Chanson Strikes Again in Tokyo!

Yoshiro Uchida. Photo by Brett Homenick.

The evening of Tuesday, August 18, saw my going to see the great Yoshiro Uchida perform chanson on a humid evening. Regular readers of this blog know that this is a regular ritual of mine, and it is one I quite enjoy.

I brought a DVD set of Gamera movies for Uchida-san to sign, which had already been signed by Destroy All Planets (1968) star Carl Craig. It was wonderful to add Uchida-san's signature to the disc. While Uchida-san was signing it, other patrons were fascinated to learn that he had been in a Gamera movie and were amused by it. See, folks, Gamera brings people together!

Not only that, but I also had a brief chat with an employee who shared her memories of living in Idaho around the year 2000. After the show, I hung out outside the venue with Uchida-san as we had a fun chat. He commented on my wearing shorts, which is a bit rare for me, so it made me laugh. What a fun night!

Chanson on a Humid Tokyo Evening!

Yoshiro Uchida. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Tonight, Tuesday, July 21, was another musical night of chanson with Yoshiro Uchida. I'm sure I say it a lot, but these performances are always a blast to attend.

Uchida-san sang two of his staple songs, "Ame" and "Ikiru," which I told him were beautifully performed. He thanked me for my praise, and we took the above photo. Not much else to say, other than these nights on the town are always something to look forward to.

Another Great Night of Chanson Entertainment!

Yoshiro Uchida. Photo by Brett Homenick.

On Tuesday, June 30, I attended another chanson performance by the one and only Yoshiro Uchida. It's been great to get into the rhythm of attending his performances again after being away for about two years.
 

There were some new performers on hand who came up and introduced themselves to me. I guess it's a rare sight to see an American at shows like this. It's always nice to be surrounded by such friendly and pleasant people when you're unwinding from a long day at work.

Not a whole lot to say, other than it was another fun night hearing Uchida-san perform. After the show, I had dinner at Gusto -- the perfect way to end an evening like this.

Another Evening of Chanson in Tokyo!

With Yoshiro Uchida.

On Thursday, May 14, I paid a visit to Gamera series star Yoshiro Uchida, who was performing chanson at a local venue in Tokyo. I hadn't seen Uchida-san in well over two years, so it was great to see him again. 

I had originally planned to show up unannounced at one of his performances and surprise him, but by coincidence Uchida-san learned that I was back in Japan and contacted me about my return. Oh, well, at least it was a fun thought!

All that aside, it really felt like old times again, and I was overjoyed to see Uchida-san sing chanson. What a fun evening it was!

An Afternoon with Gamera, Daimajin, and Jim Morgan!

Carl Craig with his old friend. Photo by Brett Homenick.

On Sunday, April 5, I was able to spend the day with Carl Craig, who (I'm sure we all know by now) played Jim Morgan in Gamera vs. Viras (Destroy All Planets, 1968). We met at Chofu Station at 11:00 a.m. to take some photos in front of the Gamera murals there. After that, we moved on to Kadokawa Daiei Studios for more Gamera-related shenanigans.

When we explained to the security staff at the studio that Carl was the child actor from Gamera vs. Viras, we got some smiles but not that studio tour we were kind of hoping for in the back of our minds. Oh, well -- you win some, you lose some!

Following our brief trip to Kadokawa Daiei Studios, Carl wanted to go bullet train-shopping at Hobby Center Kato in Shinjuku. Once that was complete, we made our way to Roppongi, did some more shopping, and ate lunch at Saizeriya. Afterward, we said our goodbyes and parted ways. 

It was great to catch up with Carl not once but twice during his trip to Japan. I still can't believe it had been 20 years since we last hung out. That aside, today was an incredible day, and I've got the proof below!

Gamera's Jim Morgan Through the Years: 2005 and 2007

Carl Craig with a Destroy All Planets/Noriaki Yuasa tribute polo shirt in July 2005. Photo by Brett Homenick.

