Revisiting Yokohama Marine Tower (and Other Locations)!

The exit that takes you to Yokohama Marine Tower. Photo by Brett Homenick.

During King Ghidorah's raid on Yokohama in the popular Godzilla series entry Ghidrah the Three-Headed Monster (1964), the space beast's gravity rays destroy a tower in one of the film's most impressive effects shots. That structure is Yokohama Marine Tower.

Yokohama Marine Tower is accessible by taking Exit 4 from Motomachi-Chukagai Station on the Minatomirai Line. It's only about a minute walk from the station. It's also very close to Yamashita Park. Best of all, it's so big that it's impossible to miss!

I paid my first visit to the tower in a few years, and it was a great opportunity to take in the sights again. While I didn't enter the tower, just seeing it from the outside was enough for me. After all, that's how we see it in Ghidrah! 

While in the area, I also saw Cosmo Clock 21, which is a humongous Ferris wheel, and the InterContinental Yokohama Grand, both of which appear in Godzilla vs. Mothra (1992). Also nearby was the Yokohama Bay Bridge, which is a GMK: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack (2001) location.

It was a lot of fun to see these places again in person. Here's what I saw. Enjoy!

The Cosmo Clock 21 (the Ferris wheel on the left) and the InterContinental Yokohama Grand (the crescent-shaped structure on the right). Photo by Brett Homenick.

The Yokohama Bay Bridge. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Sting Invades Shibuya Station to Take on The Great Muta!

Sting vs. The Great Muta at Shibuya Station! Photo by Brett Homenick.

On the way home tonight, I spotted this cool advertisement in Shibuya Station. As a big pro wrestling fan (well, of '90s wrestling, anyway), it was quite a surprise to see Sting, one of WCW's top stars, prominently featured in a poster there. I really wish I could attend this event, but I already have plans for this weekend, so it's not going to happen, sadly. But I'd love to see Sting wrestle in person -- and, at his age, there won't be very many other opportunities! Oh, well. Seeing the poster itself was fun enough, though. Here's what I saw. Enjoy!

An Ultra-Size Ultraman in Yokohama!

Ultraman conquers Yokohama! Photo by Brett Homenick.

From April 29 until June 30, a 10-meter Ultraman balloon will be on display on the first floor of Yokohama Landmark Plaza's Sakata Seed Garden Square. At the same time, a stamp rally is being held from April 29 until May 8 at several locations nearby, including Yokohama Royal Park Hotel. (See the photos below.) 

There are more Ultraman displays to be seen in Yokohama, but I'll have to return there to take them all in. The hype for Shin Ultraman (2022) continues to build, and it's a lot of fun to see it all unfold.

Spotted in Yokohama Station

Posters seen in Yokohama Station. Photo by Brett Homenick.

While passing through Yokohama Station, two posters caught my eye. Thankfully, they were side-by-side, so photographing them was a cinch.

The poster above is for an event called Ultraheroes Expo the Live, which you can read more about here.

The other is a rather self-explanatory poster for the upcoming concert tour of singer (and former Toho actor) Yuzo Kayama.

ULTRA SEVEN AT 50! Yokohama's Takashimaya Sets Its Ultra Eye on Seven!

I just returned from viewing the new Ultra Seven 50th anniversary exhibit on the 8th floor of the Takashimaya department store in Yokohama. Overall, it was a nice exhibit, although with Ultraman Festival currently happening in Ikebukuro, it felt a little redundant. Many of the displays were similar to the ones there. Photography was not allowed in most of the exhibit (except for a couple of spots), so that was another drawback. Still, if you're in the area, it's worth checking out. The exhibit runs through the 28th of this month. Here are the highlights.

WE GOT THE BEAT! Live Manzai with Beat Kiyoshi!

Pancho Kagami (left) and Beat Kiyoshi (right) perform live manzai in Yokohama. Photo by Brett Homenick.

One thing I hadn't experienced in Japan was live manzai. Sure, with my limited Japanese, it's not like there's a whole lot I could get from it, but since I've seen a couple of live rakugo performances, manzai seemed like the next logical step. Besides, I had a chance to see it performed by one of the best!

Actor-singer Mikio Osawa talks about his career. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Tonight's event featured an star-studded lineup, headlined by manzai legend Beat Kiyoshi. If the "Beat" nickname sounds familiar, yes, he is the former manzai partner of actor-director Beat Takeshi. Together, they formed the manzai pair Two Beats, which is still remembered fondly in Japan. Tonight, Beat Kiyoshi's manzai partner was Pancho Kagami, formerly of the pop group Pinky & Killers.

Yours truly with tonight's manzai pair, Beat Kiyoshi (center) and Pancho Kagami (left). 

Also on hand was actor-singer Mikio Osawa, who is best known in Japan as a former member of the idol group Hikaru Genji (a client of the legendary management company Johnny & Associates). He's also been an actor in TV and movies since the '80s, and his credits include Devilman (2004).

With Mikio Osawa.

Osawa-san could speak a bit of English, and we talked for a bit. He was a friendly guy, and it was interesting to get to know a former idol. 

Tonight was a very interesting experience, and it was something I've never done before. It's important to remember that there's a whole world of entertainment in Japan beyond the same old monster movies!