Above, Godzilla stands guard at the entrance to Hibiya Chanter Square.
Near the Godzilla statue at the Hibiya Chanter Square in Tokyo are metal hand casts of Japanese celebrities. This is Japan's version of the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Among them are a couple of names Americans are familiar with: Tom Cruise and Jackie Chan. Cruise's hand cast was added at about the time The Last Samurai was released.
While I am not a fan of Tom Cruise by any stretch of the imagination, there are some Cruise fans out there who would be interested in seeing his hand cast along with Jackie Chan's.
Written By: Ken Hulsey Source: The Examiner (Pittsburgh)
Is Toho planning to release a brand-new "Godzilla" movie in Japan at the same time that the new Legendary Pictures "Godzilla 3D" is released here in America?
Well, according to a Pittsburgh film industry reporter ........ yes, that is exactly what Toho is planning to do and actually has been planning to do for some time.
According to Fiore Mastracci of Examiner.com Toho had originally wanted to produce a new "Godzilla" movie for a 2012 release, but due to issues with the script and other aspects of the film the studio was having trouble getting things moving. When the Japanese movie company was approached by Legendary Pictures about making another "American" Godzilla movie they viewed it as a way to get the monster back into theaters without having to produce a film themselves.
Now, however, the studio may be looking to go forward with their own Godzilla movie after all.
According to the report, Toho may still be aiming for a December 2012 release date for their film, which may mean that the Japanese movie and Legendary's "Godzilla 3D" may be released within months, or weeks, of each other creating an international Godzilla vs Godzilla cinema battle.
Here is an excerpt from the original article:
Toho may scrub its planned 2012 release and attempt to satisfy fans with the new American version. This will allow them to keep to their original decade of retirement. The American version will satisfy clamoring fans and give the parent company the needed time to work out its difficulties. But, as of now, both movies could be released within months of each other, creating an on-screen battle of epic proportions.
The article also states that Toho may plan to make a new Godzilla movie, then put its release on hold to see how the American film does. If the Gareth Edwards helmed 3D "G" film does well, then Toho would release the Japanese movie, if not, then they may opt to scrap it or release it only in Japan.
Another excerpt:
No official word from Toho yet if it will still release its project in December 2012 or add the two remaining years to Godzilla’s forced retirement. Speculation is that Toho may release its new version of Godzilla, but only in Japan, allowing them to gauge reaction to Edward's treatment first and providing the opportunity to compare fan reaction and acceptance.
I want to point out that this is the first time that I have heard anything about this. Could it be that somehow with all the excitement surrounding Lengendary's "Godzilla 3D" Toho was able to slip this one under the radar?
Maybe.
Then again Maybe not. It is hard to gauge whether Fiore Mastracci may have gotten a scoop that has eluded just about everyone in the monster movie media, or that he may have simply gotten his facts wrong, confusing the ill-fated "Godzilla 3D To The Max" with a new Toho Godzilla movie.
Hopefully, this is all legit and we can all look forward to possibly two new Godzilla films in the next couple of years.
Metropolis magazine, the number one English-language magazine in Japan (circulation: 30,000), has posted the interview article on The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan at the magazine's website.
The article starts with:
Tell us about your book.
The Monster Movie Fan’s Guide To Japan is a travel guide with fans of Japanese science fiction and fantasy movies in mind. It describes locations and their history, what movie(s) they were in, where to stay, and what other attractions are nearby. The book can be used by vacationers or tour companies to tailor tours for monster fans.
The print edition has the article sharing two pages with singer Christina Aguilera. If you are currently in Japan, head out to your local newsstand and grab a copy!
Above, past Toho Godzilla stars join Tom and Diane Dougherty at the Godzilla Fan Club's event in Ginza. Left to right: Kenji Sahara, Hiroshi Koizumi, Diane, Tom and Akira Takarada. Photo courtesy of Clawmark Toys.
The Santa & Mrs. Claus of Japan, Tom & Diane Dougherty, attended a Godzilla Fan Club event on Christmas Day that was held in Ginza, Tokyo. The event was held in a building across Ginza Crossing from the Wako Department Store.