This next batch of photos of Carl Craig (Jim Morgan in Gamera vs. Viras, a.k.a. Destroy All Planets, 1968) covers his Chicago appearances in July 2005 and July 2007, though most of the photos in this blog post are actually from 2005. (The 2007 photos only cover the recording of the Retromedia Destroy All Planets commentary track.) In 2005, Carl and I hosted a panel discussion that paid tribute to Noriaki Yuasa, who had passed away the previous year in 2004, photos of which can be found below.

Posing with Carl Craig with props from Gamera vs. Viras.

Carl Craig at his table.

Carl Craig meets Godzilla vs. the Smog Monster (1971) director Yoshimitsu Banno in July 2005. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Carl Craig and yours truly host the Noriaki Yuasa tribute panel discussion.

The photos below are from July 2007 when we recorded the Destroy All Planets commentary:

Recording the Destroy All Planets commentary track. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Gamera's Jim Morgan Returns to Japan!

Carl Craig with his film debut. Photo by Brett Homenick.

When I lived in Japan during my first go-round, one area of disappoint was the lack of visits to the country from folks I'd interviewed who'd been involved in Japanese movies in one capacity or another. Several people talked about making the trek and meeting up over here, but it ended up almost never happening. Well, I haven't been back all that long, and already my luck has improved.

 

On Saturday, March 28, I was privileged to spend the evening with Carl Craig, the former child actor who played Jim Morgan in Gamera vs. Viras (a.k.a. Destroy All Planets, 1968). I'd met Carl a number of times during the 2000s at conventions, but it's still hard for me to believe that I hadn't seen him in the flesh since 2007 when we recorded the commentary track for Retromedia's Destroy All Planets DVD. Where did all that time go?

We met up in Akihabara and walked around the area with his family. While Carl's daughters went shopping, he shared many stories from his days in Japan, the Air Force, and a host of other topics. 

It was surprisingly difficult for us to find a restaurant that could accommodate five guests. I suppose that's because it was Akihabara on a Saturday night, but I was taken aback by how many times we were turned away due to lack of available space. By this time, Carl's daughters wanted to eat at a nearby McDonald's which is what we did. (Even in Japan, you can't go wrong with a little Scottish cuisine.)

Of course, there were obligatory photos taken and autographs signed. All in all, it was a fun evening with a friend I hadn't seen in person in nearly -- gulp! -- 20 years. I hope our next visit doesn't take another 20.

Seeing 'Gamera' in 4K at Toho Cinemas!

My ticket to see Gamera in 4K. Photo by Brett Homenick.

On Friday, December 5, I made my way to Toho Cinemas Susukino in Sapporo, Hokkaido, to check out a screening of Giant Monster Gamera (1965), which was later Americanized as Gammera the Invincible (1966). The screening was of a 4K restoration that -- spoiler alert! -- looked incredible.

The Toho Line will not take you to Toho Cinemas. Photo by Brett Homenick.

In order to get to Toho Cinemas Susukino, I had to take the Namboku Line from Sapporo Station and completely bypass the Toho Line. (How can you not have Toho Cinemas along the Toho Line?!) Oh, well, at least we can say that Toho Cinemas puts the kino in Susukino. (Hyulk!)

Godzilla merch for sale. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Naturally, there was merch aplenty at the theater, and I have to confess that I bought my share of it, including at Gamera 50th anniversary T-shirt. I guess I did a decent job of not overindulging, but I still don't want to accumulate too much clutter.

Gamera merch for sale. Photo by Brett Homenick.

What was pretty fun was being able to look out the window of the theater lobby (which was situated on the 5th floor) and basically being able to see Gamera 2 (1996). Visiting Sapporo in December has its perks!

Gamera in 4K. Photo by Brett Homenick.

