Comikaze Expo - September 15 & 16

Stan Lee's Comikaze Expo will be held September 15 and 16 at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

What is Comikaze?

We are Los Angeles’ largest pop-culture convention, owned by comic legend Stan Lee and Horror icon, Elvira, Mistress of the Dark. Our September 15 – 16 show at the LA Convention Center will be an epic experience for all! 

Get your tickets today! 

Check the Comikaze news for our latest headlines!

I have been invited to be a part of a panel on "Robots and Monsters: Japan Is The Original King," which will take place Saturday afternoon (July 15).  I will post details on the panel shortly.

To view Comikaze's website, go here.

Monica Crowley: "Same Old Crapola"

I didn't bother to watch the Democrat National Convention (a.k.a. Freakshow 2012 or Abortionpalooza).  Fortunately, Monica Crowley did and wrote about it in a blog post entitled, "Same Old Crapola."

It reads, in part:

President Obama's acceptance speech this week looked and sounded like a faded Xerox copy of one of his speeches from 2008. Or 2009. Or 2010. Or 2011. Or 2012. 

Here's what we heard: Class warfare. Radical wealth redistribution. Demands for ever-more spending. A celebration of socialized medicine. Calls for "social justice." Lies about his record. Justifications for policies that are imploding our economy and destroying our ability to remain a superpower.

We also heard pleas for another term. But to do what, exactly? If he told us the truth about what he'd do in another four years, we'd all run screaming into the street. So, we got more wispy rhetoric about keeping hope alive and how change takes time. "When I said 'change you can believe in,' I didn't say change you can believe in tomorrow.," he once said. Actually, he did suggest that the change of which he spoke in 2008 would be immediate. And a lot of it was. The problem is that the change has resulted in a disastrous economy as a direct result of his statist policies. But you didn't hear that from him this week. You only heard excuses, requests for patience..and lies. Lots of lies. And oh yeah: Eva Longoria and Scarlett Johannsen. Who almost made folks forget about the lies. Almost.

To read the full article, go here.

Amazon Unveils New Kindle Fire Tablets

Amazon.com, Inc. has unveiled new Kindle tablet computers to compete with Apple's iPads.

Fox News reports:

Amazon.com Inc. unveiled four new Kindle Fire models on Thursday, including ones with larger screens, as the online retailer steps up competition with Apple Inc. ahead of the holiday shopping season. 

Amazon unveiled the larger Kindle Fire amid expectations of a smaller iPad from Apple.
The larger Fires will have screens that measure 8.6 inches diagonally, compared with 9.7 inches for the iPad. The original Fire had 7-inch screens. The speculation on the mini iPad is that it'll have a 7.85-inch screen. Apple isn't commenting, but it has an event scheduled next week, during which it is expected to at least announce a new iPhone. 

Amazon is hoping to make a dent in a tablet computer market dominated by Apple's iPad. Amazon has been selling lower-priced tablets at thin, if any, profit margins to boost sales of digital items from its online store. As a result, it has been able to compete with the iPad on price.

These Kindle Fire tablets will come in handy for Japan travelers to access the Kindle edition of The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2012/09/06/amazon-unveils-new-kindle-fire-including-larger-hd-model/#ixzz25p9Iw1Y4

"The Raven" (1935)

Above, Bela Lugosi as Poe fanatic Dr. Richard Vollin.

Following The Black Cat, Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi were teamed again in 1935's The Raven.   In this movie, the roles were switched to having Lugosi play the mad Dr. Richard Vollin and Karloff playing the hunted, but sympathetic criminal Edmond Bateman.  In The Black Cat, Lugosi was the "good guy" and Karloff the "bad guy."

Above, Jean Thatcher (Irene Ware) and Dr. Vollin (Lugosi).

In The Raven, Lugosi saves the life of dancer Jean Thatcher (Irene Ware) and falls in love with her.  Vollin is an Edgar Allan Poe fanatic who has built torture devices as described in Poe's stories.

Above, Vollin unveils Bateman's (Boris Karloff) ugly face so he will do "ugly things."

Vollin disfigures Bateman to force him to do his bidding ("If one is hideously ugly, he will do ugly things," is Vollin's reasoning).   Judge Thatcher (Jean's father played by Samuel S. Hinds) objects to Jean being involved with Vollin.  Thatcher confronts Vollin, causing Vollin's mind to snap.

