Hibiya Chanter Square, Japan's Walk of Fame

Text and Photos by Armand Vaquer

Above, Godzilla stands guard at the entrance to Hibiya Chanter Square.

Near the Godzilla statue at the Hibiya Chanter Square in Tokyo are metal hand casts of Japanese celebrities. This is Japan's version of the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Among them are a couple of names Americans are familiar with: Tom Cruise and Jackie Chan. Cruise's hand cast was added at about the time The Last Samurai was released.

While I am not a fan of Tom Cruise by any stretch of the imagination, there are some Cruise fans out there who would be interested in seeing his hand cast along with Jackie Chan's.

Above, Tom Cruise.


Above, Jackie Chan.

Godzilla Star-Power In Ginza

by Armand Vaquer

Source: Clawmark Toys

Above, past Toho Godzilla stars join Tom and Diane Dougherty at the Godzilla Fan Club's event in Ginza. Left to right: Kenji Sahara, Hiroshi Koizumi, Diane, Tom and Akira Takarada. Photo courtesy of Clawmark Toys.

The Santa & Mrs. Claus of Japan, Tom & Diane Dougherty, attended a Godzilla Fan Club event on Christmas Day that was held in Ginza, Tokyo. The event was held in a building across Ginza Crossing from the Wako Department Store.

Says Tom Dougherty:

We were lucky enough to get invited to a Godzilla Fan Club function on Christmas day. Check out our site for the full story and all the photos.

Lots of Godzilla star power. The event was held right across from the Wako Dept. Store (how fitting). I am attaching a couple of photos you might enjoy. Anyway check our site under "Monster Happenings In Tokyo."

Above, with Godzilla in the foreground, the Wako Department Store clock tower can be seen from the party room's window. Photo courtesy of Clawmark Toys.

A Look Around Godzilla's Old Stomping Ground

by Armand Vaquer

The print edition of The Daily Yomiuri article, "A Look Around Godzilla's Old Stomping Ground" showed up (faster than I expected) in the mailbox today.

I scanned the article and here it is below (click on image to view larger):



The interview for the article and photo were done on December 7th in Hibiya and published in the December 24 edition.

In case you haven't read the article or the image isn't clear enough, here's the full text:

A look around Godzilla's old stomping ground

Tom Baker / Daily Yomiuri Staff Writer

Godzilla was the embodiment of war in his eponymous 1954 debut film, but he saved the Earth from ecological doom in Godzilla vs the Smog Monster in 1971. The giant reptilian monster has meant many things to many people.

But did you ever imagine him as a tourist? According to The Monster Movie Fan's Guide to Japan (51 pp, 15 dollars, available via www.comixpress.com), Godzilla has ranged as far north as Sapporo, where he destroyed the TV Tower in one of his many films, and as far south as the Sakurajima volcano in Kyushu, near which he came ashore in another.

One place he hasn't visited is New York. Or perhaps that point is arguable. Armand Vaquer, the guidebook's author, told The Daily Yomiuri in a recent interview that devoted fans refer to the 1998 U.S. film in which Godzilla took a bite of the Big Apple as GINO ("Godzilla In Name Only").

For fans devoted enough to make a pilgrimage to Japan, Vaquer's book will tell them where to find landmarks associated not only with Godzilla, but also with his titanic terrapin counterpart, Gamera.

Some of the practical information in the book is a bit dated. For instance, it has been a few years since a plane-to-terminal bus ride was a routine part of arriving at Narita Airport.

However, most travelers are likely to rely on more conventional guidebooks for such details, using this one for it specialized insights. Those begin at the airport, too, about which Vaquer writes: "Interestingly, a video of the procedures at the Immigration desk features G-FEST XIV [monster fan convention] guest and Godzilla actress Shelley Sweeney. So at least you will be able to see a familiar, friendly face."

Vaquer's devotion to his subject shines through in his book and also in person, but it is not uncritical devotion. In the entry on the Seto Ohashi bridge, which connects Okayama and Kagawa prefectures, he writes, "In Godzilla vs King Ghidora (1991) King Ghidora blasts the bridge (in a not-too-convincing effect) during a fly-by."

A more positively memorable scene involved what Vaquer described in the interview as a cake-shaped cinema that stood on the site of the present-day Yurakucho Mullion building in Tokyo.