As for Gamera, what can I say? It's a wonderful movie, and, while it may not quite be my favorite Gamera movie, it's right up there. Of course, I've always preferred the Showa era to the Heisei era (by a country mile and then some), so that shouldn't surprise anyone. For what it's worth, it was also kind of cool seeing the flick in Hokkaido, given that's where a good chunk of the story takes place. 

I wonder if Legion (for they are many) are still hiding out in the "underground malls of Sapporo." Photo by Brett Homenick.

After Gamera, it was Saizeriya time, which made me happier than you could possibly imagine. There's not much more I enjoy in life than scrolling through my phone and guffawing at the goony nonsense I read while dining on some fine Italian cuisine at this even finer establishment. (This time, some social media post about Fishbone at WrestleMania XI legit made me laugh out loud.)

A really fun evening. Had a blast.

Keizo Murase, Legendary Kaiju Suitmaker, Passes Away at 89

Keizo Murase in October 2020. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Longtime kaiju suitmaker Keizo Murase passed away on October 14 at 8:21 p.m. at the age of 89. According to news reports, the cause of death was decompensated cirrhosis of the liver. 

Keizo Murase poses with an old friend in April 2019. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Murase-san's credits in the word of tokusatsu as a suitmaker are second to none. But I'll let the master himself tell his own story in my interviews with him, which can be read here and here. Those Q&As tell Murase-san's story better than I possibly could in this blog post.

Keizo Murase in March 2016. Photo by Brett Homenick.

To the best of my knowledge, I first met Murase-san at an event in May 2013. I subsequently met Murase-san in and around Tokyo numerous times and enjoyed interviewing him at his company more than once.

Keizo Murase chats with kaiju beam animator Sadao Iizuka in March 2016. Photo by Brett Homenick.

While I wasn't as close to him as I was with other Godzilla series alumni (as I recall, we spoke on the phone only once, and I received a New Year's greeting card from his company once or twice), I always enjoyed his friendly presence at the events his attended.

Keizo Murase poses with Ultra-series director Toshihiro Iijima in March 2016. Photo by Brett Homenick.

When I first interviewed him in April 2018, I remember he essentially showered me with gifts, presenting me with a Cast Co. bromide card set with photos from his career, as well as a copy of his book. It was a gesture I've always remembered and appreciated.

Keizo Murase in March 2016. Photo by Brett Homenick.

After the interview, which was held in Murase-san's workshop way out in Mizuho, Tokyo, I still had to teach a group lesson on the 10th floor of the Shinjuku Sumitomo Building (the same structure Godzilla crashes into after his first encounter with the Super X) that evening. Murase-san, who picked my translator and me from the nearby train station in his car, drove us back to the station when we were finished. Miraculously, I somehow made it to the lesson literally in the nick of time. Had I arrived even a minute later, I would have been late. It still amazes me how perfect the timing was, given the distances (and various modes of transportation) involved. 

Keizo Murase at his workshop in February 2024. Photo by Brett Homenick.

My last encounter with Murase-san was in February of this year, just before I left Japan. I visited his workshop one more time to interview him again about his career. Even after the third interview, I still didn't get to cover all the topics I would have liked, but I was and still am grateful to have had the opportunity. The interview probably won't be published for quite a while (I have a massive backlog), but I look forward to getting it published sometime in the future.

With Keizo Murase in February 2024.

When I visited Murase-san that day, he was riding high on the fact that he had been selected to receive a special award at the Japanese Academy Film Prize on March 8 for his contributions to Japanese cinema. The timing of that award was impeccable, and I'm proud that Murase-san was able to receive such a prestigious accolade in his lifetime.

With Keizo Murase in March 2016.

While we were taking photos after the interview in February, Murase-san grabbed his phone and asked his son to take a picture of the two of us together. I've said it before, but it's always cool when a VIP asks to take a photo with you. 

With Keizo Murase in October 2020.

Murase-san created some of the most fantastic images of my childhood, and it was my privilege that I was able to spend some precious moments in his company. Rest in peace, Murase-san.