Above, Vollin  falling deeper into madness.

Vollin decides to host an overnight party at his mansion.  When his guests retire for the night, Vollin switches on various devices to prevent his guests from leaving and to torture those who denied him his "great love."

Above, Dr. Vollin has gone completely bonkers.

The Raven is a fun movie with Lugosi as his most exuberant as the mad Dr. Vollin.  He almost goes over-the-top in his portrayal.   Karloff carries off the sympathetic Bateman role well under heavy facial make-up and manages to give a Frankenstein Monster growl or two.

Bateman turns on Vollin and puts Vollin in one of his own torture devices after being shot by Vollin.
The Raven was directed by Louis Friedlander (later known as Lew Landers, he directed some episodes of the Adventures of Superman in the 1950s).

The Invisible Ray, with Karloff and Lugosi, followed The Raven in 1936.

Seeing Double

For the second time (that I've seen), the Amazon Kindle Store ad for The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan showed up on the Drudge Report twice at the same time.

The last time I saw this was back on September 4.

Here's today's screen capture:

To order the ebook edition, go here.

National Review: "Thought Police Control Convention's Radio Row"

The so-called "open and transparent" political party froze out conservative talk shows who set up booths at the Democratic National Convention's "Radio Row" for interviews.

According to National Review Online:

Conservative talk-show hosts who came to Charlotte to interview political figures are furious. For the first time in anyone’s memory, Radio Row — the designated set of booths available to visiting talk-show hosts — has seen restrictions placed on its use by Team Obama. DNC staffers at Radio Row will book leading Democrats for slots on conservative stations but then cancel the appearances an hour or so before broadcast “because you’re not our audience.” 

Larry O’Connor of Breitbart Radio told me, “It was the most bizarre act of censorship. These shows paid large fees and spent thousands on equipment setup and they couldn’t do their programs because of interference.”

This sounds like something right out of Soviet Russia.

To read the full article, go here. 

"The Black Cat" (1934)

Above, before the mayhem, Lugosi, Karloff and Manners do some social drinking.

Universal Pictures's The Black Cat (1934) was the first pairing of their horror superstars Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi and my personal favorite of the pairings.  Fortunately, The Black Cat was produced during the heyday of Universal horror movies.

Above, Boris Karloff (Poelzig) and Bela Lugosi (Werdegast).

The movie centers around a mad architect, Hjalmar Poelzig (Karloff) who lives in an art deco mansion built atop a fortress left over from the first World War.  Dr. Vitus Werdegast (Lugosi) is a driven man on a quest to find his wife and daughter (both played by Lucille Lund).

Lugosi is joined by a newlywed couple, Peter and Joan Alison (David Manners and Jacqueline Wells) after meeting them on the Orient Express.  They are later involved in an automobile accident and take refuge at Herr Poelzig's mansion.

Above, Werdegast is about to be led to the body of his wife by Poelzig.

 Unfortunately, Herr Poelzig is the high priest of a coven of Satan-worshippers who plans to make Joan the sacrifice in the group's next ceremony.

Above, Joan tells Werdegast that she saw his daughter Karen alive.

Werdegast finds out that his wife is dead and her embalmed corpse on display in the chart room of the old fortress below the Poelzig mansion in a glass case.  As he is about to shoot Poelzig, a black cat appears, causing Werdegast to recoil in fright.

Werdegast and his assistant take advantage of a diversion caused by a fainting woman at the Satanic ceremony to rescue Joan.  As they are escaping, Joan reveals to Werdegast that his daughter Karen (Lund) is alive, but finds that Poelzig had just murdered her.  After a fight, Werdegast shackles Poelzig on Poelzig's own embalming rack and proceeds to skin him alive.

Above, after being shackled onto his own embalming rack, Poelzig is told by Werdegast that he's about to be skinned.

The Black Cat was directed by Edgar G. Ulmer and was suggested by the Edgar Allan Poe story.

This was one of Lugosi's best acting roles and Karloff carried off the evil Poelzig role quite nicely.   This was David Manners's best roles as he wasn't stiff like he was in Dracula (1931) and The Mummy (1932).  The art deco sets added to the surreal atmosphere.

