Getting Some G-stuff Done

Since it is about 43° outside, I figured I'd get some writing done.

I just completed a Japan travel article for G-FAN magazine and sent it off to J. D. Lees. Since I have a "vast accumulation of Japan travel stuff", I might as well put them to good use for the readers.

I did one for the current issue, which has already hit the mail boxes and newsstands. 

Here's the cover of the current issue by Bob Eggleton:

And here's my contribution to the issue:

Following publication, I received this nice note from Mike Bogue:

Hey, Armand. Hope all is well. I liked your article in the latest G-FAN -- it's good to see you back in G-FAN's pages. Hope your retirement is going well.

Tokyo Imperial Hotel To Be Rebuilt

Above, the dinner party I hosted at the Imperial Hotel in 2015.

Reporter Steve Martin (Raymond Burr) stayed there in Godzilla, King of the Monsters! (1956) (talk about a "shameless plug") and it hosted celebrities like Albert Einstein and Marilyn Monroe, and I hosted a dinner party there in 2015 for friends from Toho Co., Ltd.

Now it has been announced that Tokyo's Imperial Hotel is going to be rebuilt.

The Japan Times reported:

Imperial Hotel Ltd. said Thursday that it will rebuild the Imperial Hotel Tokyo in the Japanese capital’s Chiyoda Ward by fiscal 2036, in anticipation of a tourist demand recovery after the coronavirus pandemic ends.

Imperial Hotel aims to boost its brand power through the replacement project. While the traditional upscale hotel has a global reputation, it is facing intense competition from foreign-brand luxury hotels and other venues.

The hotel was established in 1890. Its current Main Building, the third in its history, was opened in 1970, and the adjacent Tower Building in 1983.

The hotel will remain open during the rebuilding.

To read more, go here. 

Imperial Hotel Dinner, 5 Years Ago

Above, the dinner group at the Imperial Viking Sal restaurant in the Imperial Hotel.

In about an hour or so, it will be October 12 in Tokyo, Japan.

That will mark five years since I threw a dinner party at the Imperial Hotel in the Hibiya section of Tokyo with friends from Toho Co., Ltd. consisting of former Toho Pictures President Shogo Tomiyama, former Toho Los Angeles general managers Masaharu Ina and Shozo Watanabe, director Yoshikazu Ishii, translator Jessica Claros (in case translating were needed) and Denise Santos.

We dined at the Imperial Viking Sal, a buffet-style restaurant with a superb view of the National Diet Building.

Shin Godzilla was in production at the time and much of the dinner conversation centered around it.

It is amazing how quickly five years had passed. 

I was considering going to Japan this year (around about this time), but the coronavirus pandemic put a stop on that idea. Next year, perhaps.

Tokyo's Elusive Cheesecake

Above, at the Imperial Hotel's Imperial Viking Sal restaurant in October 2015.

An article in Time Out Tokyo brought back memories.

Four years ago, I threw a small dinner party at the Imperial Viking Sal restaurant in Tokyo's Imperial Hotel (if the Imperial Hotel was good enough for Steve Martin in Godzilla in 1954, it was good enough for a dinner party). It was a buffet-style restaurant.

After dinner, I went over to the dessert table and found no cheesecake. When I mentioned this when I returned to our table, former Toho Pictures President Shogo Tomiyama got up and spoke to someone and managed to get me a slice of cheesecake. We've chuckled about that since.

After reading the Time Out Tokyo article, it seems that I was lucky to enjoy an apparently somewhat elusive item in Japan, at least one from a particular chef.

Time Out Tokyo begins with:

The city’s most popular gourmand hotspots are usually characterised by queues long enough to make you feel faint. People will wait for untold hours for a bowl of their favourite ramen or arrive at a store long before it opens to snatch a specialty item. Ironically, there are no queues for one of the city’s most sought-after cheesecakes – because it doesn’t have a physical store. 

