Yahoo! Finance: Every Version of Godzilla

Above, Godzilla takes a walk through the National Diet Building in 1954. Toho Co., Ltd. photo.

The news media must be getting excited over the upcoming Godzilla Minus One from Toho Pictures of Japan.

Yahoo! Finance has posted an article of "every version" of Godzilla from 1954 to 2023.

They begin it with:

Godzilla isn’t just a monster movie icon, the king of all kaiju: he is a king of looks too. In the nearly seven decades he’s been stomping around the box office, Godzilla’s gone through more appearances than most cinematic legends ever could. From his earliest days to his smashup with Kong in Warner’s Westernized reboot, and now with the arrival of Godzilla Minus One here’s a trip through the Big G’s wardrobe history.

To read more, go here. 

Panel: Japan Should Ease COVID Border Controls For Foreigners

Above, the National Diet Building in Tokyo. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The Japanese government panel met today and they say Japan should ease COVID-19 border controls for foreigners.

They call for a gradual reopening of Japan's borders for foreign tourists.

According to the Mainichi Shimbun:

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japan should aim to normalize its coronavirus travel controls for foreigners as soon as possible, some members of a government panel said Wednesday, calling for a gradual reopening of its borders for tourists to boost the economy.

The government should relax its daily limit on foreign visitors and ease additional immigration procedures needed to enter Japan once such restrictions are confirmed less effective in curbing infection cases, private-sector members of the Council on Economic and Fiscal Policy said.

Amid criticism of the country's strict border controls, Japan raised the daily cap on overseas entrants on April 10 from 7,000 to 10,000. Visitors are limited to business people, technical interns and students. The ban on tourists remains.

To read more, go here. 

Time For Japan To Open Up Its Border and Embrace World

Above, the National Diet Building in Tokyo. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Japan has been closed off to foreigners since practically the beginning of the pandemic.

It is obvious that this did not prevent the rampant infections that took place in waves in Japan. The Asahi Shimbun posted an editorial calling for the reopening of the country.

They begin it with:

Japan’s stringent COVID-19 border controls have been in place for far too long, which has had ramifications across a wide range of areas.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida pledged over the weekend to consider easing the restrictions.

We urge the government to swiftly review the rules. It is time for Japan to reopen its border to those longing to study or work here.

Japan has maintained a closed door policy, in principle, for foreign nationals since January last year.

The government planned to ease the travel ban in November but retracted the policy after the emergence of the Omicron variant of the novel coronavirus. Only 150,000 or so foreign nationals were permitted entry in 2021, less than 1 percent of the total for 2019.

While acknowledging the necessity of border controls, Asahi Shimbun editorials have argued that steps to block the inflow of people should not remain in place for longer than is reasonably necessary.

To read the full editorial, go here. 

Imperial Hotel Dinner, 5 Years Ago

Above, the dinner group at the Imperial Viking Sal restaurant in the Imperial Hotel.

In about an hour or so, it will be October 12 in Tokyo, Japan.

That will mark five years since I threw a dinner party at the Imperial Hotel in the Hibiya section of Tokyo with friends from Toho Co., Ltd. consisting of former Toho Pictures President Shogo Tomiyama, former Toho Los Angeles general managers Masaharu Ina and Shozo Watanabe, director Yoshikazu Ishii, translator Jessica Claros (in case translating were needed) and Denise Santos.

We dined at the Imperial Viking Sal, a buffet-style restaurant with a superb view of the National Diet Building.

Shin Godzilla was in production at the time and much of the dinner conversation centered around it.

It is amazing how quickly five years had passed. 

I was considering going to Japan this year (around about this time), but the coronavirus pandemic put a stop on that idea. Next year, perhaps.

Dollar Breaches ¥112 Yen For First Time In 1½ Months

Above, the National Diet Building in Tokyo. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Getting more yen for their dollar while traveling in Japan is every traveler's dream.

The dollar today took a little step in that direction today in Tokyo trading.

According to an article in The Japan Times:

The dollar strengthened to around ¥112 in Tokyo Monday, underpinned by higher stock prices. 

At 5 p.m., the dollar stood at ¥111.91-91, up from ¥111.86-86 at the same time on Friday. The euro was at $1.1316-1316, up from $1.1288-1288, and at ¥126.63-68, up from ¥126.27-27. 

The dollar was boosted close to ¥112.10 in early trading by risk-on buying by investors who took heart from Friday’s powerful rebound on Wall Street and a post-weekend surge in the Nikkei stock average. 