The Black Cat also contained some great script lines  (Lugosi's "Supernatural, perhaps.  Baloney, perhaps not."  And, Karloff's  "Did you hear that, Vitus?   Even the phone is dead!").

The Black Cat was produced while Universal was still controlled by Carl Laemmle and was followed by The Raven (1935) and The Invisible Ray (1936), each starring Karloff and Lugosi.

JR East To Provide Wi-Fi Services Starting October 1

There's some good news for foreign travelers to Japan with laptop computers or tablet devices.

The Daily Yomiuri reports:

East Japan Railway Co. announced it will begin providing free public Wi-Fi services from Oct. 1 to provide greater Internet access for foreigners visiting Japan. 

The company, known as JR East, said it decided to set up the free wireless Internet service in response to popular demand for increased Internet accessibility. 

The service will be made available via JR East's Travel Service Center in Tokyo Station, and other such centers at Haneda Airport International Terminal Station and Narita Airport starting Oct. 1. The service will also be accessible from 13 JR East stations including Tokyo, Shinjuku and Akihabara.

This will come in handy for those monster fans in Japan who want to access the Amazon Kindle edition of The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan to visit those monster locations and landmarks shown in the movies.

To read the full article, go here.

Godless Democrats Apply "Chicago Rules" On Voice Vote

The Democratic National Convention (a.k.a. Freakshow 2012) is in turmoil after the platform was adopted without God being mentioned and any reference to Jerusalem as the capital of Israel was dropped.

They made matters worse when a voice vote was ordered on the convention floor to amend the adopted platform to include God and referencing Jerusalem as Israel's capital after the GOP hit hard.

Convention Chairman Antonio Villaraigosa had to call for three votes, each requiring 2/3 "yea" votes to pass.   By no stretch of the imagination did a vote come to the required 2/3 vote in the affirmative.  Yet Villaraigosa then adopted "Chicago rules" and ruled the amendment passed.  This caused an uproar on the convention floor with many delegates booing the convention chairman.

This is, as talk-show host Hugh Hewit noted:

A true debacle and revealing on so many levels --the precariousness of the Jewish vote, the genuine anti-Israel sentiment on the floor, and the disregard for the rules when inconvenient.

Whatever Became Of...Jacqueline Malouf?

Above, Jacqueline Malouf in "Donovan's Reef."

Back in 1963, my parents took my friends and I to go see King Kong vs. Godzilla.  It was playing with the John Wayne comedy, Donovan's Reef.  It was directed by John Ford.

There was one actress in Donovan's Reef who seems to have disappeared: Jacqueline Malouf, who played Leilani Dedham, hereditary princess of the fictional island nation of Haleakaloha.

She also appeared, unbilled, in The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. She appeared in television shows such as Petticoat Junction before leaving show business in 1966.

Her petite size allowed her to play an adolescent in Donovan's Reef, although she was a student at the University of Southern California at the time.

Unfortunately, Jacqueline Malouf is no longer with us as she passed away in 1999 of leukemia.  Here is her obituary from the USC Alumni News:

JACQUELINE MALOUF NASSIR ’63, of Toluca Lake, Calif.; Oct. 12, 1999, at the age of 58. She was an actress, artist and teacher. While studying drama at USC, she was elected vice president of the Associated Student Body. She maintained life-long ties with the University and had been president of the San Diego Trojan League, the Trojan League in the San Fernando Valley and was a member of the Alumnae Coordinating Council of the USC Alumni Association. She also served as a member of the board of advisers of the USC School of Nursing. Before graduation, Nassir had already appeared in many feature films, including The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962) and Donovan’s Reef (1963). She also appeared in episodes of the TV series “Petticoat Junction” and “The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet.” As a painter, her French impressionistic-style seascapes were exhibited at the Claremont Art Guild, the Art Scene Gallery and the San Diego Portrait Society, among others. After her marriage in the mid-1960s, Nassir taught in the Los Angeles Unified School District and in a Montessori school. Sur-vivors include her husband, Andrew, two sons, her parents, a sister, a brother and a granddaughter.

UPDATE (11/17/22): 

A Facebook John Wayne fan page posted the below photograph of the cast of Donovan's Reef. I had never seen it before. Jacqueline Malouf is at the far right.

Japan Today: "10 Things To Do In Tokyo On A Budget"

Above, Akihabara's "Electric Town."  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Japan Today has posted an article on "10 Things To Do In Tokyo On A Budget."

Despite what some urban legends may say about Japan being an expensive place to visit, there are things one can do for little or no cost.  This is made more important given that the yen/dollar exchange rate is not favorable to U.S. travelers at present.  Still, one can still see things in Tokyo without getting a co-signer.

The article begins with:

TOKYO —Tokyo is one of the most exciting places on the planet, but this doesn’t mean a holiday to this amazing destination has to break the bank. 

Like most places in the world, a trip to Tokyo can be done either in luxury or on a shoestring budget. I’ve been lucky to have been able to travel around most of Japan in my 10 years of living there and overall I have found Japan to be an incredibly affordable holiday destination.

To read the article, go here.

If Only...

This screen capture was made a few minutes ago over at the Drudge Report:

If only the stacks of money were the proceeds of the Amazon Kindle edition of The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan.  Still, it is nice to see stacks of greenbacks just below the ad (even though the headline is not a happy one).

This, however, was a real eye-opener, as two ads popped up on Drudge's page at the same time:

Monster Japan Travel Guide Available At Amazon.it

Italian tourists who are also fans of Japanese science-fiction and fantasy movies can now get the ebook edition of The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan at Amazon.it

To get the Japan travel guide for monster fans, go here.

Monster Japan Travel Guide Available At Amazon.fr Kindle Store

Tourists from France who are also fans of Japanese science-fiction and fantasy movies can now get the ebook edition of The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan at Amazon.fr.

To order, go here.

Monster Japan Travel Guide Available At Amazon.es

Tourists from Spain who are also fans of Japanese science-fiction and fantasy movies are now able to get the  ebook edition of The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan at Amazon.es.

To get to the page where the travel guide to Japan is posted, go here.

"The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan" Amazon Ads

When I was perusing the Drudge Report last week and Amazon's ad for the Kindle edition of The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan appeared at the top of the page, I was naturally thrilled.

Yesterday, when I went to the Drudge site, the ad for the travel guide appeared again, only this time it was slightly different.

This is the one that appeared on Drudge last week:

This is the ad that appeared on Drudge yesterday.  Note the shading on the ad's border:

Another ad for the travel guide popped up at Comic Book Resources (CBR) the other day:

Needless to say, I am very pleased at the job Amazon is doing in promoting the guide.

Son of Monsterpalooza - October 26-28

If you need a horror convention fix, there's some good news for you.  And, it's just in time for Halloween!

Son of Monsterpalooza is coming to Burbank, California next month.  It is put on by the folks behind Monsterpalooza, one of the best horror conventions in the U.S.

It will be held at the Burbank Marriott and Convention Center, across the street from Bob Hope Airport.

Save the date!

For more information, go here.

Happy Empty Chair Day!

Today is not just Labor Day, it is also Empty Chair Day!

Above, the "unofficial founder" of Empty Chair Day, Clint Eastwood.

For more on Empty Chair Day, go here.

Happy Labor Day!

Labor Day is called the "unofficial end of summer."  School will be starting soon (if it hasn't already in some areas).

Rather than post some Labor Day-related photos with this, here's some Godzilla photos instead:

Above, Koriyama Museum in 2004.

Above, the Gira-Goji suit at Toho Studios, 2001.  Photo courtesy of Richard Pusateri.

Above, Gira-Goji prop at Bandai Museum, 2005.

Above, GMK Godzilla suit at Shibuya HMV store, 2001.

Above, GMK Godzilla event suit at 2001 Tokyo International Film Festival.

Above, (left to right) Shogo Tomiyama, Armand, Richard Pusateri and Koichi Kawakita at Toho Studios, 2001.  Photo courtesy of Richard Pusateri.

Exclusive! Only Known Photo of Obama With Karl Marx

Cyber-bully: Has A Familiar Ring

This story has a familiar ring to it. It involves a cyber-bully who has been harassing people in the comic book industry.

I am familiar with it as I have been dealing with a cyberstalker for the past two years.  The LAPD is currently investigating it and will soon refer matter to the Los Angeles City Attorney's office.  I have provided them with two cd-roms chock-full of evidence.

