hurricane Ryu onstage!

A closer look at Saijo-san's extra-special birthday cake!

Hiroko Sakurai and Yashiko Saijo pose for the cameras.

Yours truly with Machiko Naka and Nami Tamura.

With Yasuhiko Saijo.

With Machiko Naka.

Teruyoshi Nakano talks shop with Hurricane Ryu.

With Machiko Naka (again!).

Yasuhiko Saijo at the after-party in Ikebukuro.

Do you think he can drink it all?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, YASUHIKO SAIJO! The Ultra Q Star Celebrates His 77th with a Bang!

Nami Tamura, Hiroko Sakurai, Machiko Naka, and Yasuhiko Saijo (all Ultra-series veterans) pose with Saijo-san's birthday cake. Photo by Brett Homenick.

February 20 marks Ultra Q star Yasuhiko Saijo's 77th birthday, and on the very same day, a special event was held on the 58th floor of Sunshine 60 in Ikebukuro to celebrate the occasion. While there are several birthday events throughout the year to honor various Toho/Tsuburaya personalities, they are seldom held on the honoree's actual birthday (as this one was).

Yasuhiko Saijo and SFX director Teruyoshi Nakano sing a karaoke rendition of "We Are Space Pilots" from Gorath. Photo by Brett Homenick.

The event was star-studded, and it was great to see some guests appear who don't often do shows in Japan.

Heisei series suit actor Hurricane Ryu addresses the crowd. Photo by Brett Homenick.

One surprise was seeing suit actor Hurricane Ryu, whom I'd only met once before (at Koichi Kawakita's memorial event at Toho Studios). Hurricane Ryu played King Ghidorah in Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (1991), Battra in Godzilla vs. Mothra (1992), Baby Godzilla in Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II (1993), and Godzilla Junior in Godzilla vs. Destoroyah (1995). He also portrayed Guilala in Monster X Strikes Back: Attack the G8 Summit (2008). For much of the event, he actually served as emcee.

Minoru Kawasaki celebrates the birthday of a tokusatsu legend. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Director Minoru Kawasaki was also on hand, and he talked about his fondness for Saijo-san and his role on Ultra Q. Kawasaki-san, of course, is well known for being a huge fan of tokusatsu and for using many actors from the genre in his own films.

Yasuhiko Saijo sports dresses up in character for the occasion! Photo by Brett Homenick.

During the event, there were many chances for mingling among the attendees. Kyoko Ifukube, daughter of Akira Ifukube, was there, and I sat at her table. She was there with several of her friends, and we had a great chat together.

The band gets back together: Yuriko Edogawa (Hiroko Sakurai) and Ippei Togawa (Yasuhiko Saijo) gear up to hunt for monsters! Photo by Brett Homenick.

After all the comments were made, and after everyone had eaten lunch, it was time for pictures and autographs.

In between Machiko Naka (left) and Nami Tamura (right), two Toho actresses who appeared in the Ultra-series.

I had a blast seeing Machiko Naka (Godzilla's Revenge, the Young Guy series) and Nami Tamura (Terror in the Streets, Kill!) again. Naka-san is always very energetic, and Tamura-san is also very friendly. While most fans at the event were largely familiar with them for their guest appearances on Ultra Seven, I'm fascinated by their movie roles at Toho. 

With suit actor Hurricane Ryu.

It was a great surprise to get to see Hurricane Ryu again, but this time I was finally able to get a photo op with him. I found him to be a very friendly fellow, but alas we didn't have much time to chat!

With Yasuhiko Saijo.

What else can I say? Saijo-san is great, and he's one of the friendliest celebrity guests I've ever met. I love his enthusiasm!

With Kyoko Ifukube and a friend.

Naturally, it was also a joy to sit and chat with Kyoko Ifukube, the daughter of the legendary composer.

With Hiroko Sakurai.

Despite being in demand for many picture and autograph requests, Sakurai-san made time to pose for one with me. Thank you very much!

Yasuhiko Saijo, Makoto Inoue, and Teruyoshi Nakano hang out at the after-party. Photo by Brett Homenick.

After the event itself wrapped, I was invited to the after-party at a nearby izakaya. Saijo-san and Nakano-san joined us, as did composer Makoto Inoue. We stayed there a couple of hours (!) before calling it a day.