By Gary Symons
TLL Editor in Chief
It was 1954 when the ‘King of Monsters’ first rampaged through Tokyo, crushing buildings and plucking aircraft out of the sky.
Now a much friendlier Godzilla is back, and welcoming visitors to Japan at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport.
The Haneda Godzilla Global Project has launched a “mega-scale initiative” to broadcast Japanese entertainment to the world from Haneda Airport, through a licensed collaboration between three companies. Rights holder Toho Co., Ltd. is working with Japan Airport Terminal Co., Ltd., and Tokyo International Airport Terminal Corporation to create a truly monstrous display under the theme “Godzilla welcomes all visitors to Japan and sees them off as they depart.”
As the centerpiece of the project, a colossal Godzilla statue, approximately 40 meters long and 9 meters tall, has been revealed inside Japan’s international gateway at Haneda Airport Terminal 3.
Modeled after the original Godzilla, the monument surpasses the size of existing indoor installations and is designed to be viewed from multiple angles throughout Terminal 3.
Additional installations in the area include Godzilla: The Great Monster Advance Picture Scroll in the arrival lobby and a standing statue from Godzilla Minus One, further expanding the presence of the popular monster across arrivals and departures.
A special event was held at Haneda Airport to mark the completion of the world’s largest indoor Godzilla monument, with speeches from Keiji Ota, Senior Managing Executive Officer and Chief Godzilla Officer (CGO) of Toho Co., Ltd.; Masatoshi Akahori, President and Representative Director of Tokyo International Air Terminal Corporation; and special guest actress Riko Fukumoto, ambassador for the “Godzilla The Ride” attraction at Seibuen Amusement Park.
All of the guest speakers reflected on the cultural significance of the six-year project and Godzilla’s role as a global symbol of Japanese entertainment.
“As travel ramps up for the new year, the Haneda Godzilla Global Project is set to leave a lasting impression on millions of international travelers passing through Terminal 3 with an encounter with one of Japan’s most iconic cultural symbols,” the partners said.
The first Godzilla film, along with the 1954 cinematic masterpiece The Seven Samurai, is credited with helping Toho become a leading global entertainment studio. Godzilla and the ‘Monsterverse’ franchise remains one of the leading entertainment and licensing brands in the world, and has become a major influence on modern culture, particularly for anime.
Toho has also become a leader in the anime entertainment sector, with hits like My Hero Academia and Jujutsu Kaisen.