Instead, the baked specialities at Mr. Cheesecake can only be purchased online two days a week (Sunday and Monday) and they sell out within minutes. In fact, it disappears so quickly that serious foodies who have tried to get their hands on the delicacy have dubbed it the ‘phantom cheesecake’. Should you be one of the lucky few to snag a cake, it will be delivered to you within five days – no, you can't choose the date and time of delivery. You can then eat it immediately or store it in the freezer for up to three months and save it for a special occasion. 

To read more, go here.

Toho Expanding Hollywood Operations

Above, Masaharu Ina and Armand at the Hibiya Godzilla statue in February 2014.

Back in the days when I lived in the Los Angeles area and worked on different projects for G-FAN, G-FEST and others, I worked with Toho's Century City (near West Los Angeles) for assistance and permissions.

I haven't been in contact with the Los Angeles office for a number of years, although I did throw a dinner party in October 2015 for several past and present executives of Toho including Masaharu Ina and Shozo Watanabe, who helmed the Century City office. Former Toho Pictures President Shogo Tomiyama and director Yoshikazu Ishii also attended. It was in appreciation for all the assistance they had given me over the years.

Above, Shozo Watanabe at Toho Studios in November 2001. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

What I am gathering from an article from Slashfilm.com, the L.A. office had been "dormant" for the past several years. But now, it is set for a revival and expansion.

According to the article:

The Japanese studio behind Godzilla is planning to expand to Hollywood. Toho, the movie group responsible for the creation of the iconic giant lizard, is expanding a subsidiary in the U.S. with the goal of working more with Hollywood. This may put in question the fate of Legendary’s mammoth MonsterVerse, the first series of Godzilla films to be completely produced by a Hollywood Studio.  

Variety reported that Toho is expanding to the U.S. through an existing international subsidiary which it is reviving with a $14 million investment. The subsidiary, called Toho International Inc., has existed since 1953 but has long remained dormant until now. 

Toho International Inc., is expanding to Los Angeles as part of a “so-called breakthrough strategy” that is part of Toho’s “Vision 2021 Plan.” This plan consists of Toho implementing an accelerated international strategy and enhanced “character business” centered around the Godzilla property. “We will work toward the full implementation of JAPAN IP (Japanese entertainment content by Toho and others) on a global scale,” the plan says.

Above, the October 2015 dinner party at the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo.

The Variety article had been posted since April, but it is only now that I read it.

To read more, go here. 

Top Ten FUN Things To Do In Japan

Above, a dinner party of food and drinks among friends qualifies as number ten on the list.

If you are planning a trip to Japan and wonder what fun things are there to do, LearnJapanese123 has ten suggestions.

They have posted an article on the top 10 fun things to do in Japan.

They begin with:

Want to visit Japan, but not sure what to do or where to start? Here’s our list of the top 10 fun things to do in Japan that, when combined, will create the ultimate Japan experience!

To see what they are, go here. 

Tokyo's Imperial Hotel Named Best Japan Hotel For Customer Satisfaction

Above, our 2015 dinner party at the Imperial Hotel.

Intrepid reporter Steve Martin (Raymond Burr) said he was staying there in Godzilla, King of the Monsters! (1956) and in 2015, I hosted a little dinner party for friends with Toho Co., Ltd. there.

What am I talking about? I am talking about Tokyo's Imperial Hotel that was founded in 1890 by the Japanese aristocracy.

According to an article in Japan Today, the Imperial Hotel was named best hotel in Japan for customer satis faction.

They wrote:

TOKYO - For the second year in a row, Tokyo's landmark 128-year-old Imperial Hotel has been ranked the best hotel in Japan for customer satisfaction in J. D. Power's Japan Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index Survey, 2017. Out of 25 of the hotel brands surveyed, The Imperial was ranked top in the segment of guest room rates of 35,000 yen or more per night, receiving a score of 773 points out of a possible 1,000 points. 

The Imperial's high ranking was based on high scores received in the areas of reservation, check-in/check-out, guest room, food & beverages, hotel services, hotel facilities, and cost & fees. Replies were received from 26,729 respondents to the August, 2017, internet survey of 166 hotel brand chains and groups throughout Japan. The respondents, aged 18 and above, were asked about their degree of satisfaction with their experiences and services at hotels they had stayed at during the preceding one-year period.

