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Godzilla king of the monsters in Hibiya
A Godzilla statue was unveiled in Tokyo in late March 2018. It was a version based on the one featured in the 2016 film “Shin Godzilla.” According to Toho, the production company, it is Japan’s largest King of Monsters statue. It is a piece of cinema history. Let me tell you, this statue is very cool, but it comes with a caveat, unfortunately.
Debuting in 1954, Godzilla might well be Japan’s most famous movie character. Awakened by nuclear weapons, he is a terrifying destroyer. But, he has also helped humanity on occasion. He has been in Toho and Hollywood films, computer games, comic books, and television shows.
You can find a statue of him in, the aptly named, Hibiya Godzilla Square. He stands atop a pedestal, and while this might be the most giant statue of him in Japan, he is small, only three meters tall! It is a very cool statue, but I’d appreciate something bigger. With him vertically challenged, taking a shot to make him look big will be a problem. If you shoot with a short lens, he will appear tiny in photos. He’ll look like the dwarf of monsters, not the king. In short, you have to work for your pictures, either search for a great angle or do some post-processing work.
But you can get very close to him, so taking his picture isn’t a problem as smartphones, compact cameras, or DSLRs will work. And some stairs lead up to him so that you can get close, but it will be from the back. You‘ve got to find good angles. If possible, I recommend longer lenses to focus on details and blow out backgrounds with bokeh.
I chose black and white for this article as my favorite Godzilla is the one from the first movie. The other films are okay, but the 1954 version is the standout. By today’s standards, the special effects weren’t very good, but they were fantastic back in the day. And, of course, his theme song is brilliant.
If you want a bigger Godzilla, you need to see the one in Shinjuku. That might be more fun for most photographers, even though you can only see the monster’s top part.
Where is the Hibiya Square Godzilla?
Hibiya Station is very close to the Godzilla statue. The following lines use it:
- Toei Mita
- Tokyo Metro Chiyoda
- Tokyo Metro Hibiya
If you need a map, there is one on Google Maps.
For similar photo spots in Tokyo, look at:
Please leave your questions and comments below. And if you take pictures of him, please let me know! I’d like to see them.