"That was in the 1954 Godzilla, where Godzilla steps on the train tracks, and the power surging through him causes his tail to whip about, and it smashes into the building. The inside joke there is that the patrons that were seeing the movie in that actual theater got to see the tail just hit the building they're sitting in watching it," he said.

In another part of town, the Diet Building has suffered abuse in several films, by Godzilla, Mechagodzilla, Mothra and King Kong, which must have been a cathartic experience for at least some members of the audience each time.

The book includes a page about the Daigo Fukuryu Maru Exhibition Hall in Koto Ward, Tokyo, which houses the Japanese fishing boat whose 1954 irradiation by fallout from a U.S. hydrogen bomb test was a real-life reference point for the original Godzilla film.

For monster movie fans, a stop at this spot will mark a solemn pause in an otherwise lighthearted journey.

"Monster Japan Travel Guide vs. The Japanese Media"

PRESS RELEASE


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.

###

Wako Dept. Store Spotlight

Above, the Wako Dept. Store in November 2001. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

by Armand Vaquer

The Wako Department Store building in the Ginza district of Tokyo is one of the most iconic locations used in Godzilla movies.



It first appeared in Godzilla (1954) when Godzilla (above), during his nighttime rampage through Tokyo, is angered by the gonging clock on top of the building. Godzilla then proceeds to demolish the clock along with the rest of the building.

Later, the Wako Dept. Store building appears in the U.S. version of King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962) via inserted stock footage.

Once again, the building appears in Godzilla vs. Destoroyah (1995) during the exploding Godzilla scenario sequence.

Above, the Wako Dept. Store in December 2010. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

According to Wikipedia:

From 1894 to 1921, the Hattori Clock Tower stood on the site that Wako occupies today. In 1921, the Hattori Clock Tower was demolished to rebuild a new one. The reconstruction was delayed due to the Great Kanto Earthquake of September 1, 1923. The new tower was completed in 1932 as the K. Hattori Building. In homage to its predecessor, the new store was also fitted with a clock.

Its 1932 Neo-Renaissance style building, designed by Jin Watanabe, with its curved granite façade, is the central landmark for the district and one of the few buildings in the area left standing after World War II. The building functioned as the Tokyo PX store during the Allied Occupation of Japan from 1945 to 1952. The clock tower plays the famous Westminster Chimes.

Above, the Wako Dept. Store clock in December 2010. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

There are photographs of the Wako Dept. Store standing almost untouched while the rest of Ginza is in rubble due to Allied bombing raids. It is not too difficult to locate them on the Internet.



During my recent trip to Japan, the building was adorned in Christmas lighting (above).

The Wako Dept. Store is one of the must-see locations for G-fans visiting Japan. The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan covers the Wako Dept. Store building.

"Japan Today" Interview On Monster Japan Travel Guide

My interview with Japan Today on The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan that was started last week while I was in Tokyo, Japan, and finished up a few nights ago, has been posted.



The interview begins with these introductory paragraphs:

TOKYO — Written by American Armand Vaquer, “The Monster Movie Fan’s Guide To Japan” is the world’s first and only Japan travel guide especially tailored to tourists who are also fans of Japanese science-fiction and fantasy movies. Most of the locations covered in the book are primarily from Toho’s Godzilla series of movies, but other studios’ monster movies are also covered.

Toho started the giant monster movie genre in 1954 with “Godzilla.” Locations used include the Wako Department Store in Ginza, Kachidoki Bridge on the Sumida River and the Diet building. These and other Tokyo locations are covered in the guide. Also included are Ultraman-related places of interest.

The guide starts north with Hokkaido and makes its way down the main island of Honshu and finishes off in Kyushu.

Japan Today catches up with Vaquer to hear more.

To read the interview, go here.

Stopping By Toho Studios

Above, standing at the main entrance to Toho Studios, is a man-sized statue of Godzilla.

Text and photos by Armand Vaquer

While I was in Tokyo this month, I headed over to the Setagaya ward to see the new (about three years old new) Godzilla statue and the Seven Samurai mural at the entrance to Toho Studios.

The last time I visited Toho Studios was in November 2001. At the time, Toho was still producing Godzilla movies. Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack (2001) premiered the next day after my studio visit at the Tokyo International Film Festival.

When I was at Toho Studios back then, older sound stages, the giant pool and facilities still existed. After the release of Godzilla Final Wars in 2004, many of those facilities, giant pool and sound stages were torn down and replaced with new sound stages and facilities, which included a new main gate area.

I did not step foot inside the studio on this trip, but I was able to see from the outside some of the changes made within the studio. I took some pictures during this visit. Click on the images to see them larger.

Above, a mural honoring one of Toho's most revered movies, "Seven Samurai."

Above, here I am with the Godzilla statue.

Above, studio workers walk past a mural of Mothra. The mural is located down the driveway from the main gate to the studio.

Above, this is a flood control canal that is alongside of the studio property.

Above, this is a side entrance into the studio. To reach the gate, one has to cross a bridge over the flood control canal.

Above, the Toho Sound Studio is located just outside the side entrance into the main studio lot.

Above, this view through the trees is of the Toho main lot. On the left is an older sound stage. To the right of it is a new soundstage facility, which stands roughly on the former site of the giant pool. The side entrance bridge is to the right.

Above, another view of the Toho Sound Studio, this time from the flood control canal. Note the beer vending machine in front.

Above, another shot with the Godzilla statue with a copy of "The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan." Fans can also use the guide to get them to the studios.

Asakusa's Nakamise Avenue

by Armand Vaquer

Probably my favorite place to shop (and browse) at while in Tokyo is Nakamise Avenue in Asakusa. I picked up a few items there on this trip. I've bought a few Godzilla toys there on past trips.

Here's some pictures of Nakamise Avenue I took a few days ago:

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:

"Space Battleship Yamato": Right Place At The Right Time!

by Armand Vaquer



Talk about perfect timing!

Space Battleship Yamato opened in Japan yesterday. The scuttlebutt is that the live-action movie is a hit at the boxoffice, in fact, it's number one! Although I have a busy schedule while in Tokyo next week, I will squeeze in a viewing of the film during an evening. Talk about being at the right place at the right time!

It is based on the widely-popular anime series of the mid-1970s/early-1980s. Some critics have panned the movie and some purists of the anime series are peeved over some character changes. Still, the movie is doing well.

The plot:

The year is 2199, and the Earth has been under radioactive siege from extraterrestrials known as the Gamilas for five years. The Earth's surviving population has moved underground to escape the bombardment, but the contamination is slowly penetrating to reach them. The last space battleship of the exhausted Earth Defense Forces, Yamato, sets out on a journey to Iscandar, a planet located in the Large Magellanic Cloud, to acquire a device that can heal the ravaged Earth before it is too late.

The movie was directed by Takashi Yamazaki and it stars Koyuki, Hiroyuki Ikeuchi and Meisa Kuroki.

Space Battleship Yamato was released by Toho Co., Ltd.

Sendai Station Spotlight

by Armand Vaquer

Sendai, Japan is located in the Tōhoku region in Japan and is northern Honshu's largest city.

Sendai was demolished by Allied bombing during World War II. Following the war, the city was rebuilt with wide boulevards and they are now tree-lined, which is something one won't find in Tokyo.

The main station is Sendai Station. Outside of Tokyo, Sendai Station serves more passengers than any other station. Sendai Station was first opened in 1887. It is a major stop for Akita and Tōhoku Shinkansen trains. The present station opened in 1977.

In kaiju history, Sendai Station was first featured in Godzilla vs. MechaGodzilla II (1993) during a fly-over by Rodan. Then, in Gamera 2: Advent of Legion (1996), Sendai Station was featured first in the background while Asagi (Ayako Fujitani) made a pay-phone call to her father. Then, in the same movie, Sendai City was destroyed by an exploding Legion flower pod, with Sendai Station the detonation point.

I visited Sendai during my Japan vacation in April 2006 (my dad was briefly stationed in Sendai during the Korean War) and took the photo of the station at top. This is the same view of the station as seen in Gamera 2.

Details on Sendai Station are featured in The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan.

Hibiya's Godzilla Statue

by Armand Vaquer

This coming December 5 marks the 15th anniversary of the Godzilla statue in Hibiya, Tokyo.

The statue was erected on that date concurrent with the release of the final Heisei series Godzilla movie, Godzilla vs. Destoroyah on December 9, 1995.

