Godzilla and James Bond As Tour Guides

Above, the Wako department store was featured in Godzilla (1954). Photo by Armand Vaquer.

When I started out making The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan several years ago, it was with the premise that fans will want to visit Japan to see for themselves the landmarks and locations featured in Godzilla, Gamera and other giant monster movies.

Sure enough, I was right. For the most part, members of the baby-boomer generation received their first exposure to Japan and Japanese culture through these movies. So, too, fans of James Bond movies were exposed to the exotic locations that were featured in the 007 movies.

An article has been posted in the Philippines' Sun.Star on James Bond and tourism. They got the premise right, but goofed on the pre-title sequence of Thunderball (1965). The writer describes the scene in Hong Kong where Bond (Sean Connery) is assassinated in a Chinese Murphy Bed. That sequence was actually in You Only Live Twice (1967), where the movie's main center of action was Japan.

It is still an interesting article to read and it begins with:

THERE is no doubt that James Bond movies are promoting tourism… places, festivals, food, lifestyle, and fashion. Agent 007 is suave but dynamic charmer, equally capable of disarming both bomb and bombshell. That makes James an effective tour guide. 

When I presented my paper before a group of college students taking up BS Tourism, many eyebrows went up. Probably (just probably), they have just realized (and their teachers, too) that James Bond movies are not just about James, super villains, fantastic girls, prodigious gimmicks, neoteric guns, and phantasmal gadgets. 

I am encouraging tourism students, teachers, tourism officers and those who are involved in tourism to review (see again) James Bond movies. When producers, Harry Saltzman and Albert Broccoli, introduced James Bond (Sean Connery) in 1962 in the movie “Dr. No”, the movie audience was brought to scenic Jamaica (sun and beach).

Likewise, Japan's giant monster movies also are promoting tourism: Godzilla (1954) is centered in Tokyo. Godzilla Raids Again (1955) is centered in Osaka. King Kong vs, Godzilla (1962) prominently features Tokyo and Atami. Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964) is centered in Nagoya. Rodan (1956) is centered in Kyushu (mainly Sasebo and Fukuoka). Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II (1993) prominently features Kyoto as does Gamera 3 (1999).

To read more, go here.