5.31.2020

Time for another virtual trip to Japan by sharing my photos and experiences from previous trips. In 2018, my trip was all about Shin Godzilla places. Several weeks ago, Facebook reminded me of journey to Kamakura and I couldn’t wait to blog about it. To add fuel to my fire, Christian Gonzalez tweeted about the Shin Godzilla places he visited. And to my surprise he visited MyKaiju.com “to pin down most of these spots.” That brought joy to my heart. Thank you @seaguns_art! I hope my website and blog is useful to you as well.

This is the first leg of our journey. These Shin Godzilla places were in MyKaiju Magazine Issue 1. So no more delay, let’s go back and track Godzilla’s resurgence from Tokyo Bay to Tokyo Station. Let our journey begin!

For years I entered Japan through Narita Airport, but that required a long bus or train ride to get to Tokyo. I always wanted to go through Haneda Airport but I couldn’t get affordable and convenient flights there until several years ago. I love Haneda, particularly it’s layout, shops, and most of all it’s location. Arriving or departing from Haneda, there are Shin Godzilla places to see. There are bus trips to the Umihotaru Island along the Tokyo Bay Aqua Line. Umihotaru is built on a 650-meter Kisarazu artificial island. There is has five levels for parking, commercial facilities, and a shopping mall. Before leaving Japan from Haneda spend sometime at the Former Anamori Inari shrine, which is a short walk from the train station.

Shin Godzilla makes his way from Haneda Airport up the Nomi river destroying everything in his path. Asahibashi Bridge stands out in those memorable scenes. Getting there is a challenge and takes much time on public transportation and on foot, requiring determination and patience. After the train ride, we walk through a recreation park, down steps, and through a local neighborhood. Get your breadcrumbs ready and your good walking shoes. It was a beautiful day but very hot. But all the effort was worth it when you see the iconic locations.

After winding through local streets, the Nomi river and Asahibashi Bridge come into view. Be careful because there is no pedestrian walkway on the bridge. Look both ways. Look up and down and around and spot the familiar buildings and signs from the film. The river is lined with pleasure boats that were flipped and turned over by Shin Godzilla. Next, continue across the bridge and walk along the river to our next destination, the Nomikawa Shinbashi.