Godzilla Turns 58

by Armand Vaquer

Above, the King of the Monsters stands guard at the main gate of Toho Studios.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

In movie history...

On November 3, 1954, Godzilla was unleashed in theaters throughout Japan, thus inaugurating a whole new genre of science-fiction movies: daikaiju eiga.

The genre has had its ups and downs over the span of 58 years.  It has seen good movies and bad movies.  But it has managed to weather them all.  Hollywood is currently in the process of producing a new Godzilla movie under the wings of Legendary Pictures and Warner Brothers.  Hopefully, it will be true to the spirit of the Japanese version and not the abomination that was released in 1998 by Sony/Tri-Star.

Above, the Godzilla statue in Hibiya, Tokyo.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Toho Co., Ltd., citing dwindling box-office returns for its third series of Godzilla movies, had decided to stop producing them eight years ago.  There are no plans to resurrect their most famous character.  If the new U.S. version is a hit, they may change their minds...eventually.

Above, Godzilla approaches the Kachidoki Bridge in 1954.  Photo: Toho Co., Ltd.

The original Godzilla suit-actor, Haruo Nakajima, age 83, will be appearing at the Mad Monster Party convention in Charlotte, North Carolina this coming March 22-24.

Interview On Godzilla Locations

Above, the Wako Department store in Ginza in 2001.

by Armand Vaquer

I just completed an email interview with Craig Norris of the University of Tasmania (Australia) on the subject of Godzilla locations.

As you may recall, Mr. Norris and a colleague ordered copies of The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan to assist them on their Godzilla research while in Japan this month.

Here is one of the questions, and answer, from the interview:

1. Is there a hierarchy of Godzilla locations? Eg: if you only had two or three locations you could visit what would they be and why?

I don't know if there's a "hierarchy" of Godzilla locations, but there are some that could be considered "iconic" locations. The first I would say would be The Wako Department store in Ginza, Tokyo. That's the building with the clock tower that gets demolished when it gonged the hour in Godzilla's presence. The second one I'd consider "iconic" would be the Kachidoki Bridge on the Sumida River that gets toppled over. Both were from the 1954 movie. The third one would be a toss-up between Osaka Castle in "Godzilla Raids Again" (1955) or the Atami Castle in "King Kong vs. Godzilla" (1962). Those four would be the top of my "must-see" list. I've visited each and think those are most important as they are a mixture of modern Japan and traditional Japan.

Above, the Kachidoki Bridge at the Sumida River in 2005.

I could have also added the National Diet Building, but I thought the Wako Dept. Store building and Kachidoki Bridge left a bigger impression, at least with me.

It will be interesting to see the finished results of their research.

Spotlight on the Kachidoki Bridge

Spotlight on the Kachidoki Bridge

by Armand Vaquer

The Sumida River is one of Tokyo's major rivers that flows through the Shitamachi area (old downtown). The river is crossed by 27 bridges for use by pedestrians and cars, including expressways, and 24 bridges can be crossed by pedestrians.

Among those, the Kachidoki Bridge is especially unique. In Godzilla (1954), the Kachidoki Bridge was toppled over by Godzilla during his nighttime raid on Tokyo.

It is the closest bridge to Tokyo Bay in the lower Sumida River. The Kachidoki Bridge was erected in 1940 to commemorate the victory of the former Japanese army in the battle of Lushun during the Russo-Japanese War (kachidoki means "a shout of victory" in Japanese). The bridge is 246-meters long, 22-meters wide and is the only double-leaf bascule bridge over the Sumida, which is designed to open from the center by raising each leaf about 70 degrees. Powered by electricity, each opening/closing operation took about 70 seconds. The bridge was opened five times a day for about 20 minutes each and gathered visitors who watched the operation.

Until motorization began and highways were built, the rivers had been the major route for Tokyo's urban transportation. The area where the Kachidoki Bridge is located was formerly lined by a number of warehouses and was busy with large freighters.

As the overland traffic increased during the postwar high-growth period and the number of freighters diminished, the bridge stopped its operation in 1970 and has been closed since then. Former control rooms are still found and old traffic lights on top of the rooms remind us of the days when cars were stopped every time the bridge opened.

Along the Sumida River today, a new riverside walkway named Sumidagawa Terrace has been installed and attracts people who enjoy walking while admiring the riverfront view of high-rise buildings and bridges. A tour via water bus through the Shitamachi area is also popular for tourists. I took this tour in 2005.



Water Bus stops on the Sumida are available in Asakusa, Hama-rikyu Gardens, and Hinode Pier. While on the boat cruise down the Sumida River, I got a shot (above) of the Kachidoki Bridge from Tokyo Bay as the boat approached the Hama-riku Gardens boat dock.

The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan will direct you on how to get to the bridge if you elect not to take a Sumida River cruise. The cruise is worth it as the boat will go underneath the Kachidoki Bridge.