Says Tom Dougherty:
We were lucky enough to get invited to a Godzilla Fan Club function on Christmas day. Check out our site for the full story and all the photos.
Lots of Godzilla star power. The event was held right across from the Wako Dept. Store (how fitting). I am attaching a couple of photos you might enjoy. Anyway check our site under "Monster Happenings In Tokyo."
Above, with Godzilla in the foreground, the Wako Department Store clock tower can be seen from the party room's window. Photo courtesy of Clawmark Toys.
The print edition of The Daily Yomiuri article, "A Look Around Godzilla's Old Stomping Ground" showed up (faster than I expected) in the mailbox today.
I scanned the article and here it is below (click on image to view larger):
The interview for the article and photo were done on December 7th in Hibiya and published in the December 24 edition.
In case you haven't read the article or the image isn't clear enough, here's the full text:
A look around Godzilla's old stomping ground
Tom Baker / Daily Yomiuri Staff Writer
Godzilla was the embodiment of war in his eponymous 1954 debut film, but he saved the Earth from ecological doom in Godzilla vs the Smog Monster in 1971. The giant reptilian monster has meant many things to many people.
But did you ever imagine him as a tourist? According to The Monster Movie Fan's Guide to Japan (51 pp, 15 dollars, available via www.comixpress.com), Godzilla has ranged as far north as Sapporo, where he destroyed the TV Tower in one of his many films, and as far south as the Sakurajima volcano in Kyushu, near which he came ashore in another.
One place he hasn't visited is New York. Or perhaps that point is arguable. Armand Vaquer, the guidebook's author, told The Daily Yomiuri in a recent interview that devoted fans refer to the 1998 U.S. film in which Godzilla took a bite of the Big Apple as GINO ("Godzilla In Name Only").
For fans devoted enough to make a pilgrimage to Japan, Vaquer's book will tell them where to find landmarks associated not only with Godzilla, but also with his titanic terrapin counterpart, Gamera.
Some of the practical information in the book is a bit dated. For instance, it has been a few years since a plane-to-terminal bus ride was a routine part of arriving at Narita Airport.
However, most travelers are likely to rely on more conventional guidebooks for such details, using this one for it specialized insights. Those begin at the airport, too, about which Vaquer writes: "Interestingly, a video of the procedures at the Immigration desk features G-FEST XIV [monster fan convention] guest and Godzilla actress Shelley Sweeney. So at least you will be able to see a familiar, friendly face."
Vaquer's devotion to his subject shines through in his book and also in person, but it is not uncritical devotion. In the entry on the Seto Ohashi bridge, which connects Okayama and Kagawa prefectures, he writes, "In Godzilla vs King Ghidora (1991) King Ghidora blasts the bridge (in a not-too-convincing effect) during a fly-by."
A more positively memorable scene involved what Vaquer described in the interview as a cake-shaped cinema that stood on the site of the present-day Yurakucho Mullion building in Tokyo.
"That was in the 1954 Godzilla, where Godzilla steps on the train tracks, and the power surging through him causes his tail to whip about, and it smashes into the building. The inside joke there is that the patrons that were seeing the movie in that actual theater got to see the tail just hit the building they're sitting in watching it," he said.
In another part of town, the Diet Building has suffered abuse in several films, by Godzilla, Mechagodzilla, Mothra and King Kong, which must have been a cathartic experience for at least some members of the audience each time.
The book includes a page about the Daigo Fukuryu Maru Exhibition Hall in Koto Ward, Tokyo, which houses the Japanese fishing boat whose 1954 irradiation by fallout from a U.S. hydrogen bomb test was a real-life reference point for the original Godzilla film.
For monster movie fans, a stop at this spot will mark a solemn pause in an otherwise lighthearted journey.
"Monster Japan Travel Guide vs. The Japanese Media"
The world's first travel guide tailored to fans of Japanese science-fiction and fantasy movies, "The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan," has made a big splash in the Japanese media.
