Memorial Hall Visits Part 3: Yuzo Kayama

That's an adorable smile.

Between Yujiro Ishihara (石原裕次郎) and Yuzo Kayama (加山雄三), I don't think I have a clear favourite. Both were in and around the same league back in the 60's and 70's, though they mainly tackled different genres movie and music-wise. Both were also, as the term goes, eye candy, with Yu-chan rocking the cute bad boy look while the Wakadaisho made girls swoon and mothers approve with that clean cut persona. And they were just as cool in my eyes, which was why I was happy to visit the latter's own museum when I had the opportunity to on my recent trip to Japan.

This time around, before our compulsory visit to Tokyo, the family and I spent half of our trip in the land of the rising sun in Yamanashi and the areas around it. To be frank, there wasn't all that much to explore in the mountainous prefecture known for grapes and peaches (ironically not pears, despite having the word "pear" in its name). What got me excited, however, was the fact that Yamanashi is not too far away from Shizuoka's Izu peninsula, and on its western coast in the little seaside town known as Dogashima sits the Kayama Yuzo Collection Museum.

I knew of the Wakadaisho's museum even before I knew about Yujiro's, though I never knew when I'd be able to visit it as, of all places Japan, I didn't think we'd go to a place anywhere around Izu for vacation. It was only because of Dad deciding on a whim to view the great Mt. Fuji from a less touristy spot (Yamanakako) that we were able to be a 2 hour drive away from the museum's location. We were planning for a trip to Australia, but I wasn't complaining over that sudden change of mind brought on by an episode of "Japan Hour" on by Channel News Asia.

Being the secondary navigator seated in front due to being able to mostly read Japanese road signs, I was able to fully enjoy the change of scenary from the rental car's front seat as we headed down from the brown-green Yamanashi, to the more vibrantly-coloured Shizuoka - wasn't as cold there so most Maple trees still had their red leaves. And the moment we hit Nishi-Izu, the extensive coastline came into view. On a clear, sunny day, the brilliant blue of the sea next to the dark green mountains was absolutely stunning. Not to mention that it was extremely blustery. Since we were heading to Kayama's museum, I had to plug in his songs through my ear pieces, and none fit the mood and view better than the very first song that introduced me to this cool grandpa of a singer, "Dreamer ~ Yume ni Mukate Ima ~" (Dreamer～夢に向かって いま～).

Arriving at Dogashima at long last, I would compare it to Makkari-mura in Niseko, Hokkaido, where population is concerned. The town where Kayama grew up in was tiny and the block which was his museum was also the biggest building there, but there seemed to be more activities going on and people milling about there than Takashi Hosokawa's (細川たかし) hometown.

This here is the building's entrance. Did my excitement levels hit the roof when I saw it? Yes. A picture with that photo of Kayama on the right was a must. The wind there was the strongest I had faced up to this point in time too. Good thing I had my Ishihara Yujiro cap to prevent my hair from flying into my face... 😉

The museum consisted of 3 floors, the first of which had a cafe/restaurant which I'll touch on later, then the second had an huge souvenir shop with Dogashima and Izu delights as well as some Kayama merchandise, and the third housed the museum itself. Though it effectively spanned a floor's worth of space, there was a lot on display. Not as much and as huge as the Yujiro museum (that has sadly closed its doors for the last time), but it was just as meticulously done. Photo-taking was allowed for some of the areas, so I could get some shots. Oh, and a surprising bonus of visiting his museum this year is that it's free entry, in commemoration of his 80th birthday.

Credit: Mom

As it is widely known, the Wakadaisho has an affinity with the sea, and he loves his boat, the Koshinmaru (光進丸), just as much. There have been a few versions of it over the decades and the first section of the museum was dedicated to it and his hobby of sailing. He even had rules to follow on his beloved boat, such as "Everyone must get along with each other." and "Before doing anything, you have to inform the captain."

The two pictures immediately above this paragraph are his sailing log and his boat licenses. Also, he was in his 60's when that photo of him on the jet ski was taken. 

The next section featured his early life and how he eventually became the icon he is now. His family life and acquaintances were also included. Lots of photos with Kayama in his shirtless, hairy, tanned and wet glory.

I'd place my money on Yujiro winning that arm wrestling match.

After that came a gallery featuring his artworks. As I quote from a grandma perusing the paintings, "They look like photos!" Unfortunately, photos weren't allowed, but I can tell you guys that many paintings were of beaches and of the ocean's waves. He even had big pieces, like the Neuschwanstein Castle, which was an incredible feat. There was a corner that showed how his painting work space looked like too.

Train Wakadaisho

Moving on from there, his other hobby, besides sailing, painting, cooking, and gaming, is model trains. On display was a huge and intricate diorama of a town built by the man himself with a train passing through it. I know it was terrible of me, but the thought of using a remote controlled dinosaur to ravage the set filled my mind as I watched the train chug by.

Coming next was the section that showcased all his movies from the Wakadaisho series, plus some of his costumes, like a pair of swimming trunks. Newspaper clippings of him and some of his childhood toys were all around too. He seemed to like Astro Boy in his younger days. I wasn't sure if I could snap some photos there, so I played safe and kept my phone to myself. Instead, enjoy "Yozora wo Aoide" (夜空を仰いで) which was on constant replay alongside "Black Sand Beach".

The last bit of the collection museum was an ode to his music career. Some of his guitars, electric and acoustic, were shown. Awards, 70th birthday well-wishes from other celebrities, and concert footage were shown too. At the end of everything was the merchandise shop. As I had planned, I got a T-shirt, a CD of him doing enka covers, a couple of pins, and a cap. I was tempted to get the cap with an emblem saying "Kayama Yuzo Collection Museum" on it, but I ultimately went with a white one that simply said, "Dreamer", in reddish-pink on it, as an ode to the song.

The final thing we did was have lunch at the Windy Cafe, one of the town's three restaurants. Dad and my brother, who went there first after getting bored, got some tuna ochazuke thing, Mom got a ten-zaru soba, and I, with my current gyu-don craze, had the sukiyaki gyu-don. I don't know why, but the waitress was oddly happy that I ordered one of the two items on the menu that were created by the Wakadaisho. The portion was huge and I liked it. It tasted like a Yoshinoya beef bowl, but that's in no offence as I enjoy that as well.

All in all, I had a wonderful time at Dogashima and Kayama's museum. I'd go back.

"Shiawase da na..." 

P.S. You can also see Mt.Fuji from Izu's western coast. Yes, Dad, you did make a good choice, okay?