Details On Yasuyuki Inoue's Passing

by Armand Vaquer

Left, Yasuyuki Inoue in Hollywood in 2004. Photo by Brett Homenick.

When word got out in fan circles that Yasuyuki Inoue had passed away, I emailed Tom Baker at The Daily Yomiuri in Japan to see if he had any additional information.




I received this reply today:

Dear Armand:

Sorry for the slow reply to your message. I just checked the Yomiuri database and was mildly surprised to see that the paper ran nothing about Yasuyuki Inoue's death. But then I did a Japanese Google news search (results here: http://bit.ly/wZW59n) and saw that the Jiji wire service, the Sankei Sports newspaper and the Nikkei Shimbun each had an item on it -- but each of the items is only two or three sentences long.

Basically, they say that he was a Fukuoka Prefecture native who died in Kanagawa Prefecture of heart failure at the age of 89. They also mention a couple of the movies he was involved in.

His Japanese Wikipedia entry has been updated to show that he died on Feb. 19. http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E4%BA%95%E4%B8%8A%E6%B3%B0%E5%B9%B8
I hope this helps. Sorry I took so long.

Yours,
Tom

I sent this reply:

Tom:

Thanks! You may want to go to YouTube to check out a video featuring Inoue entitled, "Bringing Godzilla Down To Size." It is well done and Inoue demonstrates a volcanic special effect technique.

Best,

Armand.

Can Godzilla Save The Japanese Tourism Industry?

by Armand Vaquer

Above, Haruo Nakajima (right) during his Godzilla days. Can Godzilla and Nakajima help save the Japanese tourism industry?

Getting up this evening from much-needed sleep (I have to work the graveyard shift in Burbank again tonight), I found an email about a Twitter Tweet from Tom Baker of The Daily Yomiuri:

Can Godzilla help save Japan's tourism industry? Monster expert @ArmandV comments on an editorial from @DailyYomiuri.

I think Godzilla would be a great help in saving Japan's tourism industry. He's as internationally recognizable as Mickey Mouse. Of course, the tourism industry would need the cooperation from Godzilla's owner, Toho Co., Ltd., but ads featuring the King of the Monsters promoting Japan tourism could do the trick. Also, taking on Haruo Nakajima, the original Godzilla suit actor, as a goodwill ambassador in a advertising campaign for Japan tourism would be a plus. Given his age (he's 82), his participation would have to be limited a bit. But seeing the crowds gather around him on Hollywood Blvd. (see photo below from his daughter Sonoe) convinced me that he could be useful. And, I think he'd have a ball!

Above, Haruo Nakajima drew a crowd on Hollywood Blvd. last month. Photo courtesy of Sonoe Nakajima.

As I said before, the Japanese tourism industry needs to think "outside of the box" to get travelers over to Japan. It's worth a try!