Director Confirms Oxygen Destroyer To Be In New Godzilla Movie

Above, the orignal Oxygen Destroyer on display. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Dr. Serizawa's invention will be making an appearance in the upcoming Godzilla: King of the Monsters, according to an article in Cosmic Book News.

According to the article, the Oxygen Destroyer will be making much more than a cameo appearance.

They wrote:

Back in August of 2017 while filming King of the Monsters, director Michael Dougherty took to Twitter to tease the Oxygen Destroyer used in the original 1954 movie and the 1995 film Godzilla vs. Destoroyah.  

In a new interview, Michael Dougherty confirms the Oxygen Destroyer will be used in King of the Monsters and that it will be more than just a nod to the previous movies. 

"It appears as an important key item to the story, this is not a cameo," Dougherty confirms to the Japanese site Cinema Today. "Of course there will also be other weapons created by humanity that will be shown." 

In the 1954 original movie, the Oxygen Destroyer is used to kill Godzilla, while in the 1995 film, the Oxygen Destroyer creates the monster Destoroyah who appears as three forms in the flick. Destoroyah's final version stands twice the size of the King of the Monsters and sports bat-like wings with large curved horns on its head, a humanoid body structure, a long tail, and pincer.

To read more, go here.

Godzilla and Wako Department Store

Above, Godzilla is about to trash the Wako Department Store in Ginza in 1954.

The Wako Department Store in Ginza, Tokyo appeared in four Godzilla movies over the years.

It appeared first in the 1954 Godzilla and was demolished. Later, it appeared in King Kong vs. Godzilla in 1962. Then, it showed up in Godzilla vs. Destroyah (1995). Next, and last, it appeared and was destroyed again in Shin Godzilla (2016).

Above, the Wako and Mitsukoshi (right) department stores in Ginza get blasted in Shin Godzilla.

It seems that Godzilla has some sort of grudge against Wako?

Tokyo's Haneda Airport Awarded 5-Star Award By Skytrax

Above, Godzilla and Destoroyah battle at Haneda Airport in 1995. Photo: Toho Co., Ltd.

Haneda Airport in Tokyo is making its way to becoming an important international airport. Currently, most flights to the Tokyo area in Japan come in through Narita International Airport, which is an hour's ride from central Tokyo.

Haneda has just been given the distinction of being named a five-star airport by Skytrax.

According to Rocket News 24 (through News On Japan):

If you've ever visited Japan, chances are pretty high that you've been through Narita International Airport. The smaller Tokyo International Airport, commonly called Haneda, is, however, actually located within the city, but has until recently been considered Tokyo's main domestic airport.

But all that's about to change. As well as increasing the number of destinations it serves, Haneda has been improving its facilities and significantly upping its game in an effort to become more of an international hub. In fact, it was recently awarded the coveted 5-Star award from the ratings company Skytrax, making it the first airport in Japan and only the fourth in the world with that title. 

Haneda Airport is also familiar to Godzilla fans. It is the site of the final battle between Godzilla and Destoroyah, Godzilla's meltdown and the death and revival of Godzilla Junior in Godzilla vs Destoroyah (1995). Haneda also suffered damage in War of The Gargantuas (1966).

To read more, go here.

Little Godzilla Suit

Above, the Little Godzilla suit in special effects director Koichi Kawakita's office in 2001. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The adopted child of Godzilla of the Heisei Series of Godzilla movies first appeared in Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II (1993) as Baby Godzilla or, rather, an infant Godzillasaurus. Hurricane Ryu was the man in the Baby Godzilla suit.

The next movie, Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla (1994) featured a little older Baby Godzilla, who was now called Little Godzilla. The above suit was worn by Little Frankie in that movie. While much improved over the Minilla suit of the Showa series, many fans thought this suit to be too cute to be convincing.

According to Wikipedia:

By the time of Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla, Baby, who by now had grown to almost a third of Godzilla's height; (probably due to exposure to Godzilla's radiation). Now known as Little Godzilla, he interacted periodically with the human characters for a portion of the film, taking a particular liking to Major Yuki of G-Force and establishing a psychic bond with Miki Saegusa. Little Godzilla was injured and imprisoned in a cage of crystals by SpaceGodzilla upon his arrival to Earth and remained caged until SpaceGodzilla's defeat by the combined might of Godzilla and M.O.G.U.E.R.A.

The following movie, Godzilla vs. Destoroyah (1995), had Little Godzilla grown into Godzilla Junior. The suit looked like a younger version of the adult Godzilla, but with smaller dorsal spines. At least the suit wasn't such a cute one to be unconvincing. It was worn by Hurricane Ryu in the film.

Cheap O Air's "Tokyo's Beautiful City Parks"

Above, the Godzilla statue in Hibiya.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

One of the attractions Godzilla fans flock to is the Godzilla statue in Hibiya, Tokyo.

Following the end of the second series (known among fans as the "Heisei Series") with Godzilla vs. Destoroyah (1985), the statue was erected to celebrate the "King of the Monsters."

Cheap O Air Travel Blog post an article on "Tokyo's Beautiful City Parks." Included in the article are Ueno Park (used in Ghidorah, The Three-Headed Monster in 1964), Tokyo Tower and Shiba Park. The article ends with "Paying Homage To Godzilla" at the Godzilla statue in Hibiya.

