7.29.2021
Today, five years ago I was standing in the Toho Cinema at Hotel Gracery, the home of the Godzilla Head, in Shinjuku, waiting to see the first showing of Shin Godzilla in MX4D at 25:30 (1:30AM). Little did I know what I was about to experience. I came to the theater alone but ran into the G-Tour group who like me were anxious and ready to go after a long days wait. Last night, I came across the tweet of @TokyoBiff with a photo showing me in the theater lobby.
Earlier that day, I went on a journey to see Shin Godzilla places made famous by the trailer. I sought out Kamakura and Komachi Dori (Komachi Street), the long shopping street where the tail of Shin Godzilla floats over head.
Since 2016, I’ve returned to Japan several times during which I’ve gone to many Shin Godzilla locations. Some locations are breathtaking like Inamuragaski and Kamakura Seaside Park. Others are secluded and off the beaten path. But all make you feel you are in the movie and are so worth finding.
As I have written in previous blog posts, Shin Godzilla was a cathartic experience. Watching Shin Godzilla is reliving the Japan 3/11 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear crisis all over again. It was a very emotional experience and like riding a rollercoaster that I had to get off. Shin Godzilla is more than a monster. And like Shodai Godzilla, Shin arose out of that tragic and deadly event that I will never forget. Shin Godzilla bought us back to the roots of Godzilla and Shodai Godzilla like no other previous film had done. Last March was the tenth anniversary of Japan 3/11. Shin Godzilla makes us to pay attention to consequences of failing to pay attention to others and to take care of the planet.