Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on September 2009

Photo courtesy Sony Pictures

Movie stars get asked to do all sorts of things when they visit Japan, but few experience the kind of whirlwind day that Denzel Washington had recently. Hours after arriving from LA, the 54-year-old star showed up at Kokuritsu-Kyogijo station on the Oedo line, where he was named honorary train dispatcher. Then, accompanied by the honorary station chief—cosmetic surgeon-turned-actress Ayako Nishikawa, 38—he visited the subway’s control center, took the mike, and announced in his best Japanese, “Densha hassha shimasu” (“The train is leaving”). After that, he inspected a vintage railway exhibition in Shinagawa, followed by an appearance in Yurakucho for the premiere of his new movie The Taking of Pelham 123.

“I’m still jet-lagged and not sure where I was or what I did today,” said the actor after it was all over.
In the absence of co-star John Travolta (who withdrew from public life following the death of his 16-year-old son in January), it has been left up to Washington to travel the world to promote the film, which is a remake of the 1974 thriller about a New York subway hijacking. “My movies have always been well received by Japanese fans, and it’s great to be back,” said the actor, making his fourth visit to Japan and the first since 2000, when he was promoting The Bone Collector. “I think you’ll enjoy this one, too. It’s intense and a fun ride.”
In Pelham, directed in hyperkinetic style by Briton Tony Scott (Enemy of the State), Washington stars as a New York City train dispatcher who becomes the lead negotiator with a criminal gang led by Travolta. The hijackers demand $10 million to be delivered in one hour and threaten to kill a passenger for each minute the ransom is late. “I like the idea of an ordinary guy caught up in extraordinary circumstances,” said the two-time Oscar winner (for Training Day and Glory).
Washington, who grew up in Mount Vernon just outside New York City but now lives in LA, said he hadn’t traveled on New York’s subway for more than 20 years. To prepare for his role as a dispatcher, he went to work for a little while at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA).
“My cap goes off to train dispatchers and the demanding job they have,” he says. “The shoot was about four months, mainly at night from 9pm until 6am. We were between stations a lot, and what I remember most of all were the big rats… and the third electrified rail. I don’t know if you have that here in Tokyo, but if you touch the rail, that’s it, so we had to be very careful.”
Washington said he gained 25 pounds for the role. “I just ate, ate, ate… McDonald’s, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Haagen-Dazs and milkshakes,” he said gleefully. “Normally, I’m not really that big, but I do like to eat, especially Japanese food. On this trip, I have been eating everything in sight. Nobu [Matsuhisa] has been a friend of mine for 20 years, and I love his tempura. Putting on weight was a lot easier than losing it. I box a lot, so that has helped me get back in shape.”
Although Washington still has a busy schedule ahead of him—upcoming films include The Book of Eli, Inside Man 2 and Unstoppable—he said he hopes to return to Japan more often. “Every time I have been here, I have been touched by the kindness and graciousness of the Japanese people. I wish I could take it back with me. We could use a little more of your humility in the States.”

Chris Betros is the editor of Japan Today (www.japantoday.com).