Akira Takarada performs onstage in July 2015. Photo © Brett Homenick. Born on April 29, 1934, in what is now Chongjin, North Korea, Akira Takarada joined Toho as a member of the studio’s sixth New Face class in 1953 and quickly established himself as one of its brightest stars. His big break came with the … Continue reading MY LIFE WITH GODZILLA! Toho Star Akira Takarada Reflects on His Decades-Long Association with Filmdom’s Mightiest Monster!
Jun Fukuda
REVISITING GODZILLA FANDOM’S GLORY DAYS! David Milner on Writing for the Early Kaiju Fanzines and Interviewing Toho Icons!
David Milner poses with legendary film composer Akira Ifukube in his home. Photo © David Milner. Godzilla fandom in the U.S. began to take shape in the early 1970s, and David Milner was there to witness its growth. As a contributor to the various Japanese monster movie fanzines that existed at the time, Mr. Milner … Continue reading REVISITING GODZILLA FANDOM’S GLORY DAYS! David Milner on Writing for the Early Kaiju Fanzines and Interviewing Toho Icons!
A YOUNG LIFE IN CINEMA! Hiroyuki Kawase on Acting in the Godzilla Series and Working with Akira Kurosawa!
Hiroyuki Kawase in February 2021. Photo © Brett Homenick. Born on August 28, 1963, Hiroyuki Kawase got one of the luckiest breaks any actor could receive by getting cast in Akira Kurosawa's Oscar-nominated drama Dodes'ka-den (1970) as a child actor, playing the son of a beggar. Following this auspicious role, Mr. Kawase starred in Godzilla … Continue reading A YOUNG LIFE IN CINEMA! Hiroyuki Kawase on Acting in the Godzilla Series and Working with Akira Kurosawa!
MECHAGODZILLA’S FIRST CO-STAR! Masaaki Daimon on His Acting Career in the 1970s!
Masaaki Daimon in April 2021. Photo © Brett Homenick. Born on March 10, 1949, Masaaki Daimon launched his acting career in 1971 with a brief appearance in episode 18 of Return of Ultraman (1971-72). Shortly thereafter, Mr. Daimon was cast as a lead in Yasuzo Masumura's tragic drama Games (1971), which led to work in … Continue reading MECHAGODZILLA’S FIRST CO-STAR! Masaaki Daimon on His Acting Career in the 1970s!
TOKUSATSU BEGINNINGS! Eiichi Asada on Becoming an Assistant Director at Toho in the 1970s!
Eiichi Asada in March 2021. Photo © Brett Homenick. Born on March 13, 1949, Eiichi Asada got his start at Toho Studios in the early 1970s as an assistant director, working on such movies as Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973), Submersion of Japan (1973), Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla (1974), and Espy (1974). In later years, Mr. Asada … Continue reading TOKUSATSU BEGINNINGS! Eiichi Asada on Becoming an Assistant Director at Toho in the 1970s!
MEMOIRS OF AN ICONOCLASTIC SCREENWRITER! Fumio Ishimori on His Scriptwriting Career in Japanese Film and Television!
Fumio Ishimori in November 2020. Photo © Brett Homenick. Born on July 31, 1931, screenwriter Fumio Ishimori's work has touched just about every facet of Japanese entertainment. Hailing from from Haboro, Hokkaido, he joined Nikkatsu as a screenwriter in 1963 and later signed with Shochiku in 1969. In total, Mr. Ishimori has written more than … Continue reading MEMOIRS OF AN ICONOCLASTIC SCREENWRITER! Fumio Ishimori on His Scriptwriting Career in Japanese Film and Television!
THE LAST SAMURAI: Hiroshi Fujioka Recalls His Career in Japanese Science Fiction!
Photo © Sanki Worldwide Co., Ltd. Born on February 19, 1946, actor Hiroshi Fujioka made his film debut at Shochiku in 1965, after which he appeared in a small role in the international cult classic The X from Outer Space (1967). Shortly thereafter, Mr. Fujioka rose to fame with the popular TV superhero series Kamen … Continue reading THE LAST SAMURAI: Hiroshi Fujioka Recalls His Career in Japanese Science Fiction!
LETTERS FROM BALTONIA! Steven Greene on His Role as Prime Minister in Toho’s ‘Espy’!
Steven Greene in a recent photo with a copy of Stars and Stripes. Photo © Steven Greene. New York-born Steven D. Greene primarily made his living in the U.S. Army as a deep-sea diver (for 15 and a half years) and newspaperman, but in the early 1970s he was cast as the prime minister of … Continue reading LETTERS FROM BALTONIA! Steven Greene on His Role as Prime Minister in Toho’s ‘Espy’!
INVENTING A BRILLIANT ACTING CAREER! Katsuhiko Sasaki on His Toho Roles and Tokusatsu Legacy!
Katsuhiko Sasaki in April 2013. Photo © Brett Homenick. Katsuhiko Sasaki is a third-generation movie actor whose credits in the Godzilla series are among the most popular. Born on December 24, 1944, in Tokyo, Mr. Sasaki’s father (Minoru Chiaki) and grandfather (Takamaru Sasaki) were not only actors themselves, but also appeared in Godzilla movies (Godzilla … Continue reading INVENTING A BRILLIANT ACTING CAREER! Katsuhiko Sasaki on His Toho Roles and Tokusatsu Legacy!
TOKUSATSU’S MAN OF LETTERS! Hiroyasu Yamaura on Scripting Godzilla and the Ultra-Series!
Hiroyasu Yamaura is a prolific scriptwriter for both film and television, whose work has crossed many genres. His writing credits include such popular anime titles as Mazinger Z (1972-74), Lupin the Third: Part II (1977-80), and Galaxy Express 999 (1978-81). In the world of tokusatsu, Mr. Yamaura co-wrote the screenplays for Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (1974) and Tokyo Blackout (1987), as … Continue reading TOKUSATSU’S MAN OF LETTERS! Hiroyasu Yamaura on Scripting Godzilla and the Ultra-Series!
Vantage Point Interviews 