Kaoru Yumi in March 2023. Photo © Brett Homenick. One of Japan's most enduring media stars, Kaoru Yumi began her entertainment career in 1966 as a singer, dancer, and film actress. In the 1970s, Ms. Yumi began appearing in numerous tokusatsu productions for Toho, which include her playing Mariko Nishiyama in The Last Days of … Continue reading DANCING INTO SUPERSTARDOM! Actress Kaoru Yumi on Her Enchanting Early Career and Standout Toho Tokusatsu Roles!
Shochiku
RACING TOWARD SEATOPIA! Yutaka Hayashi Recalls His Acting Career in Mysteries, Thrillers, and Godzilla!
Yutaka Hayashi in February 2024. Photo © Brett Homenick. Around the world, Yutaka Hayashi is best known for his acting career, especially for playing the role of race car driver Hiroshi Jinkawa in Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973), but his work in entertainment encompasses not just film as an actor but a variety of bands as … Continue reading RACING TOWARD SEATOPIA! Yutaka Hayashi Recalls His Acting Career in Mysteries, Thrillers, and Godzilla!
REFLECTIONS OF MISS AIRLIFTER! Kathy Horan Remembers Her Acting and Modeling Career in Japan!
Kathy Horan's first Miss Airlifter photo, appearing in Pacific Stars and Stripes in 1967. Photo © Pacific Stars and Stripes. Kathy Horan was born in Roswell, New Mexico, on March 5, 1948, and came to Japan in the 1960s as a military brat during her sophomore year of high school. She subsequently appeared in a … Continue reading REFLECTIONS OF MISS AIRLIFTER! Kathy Horan Remembers Her Acting and Modeling Career in Japan!
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!
PUTTING WORDS IN THEIR MOUTHS! Dick Nieskens Talks Dubbing!
Dick Nieskens holds a distinction that few in the realm of dubbing can claim. As a voice actor during the 1980s, he dubbed movies and TV programs in both Tokyo and Hong Kong. In Tokyo, Mr. Nieskens worked under the tutelage of William Ross, whose Frontier Enterprises is well known to kaiju aficionados as … Continue reading PUTTING WORDS IN THEIR MOUTHS! Dick Nieskens Talks Dubbing!
TATSUYOSHI EHARA CONTINUED! The Second Half of the Toho Actor’s Filmmaking Memories!
Tatsuyoshi Ehara is a prolific Japanese actor whose career stretches all the way back to the 1940s. Born on March 26, 1937, Mr. Ehara began in entertainment as a child actor. His entry point into the world of filmmaking was at Shochiku Studios, the home of legendary auteur Yasujiro Ozu. Moving to Toho Studios in the … Continue reading TATSUYOSHI EHARA CONTINUED! The Second Half of the Toho Actor’s Filmmaking Memories!
FILMMAKING DURING THE SHOWA ERA! A Look Back at the Golden Age of Cinema with Tatsuyoshi Ehara!
Tatsuyoshi Ehara is a prolific Japanese actor whose career stretches all the way back to the 1940s. Born on March 26, 1937, Mr. Ehara began in entertainment as a child actor. His entry point into the world of filmmaking was at Shochiku Studios, the home of legendary auteur Yasujiro Ozu. Moving to Toho Studios in the … Continue reading FILMMAKING DURING THE SHOWA ERA! A Look Back at the Golden Age of Cinema with Tatsuyoshi Ehara!
GUILALA GUY! Shinichi Yanagisawa on His Decades-Long Entertainment Career
Born on December 19, 1932, in Tokyo, Shinichi Yanagisawa began his entertainment career as a jazz singer in postwar Japan but soon found himself in demand as an actor, both in front of the camera and behind the microphone as a voice talent. Mr. Yanagisawa plays the comic relief character Miyamoto in The X from … Continue reading GUILALA GUY! Shinichi Yanagisawa on His Decades-Long Entertainment Career
MY LIFE IN TOKUSATSU! Actress Yukie Kagawa Reflects on Her SFX Career!
Yukie Kagawa is an actress whose career has touched most of the major studios in Japan. Working in genre movies and TV programs at Daiei, Shochiku, and Toei, Ms. Kagawa has played a wide variety of roles, from leading ladies to treacherous villains. With a career that has covered everything from the Gamera series to … Continue reading MY LIFE IN TOKUSATSU! Actress Yukie Kagawa Reflects on Her SFX Career!
Vantage Point Interviews 