Experience Godzilla Daily Attacks In Atami

Above, Atami Castle sits on a hill overlooking the town. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Atami has the distinction to Godzilla fans as the place where the battle between Godzilla and King Kong ended in King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962).

After demolishing Atami Castle, both monsters tumbled into the ocean.

Today, Atami has a new Godzilla attraction that fans may want to check out: daily Godzilla attacks.

Japan Today reported:

Atami has long been one of Japan’s most popular seaside travel destinations. Located in Shizuoka Prefecture at the eastern entrance to the Izu Peninsula, Atami’s abundant hot springs and sweeping ocean views make the archetypal itinerary a nice long soak and a luxurious meal served in your hotel room as you gaze out at the sea as the sun sets.

However, if rather than destressing you’re looking for something that’ll get your heartrate up in Atami, the Atami Bay Resort Korakuen hotel has just the amenity for you: daily Godzilla attacks.

The hotel is currently running the Escape from the Hotel Being Attacked by Godzilla escape room game. The event is one of the latest creations from Scrap, the Tokyo-based escape room design company (and also the people behind the amazing real-life Metal Gear Solid game). And even though Godzilla is targeting the hotel, non-guests can get in on the fun/terror too, since the game is offered in two formats.

To read more, go here. 

Mental Floss: 11 Facts About "King Kong vs. Godzilla"

Above, the 1962 meeting between King Kong and Godzilla. Photo by Toho Co., Ltd.

Godzilla and King Kong (or just Kong) fans are ramped up in excitement for the long-awaited "rematch" between the two movie giants in Godzilla vs. Kong that is set to premiere next month 

For the fun of it, Mental Floss has posted 11 "facts" of the 1962 Toho King Kong vs. Godzilla. 

In their article, they noted that the movie featured a "future Bond Girl", Mie Hama. Actually, it featured one additional Bond girl, Akiko Wakabayashi. Both appeared in You Only Live Twice in 1967 with Sean Connery.

Above, Akiko Wakabayashi.

They begin with:

It’s east versus west, giant reptile versus mega-mammal, the “Big G” versus the “Eighth Wonder of the World.” Godzilla vs. Kong—a new slugfest from Legendary Pictures—is set to be released in theaters and on HBO Max on March 31, 2021. But it won't be the first time these two iconic movie monsters have faced off. They met once before in 1962’s King Kong vs. Godzilla—a crossover battle for the ages that also featured a rampaging octopus and a future Bond Girl. Not to mention the craziest tree-related violence you’ll ever see outside an M. Night Shyamalan flick.

Above, the hilltop Atami Castle was the location used for the ending of King Kong vs. Godzilla. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

To read more, go here.

GaijinPot: Atami Onsen

Above, Atami Castle is perched on a hilltop overlooking the town. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

For those who are staying in Tokyo while visiting to Japan, they should consider an excursion (either a day trip or an overnighter) to Atami to partake in a good soak in the onsen hot springs.

The ride to Atami is about an hour long via shinkansen. The town is notable to kaiju fans as the location used for the end of 1962's King Kong vs. Godzilla, where the two monsters demolish Atami Castle before plunging into the ocean.

Above, an outdoor rooftop hot bath overlooking Atami. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

GaijinPot has posted an article on Atami onsen.

They start it with:

If you’re itching for a quick getaway from the hustle of Tokyo, don’t fret – the onsen (hot spring) town of Atami in Shizuoka Prefecture is closer than you think. It’s located on the Izu peninsula, a scenic bit of the mainland that juts out into the Pacific Ocean, just over an hour southwest of the metropolis. 

Atami is a cultural landmark with healing waters where Japanese – including Edo Shogun Ieyasu Tokugawa – have been visiting for over 1,000 years. The town’s sulfate and salt-rich hot springs are great for relaxing the entire body and healing minor aches and pains. 

Even if you don’t have an entire weekend to spare, there are excellent onsen resorts in the city that accommodate day-trippers, too. There are some gorgeous ocean-side hot springs to check out and a few attractions along the way. Let’s explore…

To read more, go here. 

Savvy Guide To Best Izu Peninsula Hot Spring Towns

Above, filling up the soaking tub at Atami Shinkadoya hot spring ryokan. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Immortalized in several movies, including King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962) and Lost In Translation (2003) (in a brief shinkansen scene), Atami is just one of several hot spring towns on the Izu Peninsula that is within easy reach of Tokyo by train.

