With the Tokusatsu DNA exhibit set to close in a few days, I made another trek to Tokyo Tower to take in the sights one more time. I brought my point-and-shoot camera with me this time, but I'll share those photos a bit later. Here are the pictures I took with my phone, which are probably nearly identical to the previous ones I posted. Oh, well. Enjoy!
Mirrorman's Nobuyuki Ishida poses with his heroic alter ego at Super Festival in January 2016. Photo by Brett Homenick.
The Japanese media is reporting that Mirrorman star Nobuyuki Ishida, who played Kyotaro Kagami, passed away at a hospital in Kawasaki City of colon cancer on June 13. The funeral was held on June 16. He was 68.
Nobuyuki Ishida discusses his career at Super Festival in January 2016. Photo by Brett Homenick.
Mirrorman (1971-72) remains one of Tsuburaya Productions' most popular tokusatsu series, and Mr. Ishida was a sought-after guest at many fan events in Japan. He had been battling health issues in recent years, but he still attended as many of these events as he could.
With Nobuyuki Ishida in October 2015.
I had the distinct privilege of meeting Mr. Ishida at one such event in October 2015. Though he would continue to make appearances at other gatherings for some time thereafter, this would be the only time I'd get to greet him in person.
Rest in peace, Mr. Ishida.
Tokusatsu maven Maxwell Bresee has posted this tribute to Mr. Ishida at Beta Capsule Reviews.
On Wednesday, May 22, I spent a great afternoon with Toho SFX veteran Takashi Naganuma. I learned a lot about the films he worked on. Suffice it to say, he's enjoyed a fascinating career behind the scenes!
Mirrorman and Gamera welcome you to Toriaezu! Photo by Brett Homenick.
In my travels in and around Nogata Station, I've passed by a small restaurant-bar with various tokusatsu items on display. It's caught my eye more than once, but for one reason or another, I always took a pass and planned to go there the next time. Well, I finally stopped by today, and I must say that Toriaezu is a lot of fun.
No, it's not owned by a former tokusatsu star, and the matsuri masks are only there for the summer. But there's a wide variety of cool items on display as you sip your drink or munch on your yakitori. Here's a sample of what can currently be seen there. Enjoy!
SFX masters Teruyoshi Nakano and Takashi Naganuma hold court in Yokohama. Photo by Brett Homenick.
Following the Godzilla Tokusatsu exhibit, I attended a talk hosted by Teruyoshi Nakano and Takashi Naganuma. Bith gentlemen spoke extensively about the Daiei Studios Daimajin series and their thoughts on it.
After the talk was finished, it was dinnertime! Nakano-san, as usual, shared many stories, including his memory of meeting director Robert Wise on the set of Matango (1963).
It was a lot of fun, as usual, and a great way to cap off the evening. See you all next time!
Actor Kei Shindachiya is large and in charge! Photo by Brett Homenick.
Tonight, I spent a pleasant evening in the bar owned by Chikyu Sentai Fiveman (1990-91) actor Kei Shindachiya, who played FiveBlue. As I blogged before, Shindachiya-san also made guest appearances on Choriki Sentai Ohranger (1995-96) and Ultraman Gaia (1998-99).
We spent most of our time talking about California. Shindachiya-san had many funny stories to tell about his various trips to my home state. I enjoyed a plate of curry as he shared his memories. Thanks again, Shindachiya-san!
Bar owner Ryusuke Kuzuoka has a collection to make most hardcore collectors jealous. Photo by Brett Homenick.
Ginza is famous for many things, but tokusatsu bars isn't one of them. But, if you look carefully enough, you'll find the genre represented in all its glory. The tokusatsu bar called Cyclone is a great watering hole for anyone who loves to talk toku.
Owner Ryusuke Kuzuoka is a dedicated fan and collector, and he certainly knows his stuff. Much of his collection is on display at his bar, and the collectibles range from Kamen Rider to Super Sentai, from Metal Heroes to Ultraman, and (naturally) from Godzilla to Gamera.
I had a great time chatting with Kuzuoka-san at Cyclone tonight. It's great to meet other fans who share such a passion for a variety of movies and TV shows and not just the standard stuff everyone seems to be into.
Toys, toys, and more toys! Super Festival offers kaiju toy collectors an array of figures to choose from.
On October 7, 2012, Super Festival 60 was held in Tokyo's Science Museum, a stone's throw from the Imperial Palace. Much was packed into the day's events, including the appearance of the three most prominent Godzilla suit actors.
It's Ultraman Zero to the rescue at Super Festival!
Aside from whatever toy sales might have been going on (which, quite frankly, don't interest me), the first event of the day was Hiroshi Fujioka's talk show. Mr. Fujioka was not only the first Kamen Rider, but he went on to star in such Toho SFX films as Submersion of Japan (1973), Espy (1974), Conflagration (1975), and Zero Fighter (1976). The audience for Fujioka-san's talk show sprawled out the door, as the legendary actor talked about his Kamen Rider days. He ended by performing his iconic "henshin" pose, which drew cheers from the enthralled audience.
The three Godzillas in a more thoughtful state: Tsutomu Kitagawa, Kenpachiro Satsuma, and Haruo Nakajima describe the differences between their approaches to Godzilla.
Immediately after Hiroshi Fujioka's interview, The Men Who Played Godzilla took the stage to recall their days of city-stomping. Each actor described his style of suit-acting, as members of the audience eagerly snapped photos of the meeting of the monsters. I should note that the audience for this session was about half the size of Hiroshi Fujioka's. Kamen Rider may be obscure in America, but it's one of the most popular franchises in Japan. Godzilla seems to have met his match.
Destroy all monsters! The Men Who Played Godzilla pose for the paparazzi.
Following the Godzilla talk show, it was autograph time. Attendees could purchase a shikishi board that all three Godzilla suit actors would sign, which is what I did. I also purchased an extra autograph from Nakajima-san for my DeAgostini Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster DVD, whose signature joins those of Akira Takarada, Kumi Mizuno, and Teruyoshi Nakano.
Nakajima-san was first. Of course, Mr. Nakajima is getting on in years, so he didn't recognize me until I sat down next to him. When he saw me, well, the above photo speaks for itself! (Yes, this pose was his idea!)
Kenpachiro Satsuma was next. It was actually my first time meeting him. I found him to be personable and gregarious. Wish I could have spent more time in his company, but that will have to wait for next time!
Who says Japanese fans are all shy and reserved? I think the above photo explodes that myth!
The Millennium series suit actor Tsutomu Kitagawa was last, but like Messrs. Satsuma and Nakajima, he proved to be a friendly and classy gentleman.
I also met Koichi Kawakita again and purchased a couple of items from his table. Even on a budget, I was able to purchase a few mementos!
And there's my shikishi board with the signatures of the Godzilla series' three main principal suit actors. Too cool for words, so the picture will have to do.
Below is some video I shot of the suit actors' talk show. Enjoy!
