Eiichi Asada in June 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 Terror of Mechagodzilla (1975), The War in Space (1977), Deathquake (1980), Sayonara Jupiter (1984), and Godzilla 1985 (1984). In later … Continue reading RISING THROUGH THE TOKUSATSU RANKS! Eiichi Asada Reflects on His Career as an Assistant SFX Director in the 1970s and ’80s!
Terror of Mechagodzilla
MECHAGODZILLA’S SEQUEL SECRETS! Yukiko Takayama on Writing the Screenplay for ‘Terror of Mechagodzilla’!
Yukiko Takayama in January 2016. Photo © Brett Homenick. Born on April 4, 1945, to the famous Japanese painter Tatsuo Takayama (1912-2007), Yukiko Takayama studied screenwriting at the Scenario Center after graduating from Keio University's Faculty of Letters. The Scenario Center was launched in 1970 by prolific scriptwriter Hajime Arai, who was known for penning … Continue reading MECHAGODZILLA’S SEQUEL SECRETS! Yukiko Takayama on Writing the Screenplay for ‘Terror of Mechagodzilla’!
MEMORIES OF MECHAGODZILLA! SFX Director Teruyoshi Nakano Reflects on 35 Years of ‘Terror of Mechagodzilla’!
Teruyoshi Nakano in December 2015. Photo © Brett Homenick. Teruyoshi Nakano is one of Japan’s masters of special effects. Born in what is now Dandong, China, on October 9, 1935, Mr. Nakano joined Toho in 1959 and quickly moved up the ranks in special effects, becoming chief assistant director under Eiji Tsuburaya by 1963. In … Continue reading MEMORIES OF MECHAGODZILLA! SFX Director Teruyoshi Nakano Reflects on 35 Years of ‘Terror of Mechagodzilla’!
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!
GODZILLA’S CROWNING MOMENT! UPA’s Post-Production Supervisor Richard Krown on Americanizing Toho Classics!
Photo © Richard Krown. Born on February 17, 1931, Richard Krown grew up in the Los Angeles area and joined United Productions of America in the 1960s. At UPA, Mr. Krown worked on some of the most beloved Americanizations of Toho monster films, usually as production (or post-production) supervisor. Among his Toho monster movie credits … Continue reading GODZILLA’S CROWNING MOMENT! UPA’s Post-Production Supervisor Richard Krown on Americanizing Toho Classics!
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!
TOHO’S MAN OF ACTION! Toru Ibuki Recalls His Adventurous Years On- and Off-screen!
Toru Ibuki was Toho’s action star of the 1960s, and some of the action scenes he performed proved to be more dangerous than mere stunts. Born on January 28, 1940, Mr. Ibuki’s acting career brought him to the attention of worldwide audiences via his roles in the Godzilla series. Most notably, Mr. Ibuki played the … Continue reading TOHO’S MAN OF ACTION! Toru Ibuki Recalls His Adventurous Years On- and Off-screen!
TOKUSATSU THE TOHO WAY! Takashi Naganuma on Creating SFX for the Godzilla Series!
Born on July 20, 1947, in Niigata City, Niigata Prefecture, Takashi Naganuma began his career in special effects in the early 1970s and lent his talents to many Toho tokusatsu productions through the early 1990s. In May 2019, Mr Naganuma was interviewed by Brett Homenick about his work on the Godzilla series and beyond. The … Continue reading TOKUSATSU THE TOHO WAY! Takashi Naganuma on Creating SFX for the Godzilla Series!
GODZILLA’S LEADING MAN OF THE 1970S! Katsuhiko Sasaki Discusses His Life and Career in Film!
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 Raids Again and Monster Zero, respectively). Mr. Sasaki joined Toho … Continue reading GODZILLA’S LEADING MAN OF THE 1970S! Katsuhiko Sasaki Discusses His Life and Career in Film!
REFLECTIONS IN A GLOWING EYE! Tomoko Ai on Her Breakout Role as Katsura Mafune!
Tomoko Ai never dreamed of becoming an actress, but once she became one, she achieved international attention with her starring role as Katsura Mafune in Terror of Mechagodzilla (1975). Prior to her casting in the final Godzilla movie in the Showa series, she portrayed Monster Attacking Crew (MAC) member Haruko Matsuki in Ultraman Leo (1974-75). In July … Continue reading REFLECTIONS IN A GLOWING EYE! Tomoko Ai on Her Breakout Role as Katsura Mafune!
Vantage Point Interviews 