Above, the hilltop Atami Castle from the town's harbor. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

During my 2015 trip to Japan, I spent an overnight stop in Atami at the Atami Shinkadoya hot spring ryokan and enjoyed the hot tub on a private terrace overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

Savvy Tokyo has an article guide on the "best" hot spring resort towns on the Izu Peninsula. Atami is the first one discussed.

They begin with:

Are you suffering from freezing fingers and aching bones this winter? Feeling a bit under the weather? Luckily, you’re living in a country that has the perfect antidote to cold bodies and the winter blues: dipping your entire body in a mineral-rich onsen (hot spring). 

Onsen towns are scattered across the length and breadth of the Japanese archipelago but if you’re looking for a quick day trip away from the noise and steamy crowds of Tokyo, the Izu Peninsula is probably your best bet. 

Located just about 100 kilometers southwest of the capital city, the Izu Peninsula has always been a favorite getaway for Tokyoites, particular writers, artists, surfers and scuba divers. One of the best things about the peninsula is that it’s almost completely surrounded by water so in most cases, you can get a double whammy — an onsen soak with an ocean view — and of course, Mt. Fuji at nearly a hand-reach distance. Without further ado, here’s our official onsen guide to the bubbling hot spots of the Izu Peninsula.

 To read more, go here.

Legendary CEO Thomas Tull On "Godzilla vs. King Kong"

Above, a scene at Atami Castle during Kong's and Godzilla's 1962 mash-up. Toho Co., Ltd. photo.

Variety has posted an article on what motivates Thomas Tull to want to produce Godzilla vs. King Kong.

Their article begins with:

Thomas Tull may end up making a fortune on “Godzilla vs. King Kong,” but the Legendary Entertainment founder and CEO admits that he had far more primal ambitions for backing the monster mash-up.

To find out what it is, go here. 

Japan 2015 Planning Is Proceeding Well

Above, Atami Harbor with the hilltop Atami Castle in the background. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

One nice thing about going to Japan in the early autumn is that I won't have to worry about being stuck in a train car in Chiba Prefecture for 16 hours due to snow.

Last year, as you'll recall, I didn't reach my Ueno area hotel room until 22 hours had elapsed since I landed at Narita International Airport. The February 8, 2014 snowstorm was one of the heaviest in years to strike Japan. I just happened to arrive when two big storms did.

I've been to Japan twice in the autumn (2001 and 2005) and the worst weather I had to contend with were just some rainstorms. Otherwise, the weather had been good.

The dinner party I am throwing in Tokyo is proceeding nicely. Several confirmations have been received and I am just waiting for a few more.

My preferred hotel is the Hotel Asia Center of Japan, but just like last year, there were no rooms available. This time, it is due to some renovations that are currently taking place. As a result, I stayed at the Tsukuba Hotel in Ueno.

This time, I decided to try out a different hotel that is located in the Asakusa section of Tokyo. I am looking forward to it.

Most of my time will be in Tokyo and Osaka/Kyoto on this trip. One overnight stay will be at a ryokan onsen hotel in Atami. The room will have a private open-air bath. I am looking forward to that along with their meals.

And, a quick stop in Nagoya while en route to Osaka is also planned. All this is for the updated edition of The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan.

Travel Guide Work Requires A Trip

Above, Atami Castle overlooks the city from a hilltop. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The next "order of business" for travel (something that's actually planned) is a trip in October to Japan to gather remaining (necessary) on-site material for the planned (there's that word again) revised/updated edition of The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan.

Cities to be visited include Tokyo (have to get the new Hotel Gracery in Shinjuku with the Godzilla head next door and the new Godzilla mural at Toho Studios), Nagoya, Osaka and Kyoto.

Along the way to Osaka and Kyoto, an overnight stop in Atami will be made for a stay at a ryokan hot spring (onsen). This will provide a little break to soak up (in more ways than one) the surroundings. This stop will also mark the first time since 2004 that I'll be visiting Atami.

I was hoping to have the new edition of the travel guide done by now, but Japan keeps adding new attractions fans will want to see and that should be included in such a monster-related travel guide. So, work marches on!

Above, copies of the first edition of The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan are still available.

But, if you can't wait for the new edition to be published, I still have some copies (less than 100 left) available of the original edition (pictured above). For ordering information, go here.

Japan's Perfect People Mover

Above, a Tokkaido shinkansen car at Tokyo Station. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Oklahoma's Stillwater News Press has an interesting article on Japan's shinkansen train system. It focuses on the Tokkaido shinkansen line that runs between Tokyo and Osaka. I rode this line several times and the views during the ride are enjoyable with the ocean on one side and towns and mountains on the other. If one is lucky to be riding on a clear day, Mount Fuji can be clearly seen from the train.

The article begins with:

There’s been a lot on the news about the Amtrak train wreck in Philadelphia. I’ve never ridden on an Amtrak train, therefore, I’m in no position to pass judgement on the system. 

However, I’ve traveled many miles on Japan’s Shinkansen or “Bullet Train” system and know it’s a superb rail system with an incredible safety record. 

The Shinkansen rail system went into operation on Oct. 1, 1964. At that time the total length of the line was 331 miles, the distance between Tokyo and Osaka. It took 3 hours and 15 minutes to travel from one city to the other, which was an average speed of 102 mph. That line, called the Tokkaido Shinkansen Line, celebrated its 50th birthday on Oct. 1, 2014. During those 50 years, the system has operated 18 hours a day from 6 a.m. until midnight, and a train has left both Tokyo and Osaka every 12 minutes, but staggered by six minutes.

Above, Atami Castle on the hill above Atami City. Atami is one of the stops of the Tokkaido line. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

To read more, go here.

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Rural Areas Key To Meeting Japan's 20 Million Tourist Goal

Above, Atami Castle on hilltop overlooking Atami City. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

One of the keys to the Japan government's goal of reaching 20 million foreign visitors to Japan is to get them to also visit smaller cities and rural areas. But that goal may be limited by a shortage of tourist facilities.

According to The Japan Times:

It is crucial to draw more foreign tourists to smaller cities and rural areas in Japan as Tokyo and other big cities will face a shortage of facilities before the number of overseas visitors hits the government’s target, a travel association said Tuesday. 

“The supply of planes, buses and hotels will likely fall into quite tight conditions” in major cities if foreign tourists continue to increase toward 2020, Hiromi Tagawa, chairman of the Japan Association of Travel Agents, said at a news conference in Tokyo. 

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe aims to bring the number to 20 million by the 2020 Tokyo Olympics as part of his economic growth strategy.

It is good that the government is recognizing this eventuality and are taking steps to minimize or eliminate the future shortage.

To read more, go here. 

Movies That Make You Want To Travel

Above,  Atami Castle on the hilltop overlooking Atami's harbor. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Have you ever watched a movie where the center of action takes place in a foreign country and it makes you want to take a vacation trip to that country?

The Huffington Post's Travel section has a list of movies by country that conjures up those thoughts for many. Unfortunately, the writer left out Japan. Just about any Japanese Godzilla or Gamera movie would make some people want to visit Japan. Two non-kaiju movies of recent years, Lost In Translation (2003) and The Fast and The Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006), immediately come to mind. Both of those movies featured Shibuya Crossing and Lost In Translation featured Atami (featured at the ending of King Kong vs. Godzilla) and Kyoto.

Before The Huffington Post goes into their list, here's what they have to say on the subject:

Movies embody escapism at its best: They transport you into another world for an hour or two, often taking you places you couldn't otherwise go. Essential to that experience, of course, is the movie's setting. Some movies just epitomize a place -- like Weekend at Bernie's and the Hamptons. 

OK, so maybe not that example. But with this idea in mind, we've rounded up a list of films that fuel your wanderlust with every re-watch. Each of these films makes you want to get off the couch, away from that bowl of popcorn, and on board the next plane to wherever it was you were just watching famous people doing cool stuff. 

Here's our list of destinations, broken down by country, along with the movies that'll make you want to move to each of them. Just don't go all Elizabeth Gilbert on us, expecting to find yourself in India.

Above, Shibuya Crossing in Tokyo. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

 To see what they came up with, go here.

Japan's "Top Three" Tourist Hotspots

Above, a view of nighttime Nagasaki. The night view of Nagasaki in Kyushu made a "top three" list. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

People who tour Japan have their favorite places and things to visit, whether it is a city, garden, hot spring, festival castle or sacred spot.

RocketNews24 has a new article containing lists of "top three" places tourists have expressed as their favorites through a recent poll.

The article starts with:

Japan really loves to put its tourist spots into a top three list, such as the top three gardens or the top three hot springs. And a lot of tourists like to visit all three of the places to be able to say they’ve completed the set. But which of these famous trios do Japanese tourists want to visit the most? The website Web R25 recently surveyed 664 of their readers to ask them which of the top three lists they most want to visit.

Above, Atami made the list of "top three" hot springs. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

There are ten categories of "top threes" and readers can take part in RocketNews24's poll on what places they would like to see.

To see the full article, go here.

JapanTourist: Atami For Kaiju

Above, a view of Atami City.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

My latest travel article for JapanTourist has been approved and posted.

It is titled, "Atami For Kaiju."  It is best known for the ending of King Kong vs. Godzilla, but the Gappas paid a visit there as well.

To view it, go here.

Atami Article Submitted To JapanTourist

Above, perched atop a hill overlooking Atami harbor, is Atami Castle.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Finally, after being busy with other stuff for the past two months, I submitted my latest Japan travel article to JapanTourist.

It is on King Kong's and Godzilla's favorite Japanese seaside resort town: Atami.

Godzilla fans are aware that Atami was the final battleground of King Kong and Godzilla in 1962's King Kong vs. Godzilla. After demolishing Atami Castle, both Kong and Godzilla toppled into the ocean at the end of the movie. Kong surfaced and swam back to Faro Island while Godzilla disappeared under the waves leaving fans wondering for the past 51 years, "Who won?"

Once the article is approved and posted, I will post a notice on this blog.

Atami is spotlighted on page 35 of The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan.

"King Kong vs. Godzilla": 50 Years Since Release

Above, Godzilla and King Kong pose with Tomoyuki Tanaka (third from left) and Eiji Tsuburaya (far right).

Next year this month marks 50 years since King Kong vs. Godzilla was released in theaters in the United States by Universal Pictures.  It premiered in New York on June 26, 1963.  It was released 50 years ago in Japan in August 1962.

My parents took me (along with some friends) to see the movie at the Balboa Theater in the Vermont Ave./Manchester Blvd. area of Los Angeles.  I was nine years old at the time.

Above, Atami Castle, featured in "King Kong vs. Godzilla."  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The first feature in the double-bill was John Wayne's Donovan's Reef.

There's an interesting interview with the Americanized King Kong vs. Godzilla screenwriter Paul Mason at Sci Fi Japan.  To read it, go here.

King Kong vs. Godzilla is the highest-grossing Godzilla movie produced by Toho Co., Ltd. to date.

Above, a view of Atami Castle (perched on the hill) from Atami's harbor.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The climax in both the Japanese and Americanized versions is the battle between Kong and Godzilla.  The battle began at Mount Fuji and ends with both monsters toppling into the sea after demolishing Atami Castle.  Contrary to legend, there is only one ending to the movie in both versions.  It was erroneously stated that Godzilla won the battle in Japanese and other Asian prints, whereas Kong wins in non-Asian countries.

Atami Castle is spotlighted in The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan.

Atami City's Islands

Above, Atami Castle overlooks Atami City from its hilltop perch. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

About an hour from Tokyo via shinkansen is Atami City. Atami's claim to fame were the final moments of the battle between Godzilla and King Kong in 1962's King Kong vs. Godzilla. Atami Castle was demolished by both monsters.

Atami was also featured Monster From A Prehistoric Planet (1967) when the Gappas first came ashore.

Atami means "hot sea" and is noted for its hot spring onsens.

Above, Oshima Island can be seen on a clear day from Atami. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

There are two islands visible from Atami. The biggest one is Oshima Island. It is noted for its volcano. It was here that Godzilla was lured to and ended up falling into the cauldron in Return of Godzilla (1984) (a.k.a. Godzilla 1985). There is a Godzilla statue at the Hamano Hot Springs Resort on the island. Oshima is 27 miles from Atami.

Above, Hatsushima Island as seen from from Atami Harbor. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Closer to Atami (about 7 miles) in Sagami Bay is the island of Hatsushima. It has hot spring resorts along with camping, cabins, aquarium, beaches, pool, surfing and diving. It is the closest island to Tokyo.

Atami is featured on page 35 of The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan.

Whether for an overnight stay or just a day-trip, Atami City is a great place to visit.

Spotlight On Atami Castle

Atami Castle, at the seacoast city of Atami, Japan, is an attraction built in 1959 in the Momoyama architectural style when the city was enjoying its heyday as a tourist town.

Atami is less than two hours away from Tokyo by car and it also is accessible by shinkansen. The castle is not a traditional castle as it was built for tourism.

The hilltop castle contains a museum which includes an exhibit of an old samurai homestead . Visitors may find temporary exhibits when visiting the castle.

Above, a view of Oshima Island from Atami. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The castle is 160 meters in height (about 525 feet) and the observation deck at the top offers superb views of the surrounding countryside and ocean. Also, Oshima Island (featured in Return of Godzilla (1984)) can be seen from Atami.

Above, Atami Castle from the harbor of Atami City. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Atami Castle was the location for the end of the battle between Godzilla and King Kong in King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962).

Atami has several hot spring (onsen) resorts to further entice visitors.

Atami is featured on page 35 in The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan.