Godzilla King of the Monsters! No one is tougher or bigger than him. He is the boss and rules the kaiju world. Did you know Tokyo even has several statues of him? I visited the one in Hibiya some years ago. The sky was dull that day, so I photographed him in black and white. This time, I had some good weather. I captured him in color.
The Hibiya Square statue was unveiled in March 2018. He is easily recognizable if you’ve seen “Shin Godzilla.” It is cool, but it has a shortcoming. While the real monster is over 100 meters tall, this statue is small. It is only three meters in height! Yes, he is vertically disadvantaged!
A bigger statue would be good. But we have to work with what we have. If you use a short lens, it will be small in photos. In that case, he will be the dwarf of monsters, not the king.
Still, you can get close to him. So taking his picture isn’t a problem. Smartphones, point-and-shoot, or DSLRs will work. There are stairs up to him. That will only be from the back, though. They have a problem. I’ll tell you about that later.
I recommend using a longer lens if possible. They’ll give you more options. You could focus on details and blow out backgrounds with bokeh.
An alternative is to take more lenses. This time, I used a wide-angle, short zoom, and a longer one! That allowed me to cover all my bases. I got the best of everything.
If you want a bigger Godzilla, look at the one in Shinjuku. That one is life-size, but it’s not a complete statue. You’ll only see the head and claws.
Address: 1-3-2 Yurakucho, Chiyoda City, Tokyo
The correct name for the spot is Hibiya Godzilla Square.
See it on this Google Map:
Train access
Hibiya Station. The following subway lines serve it:
The Godzilla shop
Now for the problem, I mentioned earlier. Behind the statue, there used to be a shop. It sold paraphernalia like figurines, books, and posters. On March 27, 2022, it closed. Now, it is a cafe. If you want photos of Godzilla’s rear, you might need to buy something!
Conclusion
The Hibiya Square Godzilla is a must-see for movie buffs. He is a little small, but he is a Japanese cinematic giant. He is worth photographing. Just remember to take a long lens with you. It is another great Tokyo photo spot.
By the way, his latest movie was the 2021 Godzilla vs. Kong. Have you seen it? If you have let me know your thoughts. Leave questions and comments below.
Rohan has lived in Tokyo for 30+ years. He loves photography and plans to capture the entire city.
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