Spiders in Japan: The Tiniest Kaiju

Above, Kumonga from Godzilla Final Wars. Toho Co., Ltd.

One of the most "popular" monsters in horror movies are spiders, big ones (as in Tarantula (1955)) and small ones (as in Arachnophobia (1990)).

Godzilla movies have featured a giant spider named Kumonga (sometimes called Spiga) who first appeared in Son of Godzilla in 1967 and later in Godzilla Final Wars (2000).

Above, a scene from Tarantula (1955). Universal-International Pictures.

However, spiders have play roles in Japanese folklore and Tofugu.com has an article about them, "Spiders in Japan: The Tiniest Kaiju."

It begins with:

Arachnophobes be warned. Today’s article is all about our little eight-legged friends. Spiders, and monsters inspired by them, have held a place in Japanese culture for centuries. Japan is also currently dealing with the problem of a spider species from abroad. Meanwhile, a Japanese company has developed a spider-derived technology for the future.  Grab your flashlights, and let’s see what we can find in Japan’s nooks and crannies.

 To read the full article, go here.