"Monster Japan Travel Guide vs. The Japanese Media"

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For Immediate Release




"Monster Japan Travel Guide vs. The Japanese Media"

The world's first travel guide tailored to fans of Japanese science-fiction and fantasy movies, "The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan," has made a big splash in the Japanese media.

Author Armand Vaquer of Tarzana, California recently visited Japan and was interviewed by "Japan Today," "The Daily Yomiuri" and "Metropolis" magazine on the travel guide.

"I was kept pretty busy during my trip to Japan, " said Vaquer. "During the Tokyo portion of the trip, I was interviewed by several publications and even had my photo taken with the Godzilla statue in Hibiya, Tokyo. The questions ran the gamut of monster movie locations in the travel guide to who would really win a fight between King Kong and Godzilla."

While the interviews did take up much of Vaquer's time in Tokyo, he did manage to tour around Tokyo to see the new Godzilla statue at the main gate at Toho Studios and the Tokyo Sky Tree Tower now under construction. A photo of Vaquer with the Toho Studios Godzilla statue was included with one of the interview articles.

On the Tokyo Sky Tree Tower, Vaquer was asked if Toho should resume production of Godzilla movies, "Would the Sky Tree make an appearance?" His response, "Without a doubt! Many new sites were featured in Japanese science-fiction movies over the years including the Saikai Bridge in Kyushu in "Rodan" (1956), Tokyo Tower in "Mothra" (1961) the Fukuoka Tower in "Godzilla vs. Space Godzilla" (1994) and the Atami Castle in "King Kong vs. Godzilla" (1962). These locations are featured in the travel guide. The Tokyo Sky Tree Tower would be a natural location for Godzilla to attack."

"The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan" is available through ComiXpress.com.

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Return To Tokyo

Text and photos by Armand Vaquer

For the past week, I've been in Japan promoting The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan.

While here, I've spoken to some book dealers and two newspapers, Japan Today and The Daily Yomiuri. My interview with The Daily Yomiuri is slated to appear December 24 and I'm to receive some additional interview questions via email from Japan Today this coming week.

It hasn't been all business here. I visited the (relatively) new Godzilla statue at the main gate of Toho Studios. Following that, I headed over to the Asakusa section of Tokyo to see the new Sky Tree Tower and do some gift shopping. One morning, I visited the Tsukiji Fish Market.

I also saw Space Battleship Yamato at the Toho Cinemas at the Yurakucho Mullion in Ginza.

I am currently in Niigata (on the Sea of Japan side of Honshu) until tomorrow. Then it's back to Tokyo.

As pictures "are worth a thousand words," here's a few from the Tokyo portion of my trip to Japan:

Tokyo Sky Tree Tower Is Reaching For The Sky

Above, an artist's conception of what the finished Tokyo Sky Tree Tower will look like.

Tokyo Sky Tree Tower Is Reaching For The Sky

by Armand Vaquer

A new tower is reaching for the sky in Tokyo, Japan.

The new Tokyo tower, dubbed recently as the Tokyo Sky Tree, is currently under construction in the Sumida Ward of Tokyo (below).



The new tower was made necessary due to the needs of digital broadcasting. The current Tokyo Tower just is too short to be sufficient for digital broadcasting.

The Sky Tree will be double the size of Tokyo Tower. Below, is a comparison of the sizes of the Sky Tree and Tokyo Tower. The Sky Tree will stand at 610 meters (2,013 feet) (some sources say 634 meters).



Over the past 49 years, starting with Mothra (1961), Tokyo Tower has been a favorite battleground for Japanese giant monsters. King Kong battled his mechanical counterpart atop it in King Kong Escapes, Gamera blasted it in Gamera, Guardian of the Universe (Gyaos built a nest on the Tower's ruins in the same movie) and Godzilla blasted it in Godzilla x Mothra x Mechagodzilla: Tokyo S.O.S.

The Tokyo Sky Tree Tower is due to be completed in 2012, just in time for the expected return of Godzilla in 2014 (Toho put Godzilla on a ten-year hiatus in 2004 due to slumping boxoffice receipts). We can probably expect Toho Co., Ltd. to make good use of the new tower in their next new Godzilla epic.

I visited Tokyo Tower in 2004 and the views from its observation deck were spectacular. I can just imagine the views from this even taller tower!

The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan has a feature article on the current Tokyo Tower.