The greenback topped ¥112 for the first time in 1½ months here.

To read more, go here. 

Japan's Diet Passes Resort Gambling Law

Above, the National Diet Building in Tokyo. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Japan's Diet finally did it! The national legislature has passed a law that will allow casino gambling at resorts. 

The resort gambling issue has been festering in Japan for the past several years.

Japan Today reported:

TOKYO - The Diet on Friday approved a contentious law allowing up to three casino resorts to open in this wealthy nation and possibly lure more foreign visitors. 

The bill was approved and enacted into law at the upper house after bulldozing by the ruling bloc. The lower house passed it last month. 

It adds rules of operation to a law on casino promotion passed in 2016. The enactment of the "integrated resorts" law means casinos can operate at resorts that include hotels, conference rooms and shopping malls in the mid-2020s. 

Supporters say casinos can attract more and wealthier tourists. Opponents say Japan already has pachinko pinball parlors and wagering on horse, auto, bicycle and boat racing, and expanding legalized gambling would fuel organized crime and compound gambling addiction. 

Media surveys have showed a majority of Japanese oppose the plan. Projections by experts show casino visitors would be predominantly Japanese, rather than foreign tourists. Opposition lawmakers said the casino law would only allow foreign operators to make money off Japanese.

To read more, go here. 

"Sayonara Tax" To Start In January

Above, the National Diet Building in Tokyo. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The Japanese Diet has enacted a new departure tax that will begin to be levied in January 2019.

According to an article in The Japan News:

TOKYO (Jiji Press) — The Diet enacted on Wednesday a bill to introduce a departure tax of ¥1,000. 

The bill became law as the House of Councillors approved it by a majority vote of ruling coalition members and other lawmakers at a plenary session. 

From January 2019, the tax will be collected each time a person, regardless of nationality, leaves the country. Specifically, the levy will be added to airfares and ship fares. 

Revenue from the tax, estimated to amount to around ¥43 billion per fiscal year, will be used for measures to promote tourism to Japan, including improving multilingual guide services at national parks and cultural assets.

¥1,000 is roughly $10.00 U.S. (give or take).

To read more, go here. 

Yen Surge Is Making The Imperial Hotel Nervous

Above, the dinner party at the Imperial Hotel last October.

In 1954, United World News reporter Steve Martin (Raymond Burr) was just "lucky" enough to be at the right place at the wrong time.

He was on his way to Cairo and stopped off in Tokyo for a nice, relaxing visit with an old friend, Dr. Serizawa. That visit never came about (unless they chatted aboard a boat in Tokyo Bay before Serizawa suited up for a fateful dive). The stopover in Tokyo was hardly relaxing either. Martin stated that he was staying at the Imperial Hotel before being led from the airport for "just questioning". It is unclear if he ever made it to his room at the hotel since a giant radioactive lizard decided to stroll through Tokyo, including the district where the Imperial Hotel stood.

Today, the Imperial Hotel doesn't have to worry about threats to its existence by radioactive lizards, but the surging Japanese yen has been cramping its style in recent weeks. And that is making the hotel's management nervous.

Bloomberg.com reported:

Tokyo’s Imperial Hotel, the luxury inn that counts Marilyn Monroe among past guests, raised room rates last year to levels it last charged before Japan’s bubble burst in the early 1990s. A surging yen now threatens those gains. 

With signs of spending from foreign tourists starting to wane as a result of the stronger currency, the hotel is looking to boost wedding banquets and turn those younger guests in to repeater clients, said Hideya Sadayasu, the president and general manager of Imperial Hotel Ltd.

Last October, I hosted a little dinner party for Toho Co., Ltd. friends at the Imperial Hotel. We had a splendid window table that had a view of the Imperial Palace and the National Diet Building. At that time, the dollar/yen exchange rate in Tokyo I received was ¥116.99. Today's exchange rate in Tokyo is hovering around ¥100. But that "catch" is, that rate is only available to "high rollers". Ordinary visitors will receive considerably less in exchange.

With the yen performing stronger, it makes visits to Japan and the cost of goods and services there more expensive. Unless things turn around soon, the Japanese government may be forced to step in to devalue the yen. We shall see.

To read more, go here.

The One Place Spared From Godzilla's Wrath

Above, the main gate at the Nijubashi Bridge of the Imperial Palace. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Godzilla has stomped in and around Tokyo a number of times, beginning with his first appearance in 1954. But there's one place in Tokyo that has been spared of any attacks.

According to RocketNews 24:

There’s just one place in Tokyo this mascot of mayhem always seems to spare.

Over the last six decades, Godzilla has destroyed Tokyo dozens of times, and while his career has seen many exhilarating highs (remember that time he fought a giant space moth?!) and lows (ill-advised American remake with Ferris Bueller, mediocre American remake with Walter White, those times he had an annoying son, the franchise’s ‘Scrappy-Doo’ moment), one thing has remained consistent since his first cinematic outing in 1954. So far, the iconic monster has shown no interest in destroying the Imperial Palace in Tokyo. 

Above, the Nijubashi Bridge. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Serious Godzilla fans have been familiar of this tidbit of trivia for years. It is out of respect for the Emperor and the Imperial family that Godzilla has never attacked the Imperial Palace. The National Diet Building, where Japan's national government meets, hasn't been so lucky. It has been demolished several times over the years by kaiju.

The Palace was one of the stops for the 2004 G-TOUR, I first visited the Imperial Palace in 2001.

To read more, go here. 

National Diet Building At Night

While Denise was with her family at Legoland down near San Diego today, I stayed home (except for a run to Baskin-Robbins for a hot fudge sundae) and watched a couple of movies that I haven't watched for over five years (at least).

They were Godzilla x Mechagodzilla (2002) and Godzilla x Mothra x Mechagodzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. (2003).

While watching Tokyo S.O.S., a scene with Godzilla and Mechagodzilla behind the National Diet Building reminded me of a photo I took of it last October from our dinner table window at the Imperial Hotel.

Here's the photo I took (it is a little fuzzy, probably due to the glass messing with the focus):

Above, the National Diet Building at night. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Here's the scene from the movie:

Power Players At Tokyo's Imperial Hotel

Above, the dinner group at the Imperial Viking restaurant at the Imperial Hotel.

The Imperial Hotel, the one that Steve Martin (Raymond Burr) stayed at while in Tokyo (while there was still a Tokyo) during Godzilla's rampage, saw a group of power players at the hotel's Imperial Viking restaurant gather for a relaxed dinner.

Over the years, I have been treated to many a courtesy and assists by friends from Toho Co., Ltd. and I thought this trip would provide a good opportunity to host a thank-you dinner to return the favor and show my appreciation.

The Imperial Viking was chosen as it was able to accommodate dinner parties and I was seeking an elegant place to treat everyone. The restaurant is on the hotel's 17th floor and had commanding views of Hibiya Park, the Imperial Palace and the National Diet Building.

Above, the view of the lit-up National Diet Building from our table at the Imperial Viking restaurant. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Those joining Denise and I were Mr. G-FEST himself, Yoshikazu Ishii; former Toho L.A. General Managers Masaharu Ina (now with Toho Cinemas division) and Shozo Watanabe (now with Toho's legal division); former Toho Pictures President Shogo Tomiyama; translator and Tohoku documentary star at NHK World, Jessica Claros.

The conversation ranged from what everyone's doing today, remembering Koichi Kawakita, Shin Godzilla (now in production), Godzilla Final Wars, Japanese cuisine, Japan's beaches, Toho's Malibu estate (where Toho's general managers live during their tenures in Los Angeles), my fondness for cheesecake and many other subjects.

Denise's son Aiden slept through the whole dinner.

"In The Footsteps of Godzilla" Complimentary Tickets

Above, Godzilla at the National Diet Building. Toho Photo.

The Japan Society of Northern California's "In The Footsteps of Godzilla" program will be held tomorrow at the Roxie Theater in San Francisco. 

According to Tickettailor.com, complimentary tickets to the screening of Godzilla (1954) may be available. The movie screening begins at 3:30.

To access their site, go here.

Japan Out of Recession, Although Growth Disappointing

Above, the National Diet Building in Tokyo. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Japan came out of its recession during the third quarter of 2014, but the rate of growth was disappointing.

According to the BBC:

The economy expanded by an annualised 2.2% in the three months to December in a preliminary reading, compared to forecasts for a 3.7% increase.

The recession did not affect Japan's tourism industry as they posted record numbers of foreign visitors in 2014.

To read more, go here.

Three Blog Posts Picked Up

Three of yesterday's blog posts were picked up by the good folks at The Japan Daily to share with their readers.

They are:

To read The Japan Daily, go here.

900,000 Visit Diet Building For 3rd Year

Above, the National Diet Building. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Godzilla stomped through one of its wings, King Kong stood atop its pyramid tower and Mothra used it to build a cocoon. The National Diet Building is a popular stop for tourists.

