SEEING FUMIO ISHIMORI'S NEW PLAY! Asakusa Is the Place to Be!

Fumio Ishimori stands outside the theater in Asakusa. Photo by Brett Homenick.

On Sunday, I had an opportunity to take in the new comedy play written by Fumio Ishimori (a.k.a. Shiro Ishimori). Ishimori-san is a longtime screenwriter who has written numerous films for Nikkastu and Shochiku studios.  

Fumio Ishimori signs my DVD sleeve of Crest of the Wolf. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

For Toho, he wrote the horror film Crest of the Wolf (1973) with Jun Fukuda. He also wrote several episodes of the original Kamen Rider (1971-73), as well as episodes of Ultraman Ace (1972-73) and Zone Fighter (1973).

When I found out about Ishimori-san's play, I knew I had to check it out. Thankfully, my Sunday afternoon was open, and I was able to make it. It was an enjoyable parody with a Lupin III-type character as the focal point, and it had the audience laughing throughout.

With Ishimori-san and many of the cast members.

Afterward, we posed for photos and chatted a bit. I also got to meet many of the cast, and everyone was quite friendly. I look forward to seeing his next play!

A RETURN TO KAPPABASHI! Asakusa's Kitchen Town Is Where It's At!

On Sunday, I made my way to Asakusa, and while there, I decided to photograph the giant chef's head in Kappabashi. The last time I was there, it was nighttime, so I knew I'd eventually come back during the day to take better shots.

Despite there being some overcast, the photos turned out much better than my previous attempt. The sunshine really makes a difference!

It's always fun to see fun, offbeat things in Japan, and while this has absolutely no connections with kaiju, it's about the size of one!

LUNCH WITH A DESIGNER! Spending Time with a True Monster Creator!

Akihiko Iguchi during our lunch. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

On Sunday afternoon, I had an Indian lunch with longtime designer Akihiko Iguchi. We talked a bit about the late Kensho Yamashita, with whom Iguchi-san was good friends. We both will miss Yamashita-san, who was as nice as they come.

Even though the framing is a bit off, I love this shot!

Iguchi-san also showed me some designs he recently made. They were just as impressive as ever. It's truly gratifying to see Iguchi-san staying busy doing what he loves.

It was a wonderful afternoon, and I look forward to meeting Iguchi-san again very soon.

ULTRAMAN GAIA IN TOKYO! Seeing Two Cast Members in the Big City!

Taking a selfie with Ultraman Gaia star Takeshi Yoshioka. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

On Saturday, I went to the bar owned and operated by actor Takeshi Yoshioka, Ultraman Gaia's alter ego from Tsuburaya Productions' Ultraman Gaia (1998-99). Although the place was crowded due to some live musical performances that were taking place, I still managed to have a nice chat with Yoshioka-san.

Ultraman Gaia actress Maria Theresa Gow performs live. Photo by Brett Homenick.

On Friday evening, I attended a live performance in Ginza by Maria Theresa Gow, who sang a variety of songs (jazz, pop, you name it) and entertained the packed audience. Gow-san played Georgie Leland in Ultraman Gaia. Likewise, I enjoyed chatting with her for a bit.

SEARCHING FOR THE GHOST OF YOTSUYA! I Ain't Afraid of No Yurei!

On Saturday night, I made a stop at Yotsuya Station. Whenever I come to Yotsuya, I can't help but to think of the famous Japanese ghost story "The Ghost of Yotsuya." This tale has been made into feature films several times over many years, though the 1959 version directed by Nobuo Nakagawa is widely considered to be the best.

Unfortunately, I didn't see any ghosts, yurei, spirits, or anything else hanging out in either the JR or Marunouchi train platform, but it was nonetheless a fun thing to do.

While there, I noticed that the next station on the Marunouchi Line, Yotsuya-sanchome, had an interesting designation. It must be a station whose popularity could conquer Asia. Well, maybe not.

THE HATTORI CLOCK TOWER AT NIGHT! Some Nighttime Shots of Ginza!

Ginza's Hattori Clock Tower (atop the Wako department store) as seen at night. Photo by Brett Homenick.

On Friday night, I made a return trip to Ginza and took some photos of the Hattori Clock Tower, a notable location in Godzilla (1954). Here they are!

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!