Kyle and special guest (and travel-mate) David Dopko recap the first half of their trip to Japan in this recorded-on-the-road episode!
Hey everyone, I wanted to make sure to get an episode recorded, despite having a blast in Japan right now. You see, I’m traveling with fellow Japanophile and kaiju fan David Eric Dopko and we wanted to share some of the awesome adventures that we’re having and and awesome stuff we’re seeing with you.
We’re going to do another one of these before I leave, I think.
SUGGESTED VIEWING:
(*or Trip Highlights!*)
Sapporo Snow Festival
– Japan Times report from the Snow Festival
Sapporo TV Tower Location
Sapporo adjacent: Jozankei Onsen Town
Sapporo adjacent: Hoheikyo Onsen (*it’s tattoo friendly!*)
Kyoto: Fushimi Inari Shrine
Osaka: Mandarake (Umeda)
Osaka: Mandarake (Grandchaos)
Osaka: Astro Zombies
Osaka: Anime Jungle
Kyoto: Gogyo Ramen
Kyoto: Nishiji Market
KYLE’S GAMERA 2 LOCATION MATCHUPS:
The JSDF was not occupying the base of the Sapporo TV Tower during our visit.
The entrance to the station has changed but we’re pretty sure this is the same location.
 
 
 
GODZILLA: The Planet Eater (2018)
DAIKAIJU DISCUSSION:
Yes, we are back with another Daikaiju Discussion, but don’t get too excited yet — it’s for the third anime film. Yes, we’ll be watching Godzilla: The Planet Eater this month (once I’m back from Japan). I forgot to mention it in the episode but the deadline for sending in your homework is February 21st, so if you’d like to be included in this episode’s homework, please submit your thoughts, questions and reviews before then.
And if you wanted to know who performed the song at the end of the episode, Ikusa, that would be the band Wagakki.

02.14.2019: Kaiju fans in Japan with David Dopko

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TV & Film

The Kaijucast Finale features nothing but Kyle and his cohosts – like almost all of them!
This final mission will decide the fate of the human race… this is Operation Final Kaijucast!
Welcome to a bittersweet episode release: the final episode of the Kaijucast.
For this finale, I wanted as many cohosts as possible to get an one last opportunity to interact and say goodbye (or ja mataa) to our listeners.
There’s not a lot of Godzilla chatter in this episode, just a bunch of my favorite nerds talking about the podcast and what it’s been like to be part of this experience; this qualifies as a Yak Attack, but I’ve bleeped the few instances where we might have dipped into the “explicit” category. Now everyone can listen!
I want to thank the cohosts, those that listened to the episode live and every single person who has supported the Kaijucast in one form or another over the past ten years.  
MUSIC TO MONSTER BY:
1. Monsterman by DEVO from Monsterman (2012) 
2. “Major Spielberg” audio clip from Godzilla vs King Ghidorah (1991)
3. The Giant Fang by Kow Otani from Godzilla Mothra King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All Out Attack (2001)
4. “Go Go of One Million” audio clip from Godzilla vs the Smog Monster (1971)
5. Mothra Metal by Isao Bito from Mothra Song The Best (1998)
6. Monster From A Prehistoric Planet Trailer Audio (1967)
7. Monsters Over Tokyo by Famous Monsters from Around the World in 80 Bikinis (1999)
8. “Red Dots are decreasing” audio clip from Godzilla vs Monster Zero (1965)
9. Destroy All Monsters AIP Trailer (1968)
10. Main Theme performed by the Bukimisha Weird Secret Society from Daring Daimajin (2006)
11. Gammera the Invincible Trailer (1965)
12. Stomp Tokyo by the Creeping Cruds from The Incredibly Strange People Who Stopped Living & Became… (2005)
13. Ending / Raymond Burr’s Monologue clip from Godzilla 1985 (1985)
It’s been a helluva decade… THANK YOU FOR ALL OF THE MONSTER MEMORIES!
The stunning Rodan painting by Bob Eggleton, a gift from the cohosts to the controller, who might have gotten a little choked up in this live and final episode.

