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 bit out of a skyscraper is a (relatively new) Shinjuku landmark. Every so often he roars to life, with glowing eyes and smoky breath.
There's an up-close view (and selfie opportunity) of the statue from the 8th-floor 'Godzilla Terrace' attached to the lobby of the Hotel Gracery Shinjuku; access is limited to hotel guests and customers of the hotel's cafe (though we've never been stopped…).