Author Armand Vaquer of Tarzana, California recently visited Japan and was interviewed by "Japan Today," "The Daily Yomiuri" and "Metropolis" magazine on the travel guide.
"I was kept pretty busy during my trip to Japan, " said Vaquer. "During the Tokyo portion of the trip, I was interviewed by several publications and even had my photo taken with the Godzilla statue in Hibiya, Tokyo. The questions ran the gamut of monster movie locations in the travel guide to who would really win a fight between King Kong and Godzilla."
While the interviews did take up much of Vaquer's time in Tokyo, he did manage to tour around Tokyo to see the new Godzilla statue at the main gate at Toho Studios and the Tokyo Sky Tree Tower now under construction. A photo of Vaquer with the Toho Studios Godzilla statue was included with one of the interview articles.
On the Tokyo Sky Tree Tower, Vaquer was asked if Toho should resume production of Godzilla movies, "Would the Sky Tree make an appearance?" His response, "Without a doubt! Many new sites were featured in Japanese science-fiction movies over the years including the Saikai Bridge in Kyushu in "Rodan" (1956), Tokyo Tower in "Mothra" (1961) the Fukuoka Tower in "Godzilla vs. Space Godzilla" (1994) and the Atami Castle in "King Kong vs. Godzilla" (1962). These locations are featured in the travel guide. The Tokyo Sky Tree Tower would be a natural location for Godzilla to attack."
"The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan" is available through ComiXpress.com.
Above, the Wako Dept. Store in November 2001. Photo by Armand Vaquer.
by Armand Vaquer
The Wako Department Store building in the Ginza district of Tokyo is one of the most iconic locations used in Godzilla movies.
It first appeared in Godzilla (1954) when Godzilla (above), during his nighttime rampage through Tokyo, is angered by the gonging clock on top of the building. Godzilla then proceeds to demolish the clock along with the rest of the building.
Later, the Wako Dept. Store building appears in the U.S. version of King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962) via inserted stock footage.
Once again, the building appears in Godzilla vs. Destoroyah (1995) during the exploding Godzilla scenario sequence.
Above, the Wako Dept. Store in December 2010. Photo by Armand Vaquer.
According to Wikipedia:
From 1894 to 1921, the Hattori Clock Tower stood on the site that Wako occupies today. In 1921, the Hattori Clock Tower was demolished to rebuild a new one. The reconstruction was delayed due to the Great Kanto Earthquake of September 1, 1923. The new tower was completed in 1932 as the K. Hattori Building. In homage to its predecessor, the new store was also fitted with a clock.
Its 1932 Neo-Renaissance style building, designed by Jin Watanabe, with its curved granite façade, is the central landmark for the district and one of the few buildings in the area left standing after World War II. The building functioned as the Tokyo PX store during the Allied Occupation of Japan from 1945 to 1952. The clock tower plays the famous Westminster Chimes.
Above, the Wako Dept. Store clock in December 2010. Photo by Armand Vaquer.
There are photographs of the Wako Dept. Store standing almost untouched while the rest of Ginza is in rubble due to Allied bombing raids. It is not too difficult to locate them on the Internet.
During my recent trip to Japan, the building was adorned in Christmas lighting (above).
The Wako Dept. Store is one of the must-see locations for G-fans visiting Japan. The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan covers the Wako Dept. Store building.
The Daily Yomiuri has its article on The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan posted at its online site.
As mentioned earlier, it was scheduled to be published/posted on Christmas Eve. Since Japan is 17 hours ahead of Los Angeles, it is already Christmas Eve in Japan. So they're right on schedule!
The article starts out with:
Godzilla was the embodiment of war in his eponymous 1954 debut film, but he saved the Earth from ecological doom in Godzilla vs the Smog Monster in 1971. The giant reptilian monster has meant many things to many people.
But did you ever imagine him as a tourist? According to The Monster Movie Fan's Guide to Japan (51 pp, 15 dollars, available via www.comixpress.com), Godzilla has ranged as far north as Sapporo, where he destroyed the TV Tower in one of his many films, and as far south as the Sakurajima volcano in Kyushu, near which he came ashore in another.