Comics writer Mark Millar posted this on his message board:

Thank you very much, but I engaged a criminal lawyer in LA yesterday and have one of the women involved co-ordinating with the others today, hopefully. I don’t want to say much more in a public forum just now as it may prejudice the case and between the details we’ve got and the tweets we saved the police have everything they need. Even if this doesn’t go to court the guy should hopefully be publicly outed in California and the shame of this will not only stop him attacking women online, but also discourage others from trying this in future. I found out last night that this idiot had been making sexual threats to some of the women concerned for over two years now.

They are handling it in the right way.  I haven't "outed" the cyberstalker for the same reason, but eventually he will be.

I am contacting Millar to get their attorney's information for possible further action.

******
When I went to read about the cyber-bully story at Comic Book Resources (CBR), I noticed another familiar item at the masthead:

Womanizing Sleazies To Run and Headline Democratic National Convention

It is amusing that the Democratic National Convention will be chaired by Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

Villaraigosa has been one of the most ineffective big-city mayors in the United States.  Los Angeles is saddled with debt, much of it from the sweetheart public employee pension deals made with the public employee unions.

Villaraigosa was too cowardly to even debate his opponent on the issues during his re-election campaign.

It is also amusing to see that while the Democrats are trying to label the Republicans as anti-women (i.e., "The War On Women"), they chose Villaraigosa to chair their convention.  Villaraigosa, in the tradition of the womanizing Bill Clinton, was caught having an affair with a television news reporter.

Speaking of Bill Clinton, he is to give the Democrats the convention keynote address.  This is the same Bill Clinton who lied about his affair with Monica Lewinsky and who was involved (some say rape) with other women including Kathleen Willey, Juanita Broaddrick, Paula Jones, Gennifer Flowers, et al.

Oh, yeah.  The Democratic National Convention is sure to be inspiring.  

Fourth Quarter: A Great Start!

Above, Miki Hayashi with "The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan."  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

We're now in the final quarter of the year already and, before we know it, it will be the holiday season soon with Halloween merchandise already in stores on display.  The general election campaign is now on and it will be interesting to see how things turn out.  There's no secret as to where I stand.

The launch last month of the Amazon Kindle Store edition of The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan went very well.  It was beyond my expectations.

A mail order of the hard copy edition arrived yesterday from Hawaii.  So things are off to a great start for this quarter.

Although I've been pushing the Kindle Store edition, the hard copy edition of the guide is still available through ComiXpress.com or through me.

Things are already in the works for next year.  So stay tuned!

Yahoo! 7 News: "Easy Japan" In Historic Kyoto

Above, Kinkaku-ji "Golden Pavilion."  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Yahoo! 7 News (Australia) has a nice article on historic Kyoto, Japan and the things to see there.

It begins with:

Oh, no! We're headed the wrong way. I'm on the wrong bus. Signs are in English as well as Japanese but I'd asked a bus driver whether he was headed where I wanted to go and he nodded affirmatively. I'd completely forgotten a friend's well-intended warning that there are two very similar-sounding places. 

I decide to keep going. After all, getting lost is part of discovering an unfamiliar city.
Kinkakuji or Ginkakuji? Whatever you do, speak clearly. The two are on opposite sides of Kyoto - though, fortunately, both are major attractions. 

The former, also called the Golden Pavilion, is one of Asia's great sights. Set on a lake, it's a temple mostly covered in gold leaf which shimmers in reflection on the water. The latter, the Silver Pavilion, isn't silver-coloured but is nonetheless much revered. Queues shuffle through its gardens.

If you are interested in Japanese history, you should consider a visit to Kyoto.  It is well worth a visit, so if your itinerary permits, try to reserve a couple of days and go.

To read more, go here.

Japanese Etiquette For Tourists

Above, the Niigata Dormy Inn, where I heard ramen slurping in the restaurant.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The United Kingdom's The Telegraph has an article on Japanese etiquette for tourists.  It is a guide on the dos and don'ts while a tourist is Japan.

To give you an idea on what the article explains, here's one excerpt:

It may sound like common sense, but never be late for a meeting, wear a suit with a tie and never forget an ample supply of business cards – handed over and received with both hands, a shallow bow and placed carefully on the table in front of you for the duration of the meeting. It is considered dismissive if a business card is simply tucked away in one's wallet and put in a back pocket.

Thank goodness I already knew of the above when I first visited Japan in 2001.  I had an ample supply of business cards and had them in a nice brass business card holder. 

Here's another, and a fun one:

Try to ignore the loud slurping if you are in a restaurant that is serving ramen noodles as this is the accepted way to eat the dish – and great fun for children who have always been told to never slurp their meals. 

I never noticed ramen slurping until I went to Niigata in December 2010.  I was in my hotel's (the Dormy Inn) restaurant and was waiting in line for service when I heard a whole lot of slurping.  I slyly looked around and there were about 15-20 Japanese businessmen seated nearby and consuming bowls of ramen while giving off loud slurping noises.  I wasn't shocked as I knew it was customary, but I never noticed hearing it before.  It was amusing, to say the least.

To read the full article, go here.

Mount Fuji Had A Good Season

Above, a view of the top of Mt. Fuji.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Mount Fuji in Japan was the site of the start of the epic battle between King Kong and Godzilla in 1962 and it was the location of the battle between Earth's monsters (led by Godzilla) and King Ghidorah in 1968's Destroy All Monsters.

Today, one of Japan's national symbols is the draw for thousands of hikers to view morning sunrises.

According to Kyodo News, Mount Fuji had a good season:

Mt. Fuji drew 246,616 climbers during July and August, up about 20,000 from last year due mainly to fine weather, a municipal government in Yamanashi said Saturday. 

"In addition to good weather, mountain lodges and toilets were renovated for women, while efforts to seek the registration of Mt. Fuji as a World Heritage site gained the attention of climbers," said an official of Fujiyoshida.

Mount Fuji is covered in The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan on page 37.

 To read more, go here.

"The Right Place At The Right Time"

Above, the ad as it appeared on the Drudge Report.

Talk about "being in the right place at the right time."

I mentioned that the Drudge Report gets "millions" of views daily when I first posted that the Amazon.com ad on the Kindle Store edition of The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan first appeared on it.  I wasn't kidding!

According to Drudge, the site scored the biggest amount of visits to the site in August 2012 in its 17-year history:

BLOW OUT: THANKS FOR MAKING AUGUST '12 THE SINGLE BIGGEST MONTH IN DRUDGEREPORT'S 17 YEAR HISTORY! PAGE WAS VIEWED 943,281,513 TIMES FROM MORE THAN 100 COUNTRIES.

During the past 24 hours alone, the Drudge Report had  34,245,223 visits.  This was the period that the Amazon ad featuring the travel guide also appeared (alternating with other ads).

This supports my feeling that I made the right choice in going with Amazon.com in putting out the ebook edition of The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan.  The sales have been great!

Congratulations to Matt Drudge and the Drudge Report!

Fukuoka Uncovered

Above, Fukuoka Tower that was featured in "Godzilla vs. Space Godzilla."  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has a travel article on Fukuoka entitled, "Uncovering The Secrets of Fukuoka."

Fukuoka has chic boutiques, laid-back bars, a fantastic high-and-low dining scene and beaches nearby. Nearly equidistant to Tokyo, Shanghai and Seoul, it sits on the northern tip of Kyushu, the southernmost of Japan's four main islands.

Despite its many assets, relatively few tourists have discovered Fukuoka. But with a multitude of new transport links, that may soon change.

Cruise ships began docking in the port three years ago, joining ferries from South Korea and China. In 2011, the Kyushu Shinkansen high-speed rail line was completed, linking Fukuoka to Kagoshima, on the southern tip of Kyushu. And this year, two new low-cost airlines, Peach Aviation and AirAsia Japan, have started flying to Fukuoka from Osaka and Tokyo, respectively.

If one doesn't like crowds, Fukuoka may be the Japanese city to suit your fancy.  You may want to visit it now, before the hordes of tourists discover it.

Above, Fukuoka Yahoo Dome that was featured in "Gamera, Guardian of the Universe."  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

I visited Fukuoka in 2007 and found it to be a rather relaxed city.  I was attracted to it as it was featured in Rodan (1956), Godzilla vs. Space Godzilla (1994) and Gamera, Guardian of the Universe (1995).  Fukuoka is covered in The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan on page 45.

Above, a view of off-shore islands from Fukuoka Tower.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/ stories/life/travel/uncovering-the-secrets-of-fukuoka-650465/#ixzz25CVr5Vz1