Visiting a Veteran of the Zatoichi Series!

Shoji Mori. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Earlier this afternoon (Saturday, June 17), I stopped by Roppongi after work to view a dramatic reading headlined by actor Shoji Mori. I didn't get to see much of the performance, but I went to say hello to Mori-san. I greeted him after the show and took the photos in this blog post.

As readers of this blog ought to know by now, Shoji Mori began his career primarily in television during the mid-1960s, but by the '70s he began appearing in some notable films. Among his credits are: Zatoichi and the One-Armed Swordsman (1971), Woman Gambler's Iron Rule (1971), Zatoichi in Desperation (1972), and Slaughter in the Snow (1973). On TV, Mori-san appears in episode 3 of Kamen Rider Super-1 (1980-81), and episode 3 of the third season of the Shin Zatoichi TV series (1979).

And that's a wrap!

A Dramatic Reading Heats Up the Cold Weather in Roppongi!

Shoji Mori. Photo by Brett Homenick.

 

Earlier tonight (Wednesday, December 7), I attended a dramatic reading in Roppongi with veteran actor Shoji Mori, whom I hadn't seen since before the pandemic began. It was long overdue for me to pay him a visit, so this proved to be the perfect time.

As readers of this blog ought to know by now, Shoji Mori began his career primarily in television during the mid-1960s, but by the '70s he began appearing in some notable films. Among his credits are: Zatoichi and the One-Armed Swordsman (1971), Woman Gambler's Iron Rule (1971), Zatoichi in Desperation (1972), and Slaughter in the Snow (1973). On TV, Mori-san appears in episode 3 of Kamen Rider Super-1 (1980-81), and episode 3 of the third season of the Shin Zatoichi TV series (1979).

After thanking the audience for attending the show, Mori-san passed by my chair and recognized me (even with my face mask on). He gave me a pat on the shoulder as he walked by. Afterward, I approached Mori-san and properly greeted him -- my first chance in to do so in a long time! I'm very glad to see he's still doing very well.

Ai Kiyohara. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Also on hand was the lovely and talented Ai Kiyohara. I've been acquainted with Kiyohara-san for several years, but, because she doesn't have any acting credits that readers of this blog would know, I never posted about her. However, she appears in the brand-new kaiju romp Yuzo the Biggest Battle in Tokyo (2022), which makes her a genuine genre actress.

We had a nice chat following her performance. She's always a lot of fun to talk to! 

And that's all for now!

An Evening of Spooky Ghost Stories!

With Shoji Mori. 

Earlier this evening, I attended another dramatic reading with Masanori Machida, Shoji Mori, and other performers. Given that it's summertime in Japan, the theme was scary ghost stories, so it was right up my alley. But there was some comedy involved, too, such as when several female performers did an amusingly half-hearted "Thriller" dance.

With Masanori Machida.

Mori-san was a special guest, so it's a bit rare to see him at such events. Machida-san, on the other hand, is a regular, and he's always a lot of fun to visit. And yes, it was nice to celebrate Halloween in July!

Entering the Time Slip!

From left to right: Jun Eto, Kyohei Nakaoka, yours truly, and Toshiyuki Nagashima.

This evening, I attended a fun dinner event with a big surprise. I knew that actor Jun Eto and screenwriter Kyohei Nakaoka would be on hand for the festivities, but what I didn't know until I showed up was that there'd be an additional guest -- and a big one, at that.

Jun Eto, Kyohei Nakaoka, and Toshiyuki Nagashima. Photo by Brett Homenick.

The surprise guest was actor Toshiyuki Nagashima, who has more than his share of genre and tokusatsu credits under his belt.

His film appearances include: Virus (1980) as Akimasa Matsuo, Deathquake (1980) as reporter Masayuki Hashizume, The Imperial Navy (1981) as Eiichi Hongo, Station (1981) as Michio, Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters (1985) as Isao Iinuma, Godzilla vs. Biollante (1989) as Seiichi Yamamoto, Gamera 2: Attack of Legion (1996) as Yusuke Watarase, Cross Fire (2000) as Yoshihiro Hasegawa, Godzilla vs. Megaguirus (2000) as Takuya Miyagawa, and Godzilla against Mechagodzilla (2002) as Lieutenant Miyagawa. Whew!

Had I known he would be there, I would have come prepared. Oh, well. Let's hope for a next time!

Actor Jun Eto. Photo by Brett Homenick.

On the other hand, I was prepared for Jun Eto. Eto-san appeared in G.I. Samurai (a.k.a. Time Slip, 1979) as Nobuhiko Ken and Godzilla against Mechagodzilla as a special executive. He also appeared in episode 23 of Ultraman Cosmos (2001-02).

Aside from his genre credits, Eto-san starred in Preparation for the Festival (1975) and co-starred in Tora-san's Tropical Fever (1980).

Screenwriter Kyohei Nakaoka. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Last (but not least) was screenwriter Kyohei Nakaoka. Nakaoka-san co-wrote the screenplays for Eizo Sugawa's River of Fireflies (1987) and the Shintaro Katsu-directed feature Zatoichi (1989).

Overall, it was a great evening with three luminaries from the world of Japanese cinema. Not bad for just one night!

A Very Daiei Evening!

Shin Minatsu. Photo by Brett Homenick.

On Friday, May 10, I attended a play in which two former Daiei actors appeared. They are both veterans of the Gamera series, and given how few opportunities there are to meet Showa Gamera alumni, I jumped at the chance.

The first actor I met was Shin Minatsu, who appears in Gammera the Invincible (1965), Gamera vs. Barugon (1966), and Gamera vs. Gyoas (1967) in small roles. In Gyoas, he plays the reporter who gets eaten by the titular creature toward the beginning of the film. He went on to appear in Gamera vs. Zigra (1971) as Mr. Yamada, the mustached dolphin trainer at Kamogawa Sea World.

Junichiro Yamashita. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

After I met Minatsu-san, I was also privileged to meet Junichiro Yamashita. Yamashita-san stars in Gammera the Invincible as  Aoyagi and Daimajin Strikes Again (1966) as Shohachi. He also appears in Zatoichi's Cane Sword (1967).

The meetings were pretty brief, as the actors had many other attendees with whom to mingle. But as someone who's enjoyed the Showa Gamera series almost as long as the Godzilla series, it was wonderful to meet two Daiei stars who were always quite recognizable to me.

Mr. Machida Performs Again!

Actor Masanori Machida. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Tonight, I attended another dramatic reading presented by actor Masanori Machida, a prolific actor whose career as a child performer dates back to the early 1960s. My interview with Machida-san about his career can be found here.

For the reading, Machida-san wore a rather unusual costume. I quite liked it! It's always fun to see what Machida-san comes up with next.

Typhoons Won't Stop the Drama!

 Shoji Mori (left) and Masanori Machida share a laugh as they wrap up the evening's event. Photo by Brett Homenick.

As a typhoon approched Tokyo, I attended another dramatic reading with actors Masanori Machida and Shoji Mori. By the time I arrived, it wasn't even raining, but as I type this, the wind and the rain are in full force.

After the event wrapped, I asked Mori-san to sign my DVD sleeve of Zatoichi and the One-Armed Swordsman (1971), in which he appears. Mori-san was surprised and commented on how nostalgic it was for him to see it.

Attending a Live Reading of Jidai Geki!

Masanori Machida. Photo by Brett Homenick.

On Sunday evening, I attended a dramatic reading of jidai geki period pieces with actors Masanori Machida and Shoji Mori. Afterward, I attended the post-event party and socialized with a few of the folks there. A great evening with some great company! 

Sakura with Shoji Mori

Shoji Mori. Photo by Brett Homenick.

On the evening of March 31, I attended another lecture by actor Shoji Mori, this time on cherry blossom season in Japan. Mori-san, of course, is a veteran of the Zatoichi and Woman Gambler series, as well as numerous other movie and TV productions dating back to the mid-1960s. His lectures are always well worth attending.

Attending Another Lecture by Shoji Mori

Shoji Mori. Photo by Brett Homenick.

On Saturday night, right after work, I attended another lecture hosted by actor Shoji Mori. I've attended several of these during the last couple of years, and it's always quite interesting.

While I may not know a lot about the subject matter, I'm fascinated by Mori-san's acting career, which includes the Zatoichi series, as well as Daiei's Woman Gambler films. As always, it was another fun evening!

SHOJI MORI ON OLD JAPANESE CULTURE! His Lecture Series Continues!

Actor Shoji Mori. Phoro by Brett Homenick.

Tonight, I dropped in on another lecture by actor Shoji Mori, a veteran of the Zatoichi series, Daiei's Woman Gambler series, and even the Mito Komon TV series. Suffice it to say, his credits are expansive.

