 |
| Above, Sonoe and Haruo Nakajima at the 2013 Mad Monster Party. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
Like a slash of a knife, the thing that struck me the most at last month's G-FEST was seeing Sonoe Nakajima, daughter of Godzilla suit actor Haruo Nakajima, without him. That drove home his passing.
Six years ago, I served as "wrangler" for the Nakajimas at the Mad Monster Party convention in Charlotte, North Carolina. Although I met them years ago, I was really able to observe how he interacted with the fans at his autograph table. And, I was able to observe first hand at what a big asset Sonoe was to him when she assisted him. She made his convention appearance much easier for him, given his age. He genuinely showed his love for his fans and they, in turn, loved him. He had to have been one of the sweetest celebrities towards his fans I've ever seen.
She had been doing this for the past decade at conventions in the U.S. and around the world. She was recognized for her service at G-FEST with a G-FAN Hall of Fame Award. It was well-deserved. While receiving the award, she was overcome with emotion. There was hardly a dry eye in the hall by those present. This post also pays tribute to her.
 |
| Above, David Nunes presenting the G-FAN Hall of Fame Award to Sonoe Nakajima. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
It should be a comfort to Sonoe that the fans share her loss.
Earlier, when I stopped by her table at G-FEST to say hello, I suddenly developed a "big baseball in my throat". I think she knew that I was about to lose it.
Today marks the 2nd anniversary of Haruo Nakajima's passing. Seeing the tributes online is a great indicator of how much he meant to the fans and how much he is missed.
In tribute to Haruo Nakajima, raise a glass in a toast to his memory today.
No comments:
Post a Comment