Above, the Wako Department store in Ginza in 2001.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.
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