I always enjoy the opportunity to see Mori-san. I have a scheduling conflict with next month's lecture, so this will likely be the last time this year. But there's always next year!

OLD TOKYO REMEMBERED! Actor Shoji Mori Keeps the Culture Alive!

Actor Shoji Mori. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

On Saturday evening, September 9, actor Shoji Mori hosted another discussion of Edo and old Tokyo culture. The crowd was a bit more intimate than usual, and I'm sure the last-minute announcement of the event had a lot to do with that. But I prefer smaller crowds, anyway, so it was a bonus in my book.

As readers of this blog ought to know by now, Shoji Mori began his career primarily in television during the mid-1960s, but by the '70s he began appearing in some notable films. Among his credits are: Zatoichi and the One-Armed Swordsman (1971), Woman Gambler's Iron Rule (1971), Zatoichi in Desperation (1972), and Slaughter in the Snow (1973). On TV, Mori-san appears in episode 3 of Kamen Rider Super-1 (1980-81), and episode 3 of the third season of the Shin Zatoichi TV series (1979).

It was another fun evening, and Mori-san, as always, was a true gentleman. See you again soon!

SHOJI MORI TALKS! The Film and TV Actor Comments on Edo Life!

Actor Shoji Mori makes a point about Edo culture. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

Tonight, I attended another presentation hosted by actor Shoji Mori, again focusing on Edo-era culture. Mori-san hosts these lectures about once a month, and I attend when I can.

As I've written previously, Mori-san's credits include: Zatoichi and the One-Armed Swordsman (1971), Woman Gambler's Iron Rule (1971), Zatoichi in Desperation (1972), and Slaughter in the Snow (1973). When it comes to TV, Mori-san can be seen on episode 3 of Kamen Rider Super-1 (1980-81), and episode 3 of the third season of the Shin Zatoichi TV series (1979). Of course, his other acting credits are quite extensive, going back to the mid-1960s.

As usual, it was quite a fascinating experience and a real departure from my usual activities, but very enjoyable all the same. Many thanks to Mori-san for making it happen!

SHOJI MORI ON EDO! The Daiei and Toho Actor Talks Old Tokyo!

Actor Shoji Mori reacts to a comment by an audience member. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

Shoji Mori is a film and television actor whose career focused largely on period pieces. He performs in several Daiei and Toho films from the 1970s, but his career on TV dates back to the mid-1960s. Among his motion picture credits are: Zatoichi and the One-Armed Swordsman (1971), Woman Gambler's Iron Rule (1971), Zatoichi in Desperation (1972), and Slaughter in the Snow (1973). On television, Mori-san appears on episode 3 of Kamen Rider Super-1 (1980-81), and episode 3 of the third season of the Shin Zatoichi TV series (1979), as well as other roles too numerous to name.

On April 15, I attended a lecture given by Mori-san on Edo culture. It's always fascinating to hear these lectures, but I wish I could understand so much more.

After the lecture, the above photo was taken. Suffice it to say, I had a lot of fun, and I need to brush up on my Edo knowledge!

MIWA TAKADA PHOTO! Meeting the Star of Daimajin!

Yours truly with Daiei star Miwa Takada (and several other fans). 

As I mentioned in a previous blog post, I was part of a group photo taken with actress Miwa Takada (Daimajin, 100 Monsters) at an event last month. At the time I wrote the post, I hadn't received the photo.

Now that I have, I thought I'd share it on this blog. It certainly captures a rare moment. Enjoy!

SHOJI MORI SPEAKS! Meeting the Daiei Studios Actor Again!

On Saturday, August 20, I had another opporunity to attend a talk hosted by actor Shoji Mori. Mori-san has acted in the celebrated Zatoichi series, Daiei's Woman Gambler series, and episodes of the long-running Mito Komon TV series.

Mori-san gave a lively talk and was a lot of fun to talk to. I'm looking forward to attending the next talk.

MEETING SHOJI MORI! A Veteran of Japanese Film and Television!

On Saturday, June 25, I spent an evening attending a lecture given by actor Shoji Mori. He has been active in film and television for decades, and he has appeared in the Zatoichi series, the Woman Gambler series (starring Gamera vs. Barugon's Kyoko Enami), and many episodes of the Mito Komon TV series.

Mori-san was a lively gentleman, and it was great to meet him. Afterward, I went to an izakaya with some new friends I made after the talk. A great time was had by all!