Godzilla, a portmanteau of the Japanese words for gorilla (gorira) and whale (kujira), is king of the kaijū (strange beasts) that ruled Japanese popular cinema for decades. This giant statue of him looking to take a bite out of a skyscraper is a (relatively new) Shinjuku landmark. Every so often he roars to life, with glowing eyes and smoky breath.
Godzilla Head
Jonathan Stokes/Lonely Planet
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Must-see attractions
- Attraction in Shinjuku & Northwest TokyoGolden Gai
- Attraction in TokyoImperial Palace
- Attraction in Harajuku & AoyamaMeiji-Jingū
- Attraction in Roppongi, Akasaka & AroundRoppongi Hills
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- Attraction in Ueno & YanesenTokyo National Museum
- Attraction in TokyoChidori-ga-fuchi
- Attraction in Asakusa & Sumida RiverEdo-Tokyo Museum
