Happy Birthday, Shelley Sweeney!

Above, Shelley Sweeney posing near a toy store in Tokyo in 2006. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

In Japan, it is Monday, January 11 and almost 2:00 AM. It is also actress Shelley Sweeney's birthday.

Shelley is a native Canadian who found her way to Japan to work as a model and television and movie actress. She has appeared (to date) in five Godzilla movies, her most recent being Godzilla Final Wars.

If you were to go to Japan, at Narita International Airport you would see Shelley in a video at the Immigration desk showing the immigration procedures that a new arrival has to undergo. (Shelley gets a "shameless plug" in the upcoming The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan.)

Above, Shelley and Armand enjoy some coffee at a Tokyo Starbuck's in 2007.

I first met Shelley in the Azabu Juban section of Tokyo in 2006 and a year later when I returned to Japan in April 2007. We caught up again a few months later at G-Fest, when Shelley was one of the special guests (along with actor Rhodes Reason).

She is one great lady and I am proud to call her a friend.

Shelley currently resides in Tokyo with her parakeet, Buzzy Chan.

Happy Birthday, Shelley!