12.14.2019: Operation Final Kaijucast

The Kaijucast FanVader crew poses with the Godzilla statue outside of Toho Studios: (from L to R) Mike, Stephan, Clancy, Laura, Andrew, Bryan and James (with Kyle being a dork up front)
The 2019 Kaijucast FanVasion is complete! Clancy and Kyle have returned from their trip to Tokyo (and beyond) with the rest of the “FanVader” team and the two of them sit down to unpack the whole damn thing.
There’s a list below of all the places we went on the trip with some helpful links to anyone heading to Japan themselves – big thanks to our travel group, you guys were awesome!
Make sure to check out the links to our housekeeping announcements! 
MUSICAL MOMENTS OF MONSTROUSNESS:
1. Booska Theme performed by Animetal from Animetal Marathon III (1998)
2. “Kong versus Godzilla” Audio Clip from King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962) 
3. Appearance Of Gamera by Ko Otani from Gamera 2: Advent of Legion (1996)
4. Cleansing the Earth of Humanity’s Existence by Oxygen Destroyer from Bestial Manifestations of Malevolence and Death (2018)
FANVASION HITLIST:
Ultraman town/street
Toho Gates’ Godzilla Mural, Statue etc
Kurihama Flower Park for the Godzilla slide
Kawasaki’s “Your Warehouse” Arcade [NOW CLOSED]
Kaiju Sakaba in Kawasaki
GODZILLAFES 2019
Evangelion Store in Ikebukuro
Akihabara Shopping
Kadokawa Studios in Chofu + Shop Majin
Nakano Broadway Mall
Godzilla Store in Shinjuku
Shinjuku Gracery Hotel (Godzilla Terrace / Godzilla Room)
Sukugawa Tsuburaya Museum
Ikebukuro’s Owl Cafe
Shibuya’s Tower Records and DiscUnion
and… for those traveling to Tokyo, check out the following not done as part of the FanVasion
TeamLab’s Borderless Exhibit in Odaiba 
MIKE’S FIRE RAMEN VIDEO 
TSUBURAYA MUSEUM DIORAMA
Sukagawa’s Tsuburaya Museum houses this beautiful Studio Diorama. Photo courtesy of Monster Attack Team Magazine & Toho Co. Ltd.
 
The FanVasion in the Godzilla Room at the Shinjuku Gracery Hotel!
HOUSEKEEPING: FINAL EPISODE RECORDING
THIS IS IT, GEORGE: The FINAL Episode of the Kaijucast will be recorded LIVE on December 14th, please follow the link below to our Facebook Event and join us in the chatroom if you can!
 KAIJUCAST Final Wars Episode FB Event !
HOUSEKEEPING T-SHIRT OF THE MONTH CLUB:
We’re moving the “club” to RedBubble! And to celebrate, there are TWO designs available now:

ANCIENT MONSTER GOMESS Design!

METAL UP JIRASS Mashup Design!

11.30.2019: FanVasion Trip Recap

Live from Tokyo’s Godzilla Festival celebration, Kyle and his FanVasion crew talk about the event!
Wow – Tokyo knows how to throw a Godzilla celebration!
Today, I spent the day in Tokyo’s Ginza district at Godzilla Square with my group trip’s kaiju freaks (aka the Kaijucast FanVasion) and we had a great time! The stage shows were fun, the programming was great, the exclusives were super cool – I wish I could have tried some of the food truck-style food but phew! those lines were mega long!
In order to get this episode released ON godzilla’s birthday, it’s a little on the short side, but make sure to check out the two videos I linked to below too (and you can pretend YOU were there)!
MUSICAL MONSTER MOMENTS:
1. Suite From Godzilla 1954 from Akira Ifukube 100: A Legacy of Monster Music (2014)
2. Godzilla’s History According to Dr. Arnold Johnson from King Kong vs Godzilla (1962)
3. Godzilla by The Creatures from Hai! (2003)
4. Look Up There…Gigan & King Ghidorah from Godzilla vs. Gigan (1972)
5. Goodbye Godzilla by Josie Cotten from Attack of the B-Girls (2007)
SUGGESTED VIEWING:
Akira Takarada’s Opening Ceremonies Speech (all in Japanese)
The Shodai Godzilla suit walks to the stage!