The article begins with:

It is astonishing that Tokyo, a busy cacophony of a city, which is home to 13 million people, has some of the most pristine, immaculately-kept city parks. The Japanese dedication to efficiency and cleanliness is on full-display when walking its city parks. With flights to Tokyo, visitors can find themselves in one of the world's most visually enticing, culturally dynamic capitals, and with Tokyo's parks offering green patches of respite where you can enjoy museums, sweet potato ice cream, cherry blossoms – of course – and pay respect to Godzilla.

Above, yours truly with the Godzilla statue in the Daily Yomiuri. 

I've been to the Godzilla statue in Hibiya several times. The first was in 2001 where I met up there with fellow G-fan Richard Pusateri and most recently in 2010 when I was interviewed and photographed with the statue for The Daily Yomiuri article about The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan (the guide spotlights the statue in the Tokyo section). There's a man-sized Godzilla statue at the entrance to Toho Studios in Setagaya.

To read the Cheap O Air Travel Blog's story, go here.

Spotlight On The Wako Dept. Store

Above, the Wako Dept. Store in November 2001. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The Wako Department Store building in the Ginza district of Tokyo is one of the most iconic locations used in Godzilla movies.



It first appeared in Godzilla (1954) when Godzilla (above), during his nighttime rampage through Tokyo, is angered by the gonging clock on top of the building. Godzilla then proceeds to demolish the clock along with the rest of the building.

Later, the Wako Dept. Store building appears in the U.S. version of King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962) via inserted stock footage.

Once again, the building appears in Godzilla vs. Destoroyah (1995) during the exploding Godzilla scenario sequence.

Above, the Wako Dept. Store in December 2010. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

According to Wikipedia:

From 1894 to 1921, the Hattori Clock Tower stood on the site that Wako occupies today. In 1921, the Hattori Clock Tower was demolished to rebuild a new one. The reconstruction was delayed due to the Great Kanto Earthquake of September 1, 1923. The new tower was completed in 1932 as the K. Hattori Building. In homage to its predecessor, the new store was also fitted with a clock.

Its 1932 Neo-Renaissance style building, designed by Jin Watanabe, with its curved granite façade, is the central landmark for the district and one of the few buildings in the area left standing after World War II. The building functioned as the Tokyo PX store during the Allied Occupation of Japan from 1945 to 1952. The clock tower plays the famous Westminster Chimes.

Above, the Wako Dept. Store clock in December 2010. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

There are photographs of the Wako Dept. Store standing almost untouched while the rest of Ginza is in rubble due to Allied bombing raids. It is not too difficult to locate them on the Internet.



During my recent trip to Japan, the building was adorned in Christmas lighting (above).

The Wako Dept. Store is one of the must-see locations for G-fans visiting Japan. The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan covers the Wako Dept. Store building.

Hibiya's Godzilla Statue

This coming December 5 marks the 15th anniversary of the Godzilla statue in Hibiya, Tokyo.

The statue was erected on that date concurrent with the release of the final Heisei series Godzilla movie, Godzilla vs. Destoroyah on December 9, 1995.

I've visited the statue several times during my five trips to Japan, the first being my 2001 trip for the Tokyo International Film Festival premiere of Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack. Of course, one must have a camera on hand (as I did) for the obligatory photos of the statue. Godzilla fans traveling to Japan consider a visit to the statue as a "must."






Left, my first visit to the Godzilla statue in Hibiya came in November 2001.



Above, the statue is visited by members of G-TOUR in August 2004.

Above, to kill some time before going to Toho International to meet with Masaharu Ina, I stopped by the statue and found a television crew conducting an interview in October 2005. The statue is in the background at left.




Using a digital camera in Japan for the first time, I took this photo (right) of the statue in April 2007. It was the photo used on the cover of The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan.



Information on how to get to the Godzilla statue in Hibiya is included in The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan.






Toho Co., Ltd. has erected a new statue of Godzilla at the front of the studio. Visitors can go there to view it along with a new mural of The Seven Samurai.

Above, also from my 2007 trip to Japan, Japanese office workers are taking cigarette breaks near the statue.

Haneda To Open New Runway and Begin International Flights In October

Above, an aerial view of Tokyo International Airport (Haneda).

To assist in handling the hordes of foreign travelers to Japan, the Tokyo International Airport, known as Haneda Airport, is getting back into the international flight game.

Haneda was once Japan's largest international airport until Narita Airport was built in 1978. Since then, Haneda had been domestic flight oriented.

A new fourth runway will be completed and officially opened on October 21.

The new runway will accommodate the following debut flights from U.S. cities (times shown are departure times):

Japan Airlines - October 31: San Francisco to Haneda (10:35 PM); Haneda to San Francisco (12:05 AM); Honolulu to Haneda (6:25 PM); and Haneda to Honolulu (10:30 PM).

All Nippon Airways - October 31: Los Angeles to Haneda (12:55 AM); Haneda to Los Angeles (12:05 AM); Honolulu to Haneda (6:15 PM); and Haneda to Honolulu (12:30 AM).

American Airlines - January 21: New York JFK to Haneda (7:20 PM); and Haneda to New York JFK (12:30 AM).

Hawaiian Airlines - Mid-November: Honolulu to Haneda (TBA); and Haneda to Honolulu (TBA).

Delta Air Lines - January 29: for Haneda bound, January 29; for US bound, January 30; Detroit to Haneda (7:30 PM); Haneda to Detroit (6:55 AM); Los Angeles to Haneda (12:10 AM); and Haneda to Los Angeles (1:00 AM).

Haneda Airport was the location of the final battle between Godzilla and Destoroyah and the melt-down of Godzilla in Godzilla vs. Destoroyah (1995).