A New & Unique Attraction for Your Tokyo Trip : Godzilla Appears in Tokyo Projection Mapping Project

You already know that Tokyo has many tourist attractions. This article will introduce new and unique ways to enjoy Tokyo!

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government is holding a year-round projection mapping project using the representative landmark, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building in Shinjuku. The government building becomes a canvas to create a variety of light and sound art to create new tourism, coloring Tokyo at night to revitalize nighttime tourism promotion. From April 27, the projection mapping will feature Godzilla, a globally well-known character celebrating its 70th Anniversary.

The content to be screened is titled “Godzilla Attack on Tokyo.” The film’s synopsis reads, “Godzilla suddenly attacks the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, and the human race fights with a new anti-Godzilla weapon, the Super X2 Kai, but…”

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The 100-meter-tall Godzilla from the “VS Series” appears in this projection. On the wall of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, a life-size scale Godzilla will take on the “Super X2 Kai” in an intense battle.

Godzilla and Shinjuku have a deep connection: in 2015, a 12-meter-tall Godzilla Head was created in Kabukicho, Shinjuku, and Godzilla was appointed as a special envoy for tourism.

A New Landmark in Shinjuku

In addition to this, Shinjuku has also begun a new initiative aimed at meeting virtual characters in the city’s open-air visions.

In the plaza in front of Shinjuku Station East Exit, video content utilizing the 3D illusion for Cross Shinjuku Vision is being broadcast.

It is designed not only as a simple 3D video but also as a landmark character. This illusion shows the video as if a large cat lives inside the building. The cat wakes up in the morning when the broadcast starts, appearing many times during the day, and the light turns off as he goes to sleep at night. The cat’s presence is skillfully created through the cat’s characteristics, like a fondness for high and narrow places, as well as the linkage between the ears and tail and the cat’s emotions.

Foreign media picked up this fictional character as a unique Japanese humor in which “eight million gods” coexist in everyday spaces, such as character billboards and monuments. In addition, many secondary works about the cat have appeared and spread on social media. The phenomenon of background stories unfolding on social media illustrates the potential of this new entertainment medium, which transcends the boundaries of urban outdoor signage and allows the participation of fans.

This 3D giant cat is a male calico cat, which is very rare in reality. The creator aims to portray a special and lucky cat you can meet when you come to Shinjuku. It wears a collar made of traditional Japanese craft, a braided cord, and a crepe ball. Additionally, the pattern at the base of its hind legs is shaped like a Shinjuku Ward. The projection is sprinkled with multiple senses of Japan.

To see “The Cat at Shinjuku East Exit” with certainty, you can watch the “Neko Channel” corner, which airs four times an hour (00 minutes, 15 minutes, 30 minutes, and 45 minutes). This program also showcases long videos (“SHORT FILMS” series) as short movies.

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