11.03.2019: Godzilla Birthday Celebration in Tokyo

Happy Halloween, Kaiju Fiends!!! 
Celebrate the spookiest day of our calendar with an all new, super scary episode of the Kaijucast!
Dave, Gretchen and Kyle sit down to discuss the cultural phenomenon that has grown to kaiju-sized levels. Thanks to animated shows like Yokai Watch, Rise of the Yokai Clan and so many more, the world of Japanese ghosts and goblins and things that go obake in the night has really opened up to the West (that’s us, folks!) – anyway, we knew it was time for another Yokai Spooktacular.
Inside of this episode is an interview that Gretchen and I recorded at Rose City Comic Con with yokai author, Zack Davisson. We discuss his newest book Yokai Stories, his career as an author and translator and where you can find his stuff – make sure to click on those show notes below!
We hope you enjoy this conversational and hopefully slightly informative chat by a bunch of yokai fans who want you to become fans yourselves. 
MYSTERIOUS MUSIC:
1. Shrine Worship (1969) by Chumei Watanabe from Yokai Hyaku Monogatari (1968)
2. Hellboy Sword of Storms Trailer (2006)
3.  Kappa Audio Clip from Gegege No Kitaro (2018)
4. Avant Title from Gegege No Kitaro (2018)
5. Hakaba Kitaro Audio Clip (2008)
6. Karankoron no uta from Gegege no Kitaro (1968)
7. Ending by Chumei Watanabe from Yokai Hyaku Monogatari (1968)
8. Oshiete Jiji (the Azuki Bean song) by Kiyoshiro Imawano & Yosui Inoue from The Great Yokai War (2005)
SUGGESTED VIEWING:
Maser Patrol’s Incredible Yokai Resource from last year Night Parade of 100 Monster Movies
Zack Davission’s website
Zack Davission’s books: 
Yokai Stories,
Yurei: The Japanese Ghost 
Kaibyo: The Supernatural Cats of Japan
Yokai.com – serious encyclopedic website! 
Japandemonium Illustrated The Yokai Encyclopedias of Toriyama Seiken
Yokai Attack! The Japanese Monster Survival Guide by Matt Alt
100 Demon Night Parade by Matthew Meyer 
In Ghostly Japan by Lafcadio Hern
Japanese Ghosts and Demons by George Brazillier
YOKAI MOVIES AND VIDEOS:
Know Your Yokai on Youtube
Pom Poko — Kyle’s favorite movie from Studio Ghibli 
Hellboy Sword of Storms
Gegege No Kitaro on CrunchyRoll
Gantz 0 on Netflix
YOKAI WE TALKED ABOUT!
*links to entries on Yokai.com*
Yurei
Kappa
Tanuki
Nurikabe
Zashiki-warashi
Nukikube
Karakasa
Azuki Arai
Wa nyudo
ALL EYES ON DECK:
Hey folks, since this is the end of October, that means there are only two more months of podcast programming planned. Our final episode will be recorded in December and we want you to listen LIVE as we broadcast the final episode of the Kaijucast! We’ll be broadcasting a special “Yak Attack” episode live from the depth of Monster Island’s control room and will once again fire up the chat room. 
Mark your calendars for DECEMBER 14th!!!

10.31.2019: Yokai Spooktacular + Yokai Stories’ Zack Davission

Godzilla director Masaaki Tezuka joins Kyle for a chat about his career in kaiju cinema (originally recorded at G-Fest 2015).
Since the podcast is ending this year, I figured I should probably dig into the archives and find any unearthed gems. This is one of those gems – and it’s a bit shorter than I would have liked so I guess this is before we really had a lot of kaiju clout! 
Waaaaaaay back in 2015, I was lucky to interview some of the guests at G-Fest 22 and one of those guests was the director of three Millennium series films, Masaaki Tezuka. Tezuka directed Godzilla X Megaguirus (2000), Godzilla X Mechagodzilla (2002), Godzilla X Mothra X Mechagodzilla: Tokyo SOS (2003), some seriously great entries in the franchise’s legacy.  
I’m a massive fan of his movies, and impressed that in an era where each film was supposed to have its own direction, continuity and director, Tezuka was able to come back to the series twice! 
I would love to see him return to the Godzilla series some day. Come on, Toho – Bring back this fan turned director!
MUSIC:
1. Fateful Confrontation by Michiru Oshima from Godzilla x Megaguirus (2000)
2. 20 Returning To The Sea by Michiru Oshima from Godzilla x Mothra x Mechagodzilla: Tokyo SOS (2003)
SUGGESTED VIEWING:
TerrorDave’s Recap of the G-Fest Tezuka panel from 2015
Massive thanks to Jim Figurski and his wife Akiko for their life saving interpretation skills!

02.14.2019: Kaiju fans in Japan with David Dopko

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