Hi Woodsy. I share with you today a Medicom Toy Real Action Heroes Godzilla toy.
An interesting fact is it is not so much a Godzilla toy as it is a Takara Combat Joe toy.
Combat Joe is the Japanese version of Action Man or GI Joe. The doll comes with a rubber Godzilla suit to wear, accurately depicting how difficult it must have been to masquerade as the big G.
I had the rare opportunity to hand this toy to the original Godzilla costume actor himself, Mr Haruo Nakajima!
He was delighted by the concept of the toy and requested that I take it out of the package so he could see the finished product.
It took us a few minutes to figure it out, but after the toy was complete, we posed for a picture and he autographed the box.
Sadly, Nakahima-San passed away in 2017, but I am grateful for the opportunity to have met him.-
Brian F
NJ USA
One of my favourite photos is Mr. Nakayama filming close ups of Godzilla's destruction. He is walking past a street of miniature houses, wearing the lower half of the suit like a gigantic pair of waders. He is wearing a singlet, braces and a hatamachi head band.
ReplyDeleteHe seems to be the very epitome of the Japanese quality of "GAMAN"
"Gaman (我慢) is a Japanese term of Zen Buddhist origin which means "enduring the seemingly unbearable with patience and dignity". The term is generally translated as "perseverance", "patience", or "tolerance". ... "
How wonderful to have met this remarkable man!
My auto correct changed Nakajima to Nakayama!
ReplyDeleteWhat a fantastic heart warming photo and memory, Brian. A priceless moment!
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