One place he hasn't visited is New York. Or perhaps that point is arguable. Armand Vaquer, the guidebook's author, told The Daily Yomiuri in a recent interview that devoted fans refer to the 1998 U.S. film in which Godzilla took a bite of the Big Apple as GINO ("Godzilla In Name Only").
We didn't discuss Godzilla's New York visits except for GINO, as fans are aware the real Godzilla did pay a visit to the Big Apple in Destroy All Monsters. Besides, the Guide is on Godzilla's Japan locations, not New York.
Above, Ai. Photo by Armand Vaquer.
One bit of information in which the article noted as "dated," the bus ride from newly-arrived planes to the Narita Airport terminal:
Some of the practical information in the book is a bit dated. For instance, it has been a few years since a plane-to-terminal bus ride was a routine part of arriving at Narita Airport.
Prior to this month's trip to Japan, my last trip there was in 2007 in which I did have to take the shuttle bus ride from the plane to the airport terminal. It didn't happen all the time in my previous trips, just when there wasn't a gate available. It is nice to know that Narita totally did away with the shuttle bus ride. A welcome change.
The article did note Immigration's video featuring G-actress Shelley Sweeney.
My interview with Japan Today on The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan that was started last week while I was in Tokyo, Japan, and finished up a few nights ago, has been posted.
The interview begins with these introductory paragraphs:
TOKYO — Written by American Armand Vaquer, “The Monster Movie Fan’s Guide To Japan” is the world’s first and only Japan travel guide especially tailored to tourists who are also fans of Japanese science-fiction and fantasy movies. Most of the locations covered in the book are primarily from Toho’s Godzilla series of movies, but other studios’ monster movies are also covered.
Toho started the giant monster movie genre in 1954 with “Godzilla.” Locations used include the Wako Department Store in Ginza, Kachidoki Bridge on the Sumida River and the Diet building. These and other Tokyo locations are covered in the guide. Also included are Ultraman-related places of interest.
The guide starts north with Hokkaido and makes its way down the main island of Honshu and finishes off in Kyushu.
Gaijinpot.com has posted an article on The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan.
It includes one of the interviews I did during my recent trip to Japan.
The article reads in part:
Most of the locations covered in the book are primarily from Toho’s Godzilla series of movies, but other studios’ monster movies are also covered. Toho started the giant monster movie genre in 1954 with “Godzilla.” Locations used include the Wako Department Store in Ginza, Kachidoki Bridge on the Sumida River and the Diet building. These and other Tokyo locations are covered in the guide. Also included are Ultraman – related places of interest.
Above, standing at the main entrance to Toho Studios, is a man-sized statue of Godzilla.
Text and photos by Armand Vaquer
While I was in Tokyo this month, I headed over to the Setagaya ward to see the new (about three years old new) Godzilla statue and the Seven Samurai mural at the entrance to Toho Studios.
The last time I visited Toho Studios was in November 2001. At the time, Toho was still producing Godzilla movies. Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack (2001) premiered the next day after my studio visit at the Tokyo International Film Festival.
When I was at Toho Studios back then, older sound stages, the giant pool and facilities still existed. After the release of Godzilla Final Wars in 2004, many of those facilities, giant pool and sound stages were torn down and replaced with new sound stages and facilities, which included a new main gate area.
I did not step foot inside the studio on this trip, but I was able to see from the outside some of the changes made within the studio. I took some pictures during this visit. Click on the images to see them larger.
Above, a mural honoring one of Toho's most revered movies, "Seven Samurai."
Above, here I am with the Godzilla statue.
Above, studio workers walk past a mural of Mothra. The mural is located down the driveway from the main gate to the studio.
Above, this is a flood control canal that is alongside of the studio property.
Above, this is a side entrance into the studio. To reach the gate, one has to cross a bridge over the flood control canal.
Above, the Toho Sound Studio is located just outside the side entrance into the main studio lot.
Above, this view through the trees is of the Toho main lot. On the left is an older sound stage. To the right of it is a new soundstage facility, which stands roughly on the former site of the giant pool. The side entrance bridge is to the right.
Above, another view of the Toho Sound Studio, this time from the flood control canal. Note the beer vending machine in front.
Above, another shot with the Godzilla statue with a copy of "The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan." Fans can also use the guide to get them to the studios.
GANTZ, a live-action Japanese feature event, is making its world premiere in 325 movie theaters in an exclusive one-night Fathom event on Thursday, January 20th, 2011 at 8:00 p.m. ET / 7:00 p.m. CT / 6:00 p.m. MT / 8:30 p.m. PT (tape delayed). Following the feature, GANTZ’s two leading actors, Kazunari Ninomiya (Letters from Iwo Jima) and Kenichi Matsuyama (Death Note, Detroit Metal City) will participate in an exclusive live interview that can only be seen at this event.
Tickets are available at participating theater box offices and online at www.FathomEvents.com. For a complete list of theater locations and prices, please visit the web site (theaters and participants are subject to change).
Presented by NCM Fathom and NEW PEOPLE, in association with Dark Horse Comics, GANTZ (English dubbed) tells the story of childhood friends Kei Kurono and Masaru Kato who are accidentally killed while trying to save another man’s life. Rather than find themselves in the hereafter, however, they awaken in a strange apartment in which they find a mysterious black orb they come to know as “GANTZ.” Along with similar abductees, they are provided with equipment and weaponry and manipulated into playing a kind of game in which they are sent back out to the greater world to do battle with alien beings, all while never quite knowing whether this game is an illusion or their new reality.
Ninomiya and Matsuyama are two of Japan’s biggest stars. Ninomiya, best known in America for his role in Clint Eastwood’s 2006 blockbuster, Letters from Iwo Jima, is both an actor and a singer. He is world-renowned as a member of the Japanese boy band “Arashi,” which topped Japan’s music charts in 2009 with the three best-selling singles. Matsuyama has been one of the most sought-after actors in Japanese film and has won several awards including Japanese Academy Awards Best New Actor (2007) and Most Popular Actor (2009). Matsuyama is recognized for his part as L in Death Note (2006), Death Note II: the Last Name (2006) and Death Note: L, change the WorLd (2008).
“GANTZ is the kind of kinetic action film that pushes the boundaries of the sci-fi genre,” said Seiji Horibuchi, founder of NEW PEOPLE. “We’re very excited to work with NCM Fathom and Dark Horse Comics to organize this special event and look forward to the property’s domestic popularity growing even more following this new release.”
GANTZ will appear in 325 theaters, including AMC Entertainment Inc., Cinemark USA Inc., Clearview Cinemas, Cobb Theatres, Goodrich Quality Theatres, Hollywood Theaters, Marcus Theatres, National Amusements, Rave Motion Pictures, R/C Theatres and Regal Entertainment Group movie theaters, as well as The Beacon Cinema (Pittsfield, MA), The Carolina Theatre (Asheville, NC) and Palace Cinema 9 (South Burlington, VT), through NCM’s exclusive Digital Broadcast Network —North America’s largest cinema broadcast network.
“GANTZ offers a thrilling world that nobody has ever seen in live-action,” said Dan Diamond, vice president of NCM Fathom. “Incredibly popular in Japan as well as among American manga and anime enthusiasts, this new GANTZ rendition is sure to thrill audiences in local movie theaters around the country.”
A day after returning from my trip to Japan, I received a new shipment of The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan.
There's plenty of copies available for Christmas gift-giving for those of you who are kaiju fans, or those of you who know a kaiju fan, who wants to visit Japan and see those locations from the movies.
A reminder: orders postmarked on or before December 24 can receive a copy at $12.00 each, and that includes shipping! How's that for helping out Santa?
Besides kaiju locations, the Guide will tell you how to get to:
The Godzilla Statue in Hibiya, Tokyo...
...and the Godzilla Statue at Toho Studios!
To order, send a check or money order to:
Armand Vaquer 18618 Collins Street, #105 Tarzana, CA 91356
Probably my favorite place to shop (and browse) at while in Tokyo is Nakamise Avenue in Asakusa. I picked up a few items there on this trip. I've bought a few Godzilla toys there on past trips.
Here's some pictures of Nakamise Avenue I took a few days ago:
For the past week, I've been in Japan promoting The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan.
While here, I've spoken to some book dealers and two newspapers, Japan Today and The Daily Yomiuri. My interview with The Daily Yomiuri is slated to appear December 24 and I'm to receive some additional interview questions via email from Japan Today this coming week.
It hasn't been all business here. I visited the (relatively) new Godzilla statue at the main gate of Toho Studios. Following that, I headed over to the Asakusa section of Tokyo to see the new Sky Tree Tower and do some gift shopping. One morning, I visited the Tsukiji Fish Market.
I also saw Space Battleship Yamato at the Toho Cinemas at the Yurakucho Mullion in Ginza.
I am currently in Niigata (on the Sea of Japan side of Honshu) until tomorrow. Then it's back to Tokyo.
As pictures "are worth a thousand words," here's a few from the Tokyo portion of my trip to Japan:
Written By: Ken Hulsey Sources: Robert Hood / Avery Guerra
Many people thought that once Toho put Godzilla on hiatus that the giant monster genre in Japan would have gone on hiatus along with him. That, however, was not the case. In the past six years since Godzilla was given a well deserved vacation, the genre has actually experienced the kind of boom not seen since the 1960s. It seems that many Japanese monster movie makers were simply waiting for 'The King' to step aside for a while so that they could have their moment to showcase other monstrous creations.
And it's not just Japanese cinema that has caught 'monster fever' over the past half-decade, there have been several great monster series produced for Japanese television as well. This, of course, leads me to today's subject matter, a one-off TV special (25 minutes in length) called "The Man Who Summons Kaiju" (Kaijû wo yobu otoko) which is set to debut this Friday (December 10th).
The short film, or episode actually, is the creation of director Daisuke Andô and stars veteran Japanese monster movie actor, and anime voice actor, Tetsu Watanabe (Godzilla vs Mothra, Godzilla x MechaGodzilla, The Ring, Princess Mononoke) as well as Nao Nagasawa (Daimajin Kanon) and Gen Hoshino who plays a Japanese movie maker who's quest to produce a monster film takes an unexpected turn, when a real monster shows up.
I know what your thinking, it's been done before. A 'real' monster shows up while someone is trying to film a monster flick. How 'Scooby Doo' right?
Well, yes the idea may not bee too original, but we are talking about a giant monster program here, so we can cut Ando and company a little slack.
Here is the synopsis:
Kouta Soejima (Gen Hoshino) works for the Saga Film Commission. One day, approached by an old school friend now working in the film industry, Kouta is given the opportunity to make a monster movie and eagerly takes up the challenge. He begins scouting for locations, seeking the perfect shoot location — which turns out to be the hometown he had left years before. As elements of his past start to catch up with him, he finds that something else — something big — is about make an appearance…
The folks over at NHK were quick to point out that the monster would be seen in the episode, and that the production company opted to forgo the traditional 'man in a suit' style effects for computer generated ones.
The spokes person for the project also had this to say about the monster, "As for the daikaiju that is in the film, its appearance is based on a fish known as “Odontamblyopus lacepedii”, which looks a little like H.R. Giger’s Alien design."
What is a Odontamblyopus lacepedii you may ask? Besides being something that is a pain in the ass to spell, it is a form of eel that lives off the coast of China, Korea, and Japan ...... and is really, really ugly.
Actually kinda looks like the monster that popped out of the wall in "Big Trouble in Little China."
"What? What will never come out again!?"
Classic!
Anyway, here is the trailer, plus some stills and behind-the-scenes shots from "The Man Who Summons Kaiju". It should be noted that the second pic is of a cute little toy monster that has been produced as a publicity tool for the show, not the actual monster from the episode.
Above, Godzilla stands guard at the entrance to Hibiya Chanter Square.
Above, Tom Cruise.
Above, Jackie Chan.
