A Performance in Nakano!

Yumi Mizusawa and Tatsuhito Go. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Today, I attended a play in Nakano Ward in which actress-singer Yumi Mizusawa was one of the ensemble performers. Mizusawa-san starred in the TV series What Is Youth? (1965-66) alongside Yosuke Natsuki. While her credits are mostly non-genre, she appeared in episode 91 of Kamen Rider (1971-73) and episode 16 of Iron King (1972-73). Her most notable film appearance is in Kihachi Okamoto's Epoch of Murder Madness (1967).

After the show, I realized that I was sitting one seat away from actor Tatsuhito Go. Go-san was a regular on Strada 5 (1974) and appeared in episodes of the series Jekyll and Hyde (1973) and Zone Fighter (1973) as well as Godzilla vs. the Smog Monster (1971). After chatting with Mizusawa-san, she invited Go-san over for a photo op. It was certainly an unexpected bonus!

An Event Celebrating the Memory of Yusaku Matsuda

With Hironobu Hagimae (left) and Toru Murakawa (center). 

The Golden Week festivities continued on May 3, as I attended a special evening event with stuntman Hironobu Hagimae and director Toru Murakawa. The event centered around a screening of a Yusaku Matsuda film directed by Murakawa-san, but given my work schedule, I had to miss it. 

Toru Murakawa. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Toru Murakawa is a director best known for his many collaborations with actor Yusaku Matsuda. Murakawa-san directed the films The Resurrection of the Golden Wolf (1979) and The Beast to Die (1980), both of which star Matsuda. 

On the small screen, he directed episodes of Daitsuiseki (1978) and Tantei Monogatari (1979-80). However, I know Murakawa-san best as the chief assistant director of the Japanese scenes of Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970).

Hironobu Hagimae. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Also on hand was Hironobu Hagimae. He's performed as a stuntman in America, Japan, and even Australia. He's a veteran of the '70s Kamen Rider series, as well as Mad Max (1979) and The Road Warrior (1981). 

I had a great time talking with Hagimae-san about his various adventures around the world. Hard to believe it had been a year since I first met him.

All in all, it was a lot of fun, and I hope we can do it again soon!

RUSHIA IS COOL! Meeting Pink Jaguar Again!

Rushia Santo. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

During Golden Week, on May 2, I attended an event at which Rushia (a.k.a. Lucia) Santo was the main guest. Santo-san is an actress-singer whose career dates back to the early 1970s. She is best known for playing Pink Jaguar in Daitetsujin 17 (1977), and she also can be seen in Nobuhiko Obayashi's The Visitor in the Eye (1977).

She's very friendly, and I had a great time chatting with her. Although I know her mostly for her work as Pink Jaguar, I should really delve into her non-genre works.

Hiroshi Kashiwabara Interview on Vantage Point Interviews!

Hiroshi Kashiwabara (and friends) in March 2019. Photo by Brett Homenick.

My interview with Godzilla series screenwriter Hiroshi Kashiwabara (Godzilla vs. Space Godzilla, Godzilla 2000, and Godzilla vs. Megaguirus) has been posted on Vantage Point Interviews. I could tell you what's in it, but why don't you check it out for yourself? Enjoy!

Gundam Towers over Odaiba!

It had been years since I'd last seen the huge Gundam statue in Odaiba, but since I was in the area today, I decided to stop by and photograph it. Enjoy!

Yasuyuki Inoue Exhibit in Odaiba

Today, I finally attended the special Yasuyuki Inoue exhibition held at Gallery21 in Odaiba. The exhibit, scheduled to end tomorrow, features a bevy of Inoue's various production and monster designs and sketches. 

I'd already seen most of the items on display two years ago at a similar event, but more than a few seemed new, particularly the designs and sketches related to Submersion of Japan and Deathquake. But perhaps I just missed them the first time.

While there, illustrator Shinji Nishikawa was taking requests and drawing monsters for attendees. It was quite amazing to watch him sketch Spiga from Son of Godzilla. All in all, it was an enjoyable way to spend this Golden Week afternoon.

Supporting Actor Godzilla Museum!

When it comes to the media blitz surrounding the upcoming Legendary Pictures Godzilla movie, it should come as no surprise that the titular King of the Monsters is receiving the lion's share of the attention. So leave it to the Supporting Actor Godzilla Museum exhibit in Shibuya (inside the Movida building) to give the spotlight over to the other monsters and mecha that have populated the Godzilla series over the years. Various props (some replicas, some original) were on display, as well as a menagerie of monsters. Godzilla himself wasn't totally absent, as a promotional statue for the Legendary Pictures movie greets exhibit-goers at the entrance. Here's what I saw.