According to News On Japan:

Tours of the Diet Building have not lost any of their popularity, with visitors this year expected to exceed 900,000 for the third consecutive year. One reason for this popularity may be that the tours are free. 

Applications to visit the House of Representatives or the House of Councillors are separately accepted by the secretariat of each house. 

The National Diet Building is spotlighted on page 24 of The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan.

See more at: http://newsonjapan.com/html/newsdesk/article/109181.php

The National Diet Building

Above, the National Diet Building. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Godzilla trampled through one of its wings in 1954. King Kong stood on its tower in 1962. Mothra used it to to go through metamorphosis to change from a caterpillar to moth in 1992. A battling Godzilla and Mechagodzilla crushed it in 2003.

The National Diet Building didn't get any respect over the past 60 years from kaiju.

Tokyoing.net has a spotlight article on the National Diet Building in Tokyo.

They wrote in part:

National Diet Building is located in Chiyoda-ward of the center of Tokyo. This building has the history of more than 70 years and is worth looking. The building is symmetric. The house of Representatives is placed on the left side, and the House of Councilors is placed on right side.

It is also spotlighted in The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan due to its history in daikaiju eiga.

To read the article at Tokyoing.net, go here.

NHK Chairman To Face Diet Over "Comfort Women" Comments

Above, the National Diet Building in Tokyo where the NHK chairman will be grilled Friday. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

If you thought "foot-in-mouth disease" is just only prevalent with President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and commentators over at MSNBC, guess again.

The new head of Japan's NHK Broadcasting is in hot water over comments concerning World War II "comfort women".

According to Japan Today:

TOKYO —Japan’s public broadcaster was defending itself Friday over claims of political interference in its coverage of the Tokyo governor election, as its chief readied for a Diet grilling over his comments on “comfort women”. 

Publicly-funded NHK admitted it had asked an academic to avoid talking about nuclear power during his radio slot ahead of next month’s election, which is effectively a contest between a candidate backed by the pro-nuclear government, and a former premier who wants all of Japan’s reactors permanently shuttered. 

But the broadcaster said Friday it had only done so because it was not able to book a pro-nuclear guest to balance professor Toru Nakakita’s opinion. 

The furor comes as the corporation’s new chairman is embroiled in a row over comments he made at his first press conference, when he claimed the system of sexual slavery used by Japan’s imperial army in World War II was “common in any country at war”. 

Critics say the view—which finds echoes among supporters of right wing Prime Minister Shinzo Abe—makes him unfit to lead an organization that should uphold the highest standards of truth in its journalism. 

Katsuto Momii is due to face a Diet committee later Friday over his comments.

To read the full story, go here.

Something's Wrong With This Article

Above, the National Diet Building, home of the Japanese parliament.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

I was reading the Christian Science Monitor's online news article on Ambassador Caroline Kennedy's arrival in Japan when I spotted an error.

Can you spot it?

Here's the passage that contains the error:

The surviving member of the Kennedy presidential family highlighted this historical link when she landed in Tokyo, noting that because of her father’s plans in particular “it is a special honor for me to be able to work to strengthen the close ties between our two great countries.” 

Kennedy, who is expected to present her credentials to Emperor Hirohito on Nov. 19, noted that her arrival coincides with “the 50th anniversary of my father’s presidency.” Nov. 22 marks a half-century since President Kennedy’s assassination.

To read the full article, go here.

UPDATE: Emperor Hirohito (known now as Emperor Showa) died in 1989. The reigning monarch now is his son Emperor Akihito (Emperor Heisei). It would be an interesting trick for Caroline to present her credentials to Emperor Hirohito, wouldn't it?

"The Kaiju Diet" In JapanTourist

Above, the National Diet Building.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The latest article contribution to JapanTourist, in order to educate the non-fans with some interest in Japanese monsters, has been posted. As today is Friday the thirteenth, this is their lucky day!

The article is on the National Diet Building or, as it is titled, "The Kaiju Diet."

Fans are familiar with the National Diet Building as it was prominently featured and partly demolished in Godzilla (1954). It is also spotlighted in The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan.

To view the article, go here.

Latest Article Submitted To JapanTourist

Above, the National Diet Building.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The latest article submitted to JapanTourist takes us back into Tokyo. It is on the National Diet Building, where Japan's bicameral legislature meets.

It was also featured in several monster movies, the first being in Godzilla in 1954.

The National Diet Building is spotlighted in The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan on page 24.

A notice will be posted once the article is available for viewing.