Godzilla, one of Japan’s biggest cultural exports, has been granted honorary citizenship in the country and appointed as a tourism ambassador after a ceremony in Tokyo.
The Tokyo ward of Shinjuku originally handed the giant monster his official residency documents in a ceremony in April but his documents have only now been officially finalized.
The reptile ‘King of Monsters’ was also appointed a tourism ambassador for Shinjuku because of his iconic status around the world, drawing tourists to the Asian country thanks to numerous appearances on the silver screen.
At the ceremony, Mayor of Shinjuku Kenichi Yoshizumi said: “Godzilla is a character that is the pride of Japan.”
To mark the granting of Godzilla’s citizenship, a 12-meter high replica head of the giant lizard has been placed on top of the Shinjuku Toho entertainment complex, located in the district.
The Gracery Hotel within the complex also has a series of ‘Godzilla View Rooms’, which gives visitors the chance to look into the monster’s eyes out of their window.
The monster’s citizenship permit is not just limited to himself but to his many fans, too. Certificates were handed to the first 5,000 fans who requested a copy from the local administrative office in the area, according to IGN
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Godzilla’s citizenship papers reportedly read:
Name: Godzilla
Address: Shinjuku-ku, Kabuki-cho, 1-19-1
Date of birth: April 9, 1954 [the year of the release of the very first Godzilla film]
Date of becoming a Shinjuku resident: April 9, 201
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Reason for special residency: Promoting the entertainment of and watching over the Kabuki-cho neighborhood and drawing visitors from around the globe in the form of the Godzilla head built atop the Shinjuku Toho Building.
Previous visits to Shinjuku Ward: 3 times; Godzilla (1984), Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah(1991), Godzilla 2000 Millennium (1999).