I've visited the statue several times during my five trips to Japan, the first being my 2001 trip for the Tokyo International Film Festival premiere of Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack. Of course, one must have a camera on hand (as I did) for the obligatory photos of the statue. Godzilla fans traveling to Japan consider a visit to the statue as a "must."






Left, my first visit to the Godzilla statue in Hibiya came in November 2001.



Above, the statue is visited by members of G-TOUR in August 2004.

Above, to kill some time before going to Toho International to meet with Masaharu Ina, I stopped by the statue and found a television crew conducting an interview in October 2005. The statue is in the background at left.




Using a digital camera in Japan for the first time, I took this photo (right) of the statue in April 2007. It was the photo used on the cover of The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan.



Information on how to get to the Godzilla statue in Hibiya is included in The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan.






Toho Co., Ltd. has erected a new statue of Godzilla at the front of the studio. Visitors can go there to view it along with a new mural of The Seven Samurai.




Above, also from my 2007 trip to Japan, Japanese office workers are taking cigarette breaks near the statue.

Spotlight On: National Diet Building

Above, the National Diet Building in Tokyo. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Spotlight On: National Diet Building

by Armand Vaquer

(Originally published in G-FAN #88, Summer 2009)

The National Diet Building is Japan's capitol building. It first appeared in Godzilla (1954) and in several other Godzilla films, most recently in 2003's Godzilla x Mothra x Mechagodzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. The Diet (Japan's Parliament) consists of the House of Councillors and the House of Representatives. Next to Tokyo Tower, the National Diet Building suffered the most damage in Godzilla movies by a Tokyo building.

In 1910, the Finance Ministry started a commission in an attempt to take control over the new Diet Building design from the Home Ministry. Prime Minister Katsura Tarô chaired the commission, which recommended that the new building emulate an Italian Renaissance architectural style. This recommendation was criticized by many who thought that choice to be too arbitrary.

The ministry sponsored a public design competition in 1918, and 118 designs were submitted for the new building. The first prize winner was Watanabe Fukuzo.

The Diet Building was eventually constructed with a floor plan based on Watanabe's entry. The roof and tower of the building were inspired by another entrant, third prize winner Takeuchi Shinshichi, and are believed to have been chosen because they reflected a more modern hybrid architecture than the purely European and East Asian designs proposed by other architects. The 1936 landmark building southwest of the Imperial Palace is known for its pyramid-shaped cap, and inside are cushy chairs and fantastical mosaics.

Above, iconic scene of Godzilla trampling a wing of the Diet Building in 1954. Copyright 1954 Toho Co., Ltd.

In Godzilla, the Diet Building had one of its wings trampled by Godzilla and in Godzilla x Mothra x Mechagodzilla: Tokyo S.O.S., the entire tower section gets demolished during the battle between Mechagodzilla and Godzilla. When Godzilla was first released in 1954, Japanese audiences applauded the scene of Godzilla's rampage through the building.

King Kong, with Mie Hama in hand, stood atop the building's tower in King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962) and Mothra used it to build her cocoon in Godzilla vs. Mothra (1992). Distance shots of the building could also be seen in Monster Zero (1965) and in Godzilla x Mechagodzilla (2002).

*****

Note: Tour information for the National Diet Building is included in The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan.

Shelley Sweeney: 2006 and 2007

Above, Shelley Sweeney in "Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II" (1993), her most visible role in a G-movie. Photo by Toho Co., Ltd.

Shelley Sweeney: 2006 and 2007

Text by Armand Vaquer

Canadian-born actress Shelley Sweeney has appeared in five Godzilla movies over the years (can you name them?) and was a special guest at G-FEST XIV in July 2007. She also received a mention in the "So You're Going To Japan?" section of The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan since she appears in an Immigration instruction video at Narita International Airport.

On a couple of trips to Japan, I was able to meet with Shelley while there and, later, at G-FEST XIV in Chicago.

April 2006

Above, we first met up at a coffee place (I don't think it was a Starbuck's) near Azabu Juban subway station in April 2006. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, after coffee, we wandered around the boutique shops in Azabu Juban (a section of Tokyo). Here's Shelley outside of a toy shop. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

2007

Above, we met up at a Tokyo Starbuck's Coffee in April 2007.

Above, two months later, we met again (this is from the award's luncheon) at G-FEST XIV.

Above, Shelley discusses her career and her five Godzilla movie appearances at G-FEST. Photo by Armand Vaquer.