Maybe cheesecake is a little hard to find at the Imperial (former Toho President Shogo Tomiyama did locate some), but the food service we had was excellent.

By the way, the Imperial Hotel is just a short walk from the Shin Godzilla statue in Hibiya.

To read more, go here.

Shogo Tomiyama's Birthday!

Above, Shogo Tomiyama (second from right) at the Imperial Viking Sal restaurant. 

Shogo Tomiyama, the former producer of the Godzilla series and President of Toho Pictures, celebrates the 27th anniversary of his 39th birthday today.

Besides being Godzilla's producer and President of Toho pictures, he also wrote a book on his experiences, Managing Godzilla, and used his influence with The Imperial Viking Sal restaurant in the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo to get a slice of cheesecake for yours truly (just kidding!).

Above, Managing Godzilla by Shogo Tomiyama. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Happy Birthday, Mr. Tomiyama!

Happy Birthday, Shogo Tomiyama!

Today, former President and Executive Producer of Toho Pictures Shogo Tomiyama celebrates the "26th anniversary of his 39th birthday" in Japan.

He is best known for producing the millennium series of Godzilla movies (1999 - 2004) and, most recently, going on a quest to find a slice of cheesecake at the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo for me.

Here's some pictures of Mr. Tomiyama over the years:

Above, at Toho Studios in 2001. Photo courtesy of Richard Pusateri.

Above, the premiere of Giant Monsters All-Out Attack in 2001. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, the Godzilla induction into the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2004. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, the 2015 dinner party at the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo.

Happy Birthday, Mr. Tomiyama!

Yen Surge Is Making The Imperial Hotel Nervous

Above, the dinner party at the Imperial Hotel last October.

In 1954, United World News reporter Steve Martin (Raymond Burr) was just "lucky" enough to be at the right place at the wrong time.

He was on his way to Cairo and stopped off in Tokyo for a nice, relaxing visit with an old friend, Dr. Serizawa. That visit never came about (unless they chatted aboard a boat in Tokyo Bay before Serizawa suited up for a fateful dive). The stopover in Tokyo was hardly relaxing either. Martin stated that he was staying at the Imperial Hotel before being led from the airport for "just questioning". It is unclear if he ever made it to his room at the hotel since a giant radioactive lizard decided to stroll through Tokyo, including the district where the Imperial Hotel stood.

Today, the Imperial Hotel doesn't have to worry about threats to its existence by radioactive lizards, but the surging Japanese yen has been cramping its style in recent weeks. And that is making the hotel's management nervous.

Bloomberg.com reported:

Tokyo’s Imperial Hotel, the luxury inn that counts Marilyn Monroe among past guests, raised room rates last year to levels it last charged before Japan’s bubble burst in the early 1990s. A surging yen now threatens those gains. 

With signs of spending from foreign tourists starting to wane as a result of the stronger currency, the hotel is looking to boost wedding banquets and turn those younger guests in to repeater clients, said Hideya Sadayasu, the president and general manager of Imperial Hotel Ltd.

Last October, I hosted a little dinner party for Toho Co., Ltd. friends at the Imperial Hotel. We had a splendid window table that had a view of the Imperial Palace and the National Diet Building. At that time, the dollar/yen exchange rate in Tokyo I received was ¥116.99. Today's exchange rate in Tokyo is hovering around ¥100. But that "catch" is, that rate is only available to "high rollers". Ordinary visitors will receive considerably less in exchange.

With the yen performing stronger, it makes visits to Japan and the cost of goods and services there more expensive. Unless things turn around soon, the Japanese government may be forced to step in to devalue the yen. We shall see.

To read more, go here.

National Diet Building At Night

While Denise was with her family at Legoland down near San Diego today, I stayed home (except for a run to Baskin-Robbins for a hot fudge sundae) and watched a couple of movies that I haven't watched for over five years (at least).

They were Godzilla x Mechagodzilla (2002) and Godzilla x Mothra x Mechagodzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. (2003).

While watching Tokyo S.O.S., a scene with Godzilla and Mechagodzilla behind the National Diet Building reminded me of a photo I took of it last October from our dinner table window at the Imperial Hotel.

Here's the photo I took (it is a little fuzzy, probably due to the glass messing with the focus):

Above, the National Diet Building at night. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Here's the scene from the movie:

The Cheesecake Quest

As posted last night, neither Denise and I could finish our meals (mainly due to the appetizers we had) at The Odyssey Restaurant.

So, for breakfast, I finished my prime rib. And, for lunch (or at least part of it), I had my slice of cheesecake and berries. As I was consuming the cheesecake, Denise text me from work that she's having her leftover steak and her cheesecake for lunch at that moment and sent the above photo. Great minds (or stomachs) apparently think alike.

I told her that the cheesecake reminded me of Shogo Tomiyama, the former president of Toho Pictures. She immediately knew what I was referring to (since she was there).

Above, the dinner gathering last October at the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo.

Last October, I hosted a dinner at the Imperial Hotel. Mr. Tomiyama was one of the guests. I was looking around the dessert buffet table for some cheesecake and found none. I mentioned this when I returned to our table. After this, Mr.Tomiyama got up for a "mini-quest" to find a slice of cheesecake for me. It looks like being a former head of Japan's biggest studio paid dividends as he returned to bring a slice of cheesecake to me. What a man!

Great memories! 

Travel Guide Facebook "Cover" Change

Yesterday, I decided to change the "cover" photo for the Facebook page for The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan.

The prior one, a shot of Godzilla in Shinjuku, was put in back in October. So it was time for a change.

This will also be the first time a non-kaiju photo isn't being used. It is a shot from the dinner party I hosted at the Imperial Hotel ("Still the Imperial!" - Steve Martin (Raymond Burr) from Godzilla, King of the Monsters! (1956)) in Tokyo for friends from Toho Co., Ltd.

Godzilla Wind-up Toy

This is a Godzilla wind-up toy that one of my dinner party guests gave me last month at the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo:

Sierra, my new kitten, is still leery of it to chase it.

Japan's Imperial Hotel Logs Record First-half Profit

The first time I ever heard of the Imperial Hotel was in the 1956 Americanized Godzilla, King of the Monsters! There, reporter Steve Martin (Raymond Burr) tells a Japanese official that he's staying at the Imperial.

Last week, I held a little dinner party for friends from Toho Co. at the Imperial Viking restaurant on the 17th floor.

The hotel is currently celebrating its 125th Anniversary and it reported some good news yesterday.

From News On Japan:

Imperial Hotel on Friday reported its highest net profit for an interim half since switching to consolidated earnings in 2000, thanks to a sharp increase in guests from China and other parts of Asia. 

The Japanese company said group net profit for the April-September period jumped 31% on the year to 1.1 billion yen ($9.02 million) on a 4% gain in sales to 26 billion yen.
At its flagship Tokyo location, average sales per room rose 12% to 32,908 yen amid an uptick in foreign visitors.

Above, the dinner party held last week at the Imperial Viking restaurant.

- See more at: http://newsonjapan.com/html/newsdesk/article/114061.php#sthash.Pv1Omfxi.dpuf

"The Pictures Are In English"

Above, the cover to "Managing Godzilla" by Shogo Tomiyama. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Last Tuesday night, when I threw the little dinner party atop of the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo, several of my guests brought along gifts.

One of which was a book written by and published this year by former Toho Pictures President Shogo Tomiyama.

Above, the Imperial Hotel dinner group. Shogo Tomiyama is second from right. 

Mr. Tomiyama brought an autographed copy of his book, "Managing Godzilla". It is in Japanese, but it is loaded with behind-the-scenes photographs from his years as producer (picking up the torch from Tomoyuki Tanaka) and president of Toho Pictures. This is a book that all Godzilla fans should include in their collections! It contains 288 pages and is in paperback. Cover price: 2,300 yen.

Above, the autograph. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It can be obtained through www.kadokawa.co.jp/. The ISBN is 978-4-04-869000-3.

At the dinner, I thumbed through the book and marveled at the photographs. I received a good laugh from the dinner group when I mentioned that even though the text is in Japanese, "the pictures are in English."

I had planned to bring along a copy of The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan for Mr. Tomiyama, but in the rush to get to the dinner, I forgot to bring it. I mailed a copy to Mr. Tomiyama the next day.

At Ginza Crossing

After getting off the Ginza subway line, Denise Santos and I stopped for a photograph at Tokyo's Ginza Crossing. We were en route to the dinner at the Imperial Hotel last night. The photo was taken in front of the Wako department store.

Above, we were on our way to dinner. Aiden slept through it all.

Power Players At Tokyo's Imperial Hotel

Above, the dinner group at the Imperial Viking restaurant at the Imperial Hotel.

The Imperial Hotel, the one that Steve Martin (Raymond Burr) stayed at while in Tokyo (while there was still a Tokyo) during Godzilla's rampage, saw a group of power players at the hotel's Imperial Viking restaurant gather for a relaxed dinner.

Over the years, I have been treated to many a courtesy and assists by friends from Toho Co., Ltd. and I thought this trip would provide a good opportunity to host a thank-you dinner to return the favor and show my appreciation.

The Imperial Viking was chosen as it was able to accommodate dinner parties and I was seeking an elegant place to treat everyone. The restaurant is on the hotel's 17th floor and had commanding views of Hibiya Park, the Imperial Palace and the National Diet Building.

Above, the view of the lit-up National Diet Building from our table at the Imperial Viking restaurant. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Those joining Denise and I were Mr. G-FEST himself, Yoshikazu Ishii; former Toho L.A. General Managers Masaharu Ina (now with Toho Cinemas division) and Shozo Watanabe (now with Toho's legal division); former Toho Pictures President Shogo Tomiyama; translator and Tohoku documentary star at NHK World, Jessica Claros.

The conversation ranged from what everyone's doing today, remembering Koichi Kawakita, Shin Godzilla (now in production), Godzilla Final Wars, Japanese cuisine, Japan's beaches, Toho's Malibu estate (where Toho's general managers live during their tenures in Los Angeles), my fondness for cheesecake and many other subjects.

Denise's son Aiden slept through the whole dinner.

Tokyo's Imperial Hotel Celebrating 125th Anniversary

Above, the main lobby of the Imperial Hotel. PR Newswire photo.

It may not be the same Imperial Hotel that reporter Steve Martin (Raymond Burr) stayed at in 1956's Godzilla, King of the Monsters, but the grand hotel is celebrating its 125th anniversary.

According to PR Newswire:

TOKYO, Sept. 25, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Imperial Hotel, Ltd. announced on September 25 that the Japanese capital's legendary Imperial Hotel is celebrating its 125th year of uninterrupted business this November 3 with an extensive renovation of all 361 rooms in its 31-story Imperial Tower as well as with a number of special events and activities underway now through March 31, 2016.

The Imperial Hotel is just a short walking distance away from the Godzilla statue in Hibiya.

 To read more, go here.

A Familiar Face On NHK World's "Journeys In Japan"

Above, Armand, Jessica Claros, Yoshikazu Ishii and Jonathan Bellés at Toho Studios last month.

While watching the Japanese station, NHK World tonight, I watched a program, Journeys In Japan, about different communities in the Tohoku region of Japan and how they fared three years after the Great East Japan Earthquake.

Then there was a surprise! The show featured a girl touring the region who looked very familiar.

Sure enough, it was Jessica Claros, who assisted Jonathan Bellés with interview translations in Japan last month. I met Jessica at Toho Studios when Bellés was interviewing Eiichi Asada and Yoshikazu Ishii.

To read about the program, go here.

UPDATE (01/02/17):

During my October 2015 trip to Japan, I held a dinner party at the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo consisting of executives from Toho Co., Ltd. I invited Jessica Claros to the dinner party to assist in interpreting, if necessary.

Here is a photo from the dinner: