G-FAN Travel Guide To Kaiju Japan: Making Progress

Above, Tokyo Tower, featured in several kaiju epics.

The G-FAN Travel Guide To Kaiju Japan is slowly, but surely, coming together.

J. D. Lees is now doing the proofing and I should be getting the proofs this coming week or so for reviewing and revisions, if necessary. So we're getting there!

I hope to get the final product completed by the holidays (cross your fingers) and maybe we'll unveil it (and have it available for sale) at Monsterpalooza in Burbank. It is better to take your time and do it right the first time than to rush and put out something substandard.

Since we started it early last year, and now are in the proofing process, we hope that the finished result will please all and will be a useful guide for your dream vacation trip to Japan to see those locations shown in your favorite monster movies.

Ever thought of taking a trip to Japan to see the locations used in giant monster movies but need to know what they are and how to get there? Well, we're about to remedy that quandary. The G-FAN Travel Guide To Kaiju Japan has been over a year in the making and we are now in the proofing process.

It will contain info on what the location is, what movie(s) it was featured in, how to get there, what other attractions are nearby, where to stay and general information on Japan itself.

Even if you're not planning to ever visit Japan, the Guide will be a fun read!

G-FAN Travel Guide To Kaiju Japan Progressing

Above, Shibuya Crossing, a location of several Gamera and Godzilla movies.

G-FAN Travel Guide To Kaiju Japan is progressing, albeit slowly. We were hoping to have it done by the end of May to have it available at G-FEST XVI, but convention planning and the usual G-FAN work (along with family obligations) have a way of demanding more attention.

But don't fret! As of last month, J. D. Lees informed me that he has about 3/4 of it completed and he's using some time now, during the summer vacation period, to wrap it up. We are hoping to have it completed by the end of August, just in time for the autumn travel shows, etc. (Yes, we plan to target travel shows along with the Japan Expo in Los Angeles.)

Although it is coming along slowly, it is best to do it right the first time!

As soon as it is completed, the big announcement will be made here, the usual kaiju forums and, most importantly, at the official G-FAN website.

Speaking of G-FEST XVI, my end of the wrap-up article has been completed and J. D. is working on his end of it as a collaborative piece. My photos of the convention have been sent on to him, so it should be an excellent feature in the upcoming G-FAN. J. D. loves the photos, especially of one taken during the final round of G-pardy.

G-FAN Travel Guide To Kaiju Japan

Above, Yokohama, Japan's waterfront.

During my discussions with J. D. Lees last night I asked about progress on the G-FAN Travel Guide To Kaiju Japan project.

Family considerations, other obligations and getting G-FAN out has left him with scarce time to work on it. But, he also said:

I work best with a deadline. You need to tell me you'll kill me if I don't get it done.

Well, I can't kill him (maybe some water-boarding, perhaps), so I gave him a deadline of late-May. But to humor him, I told him he'd be "dead meat" if he doesn't get it done.

Why late-May?

Late-May would be enough time to get it to the printer and have copies available for G-FEST XVI and to promote it at travel shows, travel agents, etc. (Many travel shows occur in the Fall.) This also seemed to be a reasonable enough time for him to squeeze work in on it during the preceeding months.

Ginza and Hibiya Park, Tokyo

Photos and text by and copyright Armand Vaquer

Ginza and Hibiya Park, Tokyo are so close to each other that a visitor can walk from one to the other without so much as breaking a sweat, even in the humid summer of Tokyo.

Ginza is Tokyo's upscale shopping district. It first appeared in Godzilla (1954) as a detailed miniature. The craftsmen at Toho faithfully recreated Ginza well enough to give viewers an idea on how the district looked in 1954.



During Godzilla's nighttime rampage in Tokyo, the clock atop the Wako Department store (below) at Ginza Crossing gonged the hour and thus annoyed the giant beast. Godzilla then proceeded to tear down the clock and the department store along with it. He also torches the Matsuzakaya Department Store, one of Tokyo's priciest retailers.



Across the street from the Wako Building, is the Mitsukoshi department store. The Mitsukoshi was one of the first Western-style department stores in Japan. It sustained heavy bomb damage in World War II, but has been rebuilt and is still a thriving department store.

Besides the Wako and Mitsukoshi Department stores, Ginza also has the Takashimaya, Seibu, Daimaru, Tobu, Odakyu , Tokyu and Printemps Department stores. Apple Computers also has a big store in Ginza.

Besides being an upscale shopping distict, Ginza's real estate value is among the highest, if not the highest in Japan. According to the Old Tokyo website, "Ginza Crossing is still considered to be Tokyo's prime real estate, with prices fetching into the tens of thousands of dollars per square meter!" This was also mentioned by our tour guides during 2004's G-TOUR as we were bused through the district.

Proceeding on, as Godzilla headed into Hibiya Park, he approaches the train overcrossing that separates Ginza and Hibiya. He steps on the electrified tracks and the electrical current coursing though his body causes his tail to whip about, smashing the Toho Nichigeki Theater. Today, the Nichigeki is no longer there and has been replaced by the Yurakucho Mullion Building, which appeared in Return of Godzilla (1984) (released here as Godzilla 1985) and Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah during the opening sequence. The Picadilly Theaters are housed in the Yurakucho Mullion building. Gamera: The Little Braves (2006) premiered there in April 2006.

Much of Hibiya Park consists of commercial office and government buildings. Many of the office buildings are owned and occupied by various departments and subsidiaries of Toho Co., Ltd. Toho has a many real estate holdings in Hibiya.

Proceeding west along Harumi-Dori Ave. from Ginza Crossing, and passing the Yurakucho Mullion Building, a visitor will walk under the train tracks (the Yurakucho Station is just around the corner from the Yurakucho Mullion) to enter Hibiya. (There is a coffee shop called Becker's under these tracks. They also serve good hamburgers, in case one should get hungry.) About a block or two from the tracks is a small side street (the Toho Twin Tower is at one corner) to the left that leads to the Hibiya Chante square where the Godzilla statue stands on a pedestal surrounded by raised-relief hand casts (in metal) of Japanese celebrities.



This is the "Mecca" (or "mecha") that G-fans go to when in Tokyo.

Nearby the Godzilla statue is the Imperial Hotel. It is a luxurious hotel today, but in 1954 it may not have been if Steve Martin (Raymond Burr) was able to stay there on a reporter's salary or the United World News' expense account. There are also several theaters in the area near the Godzilla statue. The Imperial Palace Plaza, East Garden and Nijubashi Bridge are within easy walking distance from the Godzilla statue. Across Harumi-Dori Ave. from the Toho Twin Tower is the Yurakucho Denki Building, which houses the offices of Toho International. Toho International's conference room overlooks the Imperial Palace Plaza and Nijubashi Bridge and the view is impressive.

Update: G-FAN Travel Guide To Kaiju Japan

I checked with J. D. Lees on the progress on the G-FAN Travel Guide To Kaiju Japan and his reply is as follows:

"Still working on getting it together. I was devoting full time to G-FAN 85 the past few weeks."

We're getting there!   We hope to get an announcement out in an upcoming issue of G-FAN. 

Rodan Locations

Source: Armand Vaquer

Images and Text Copyright 2008 by Armand Vaquer

Rodan is set for a deluxe DVD release September 9 (paired with War of the Gargantuas) by Classic Media.

Rodan was produced by Toho Co., Ltd. in 1956. It is a story about two flying repties (of the pteranodon family) revived (it is speculated in the movie by H-bomb tests) in a huge cavern that was penetrated by a coal mine on the island of Kyushu. The mine is located at or near the Mt. Aso volcano. Hideous creatures (meganeurons) attack miners and are a source of food for the baby Rodans.

The movie was released in the United States in 1957 in an edited and dubbed form.

In 2007, I visited Mt. Aso Volcano National park while on vacation in Japan. I could not see much as the park was in the midst of a blizzard. However, the trip wasn't wasted as the visitor center has interesting displays, some interactive, for visitors to see. They also have live camera views of the volcano's caldera.

Also, I visited three other locations from Rodan: Saikai Bridge, the Hario Wireless Towers and Sasebo Catholic Church. The bridge and towers are located at the Hario Seto Straits, noted for its swift currents and whirlpools.



Saikai Bridge (above) is a fixed-brace arch bridge 244 meters in length and 1,927 meters tall. The bridge was completed in 1955 and now has a companion bridge that was completed in 2006. The first, or Rodan's Saikai Bridge, spans the Hario Seto Straits. At the time of its completion, it was the longest arch-type bridge in the world. The scene when the waters of the Ohmura Bay flow out through this narrow strait at ebb tide is very dramatic.

Nearby, the three Hario Wireless Towers (below), which transmitted the coded message that launched the attack on Pearl Harbor and triggered the Pacific War on December 7, 1941 can still be seen. These towers also could be seen in Rodan, with one of the Rodans flying in the distance.



A couple of blocks from the JR Sasebo Station is the Sasebo Catholic Church, which was also seen in Rodan. The main street in which the church stands has been built-up over the years with buildings towering over the chuch.

Sasebo City is situated between Nagasaki and Fukuoka and is easily accessible by JR Kyushu Railways. It is a pleasant ride to get to Sasebo from Nagasaki as the train skirts along seaside towns with views of offshore islands. Sasebo is well worth a visit by Rodan fans.

A special edition of G-FAN is now in the works focusing on the "nuts & bolts" of getting to these and other kaiju-related locations.

G-FAN Special Update

It's been a while since the last update, but things are still happening.

The text for what we're tentatively calling the special, "G-FAN Guide To Kaiju Japan," had been delivered to G-FAN editor/publisher J. D. Lees at G-FEST XV two weeks ago and he has already begun the layout work.

Today, I sent him a possible layout for the cover. A notice will be included in the upcoming G-FAN, including ordering information, etc. It will not be a part of the subscription issues as there may be some subscribers not interested in having a travel guide to Japanese monster locations in place of a regular issue.

Those of you with kaiju-related businesses, who are interested in placing an ad in the special, contact me for ad rate info, etc. Also, if you wish to be a retailer for the special, you can contact J. D. at johnlees@mts.net. Eventually, we plan to have it available through Diamond Distributors. But other arrangements may be made for ordering before we get it to Diamond.

We are aiming for a Fall release.

More updates to follow as things develop.