A giant, "life-size" Godzilla statue with a gaping, toothy mouth recently became the centerpiece of a theme park in Japan.The King of the Monsters now resides in Nijigen no Mori Park and is about 75 feet high and almost 400 feet long. Patrons can ride a zipline into his open maw, as reported by the BBC.
Kaiju News Outlet posted photos on Twitter from the opening ceremony at Nijigen no Mori Park, which is on Awaji Island near the city of Kobe. The attraction is currently open for all Godzilla fans to explore. The statue is made to appear as if Godzilla is emerging from the underground. The statue's design was based on a mix of a whale and a gorilla.
A spokesperson for the Pasona Group (the recruitment company that's operating the park) said, "As far as we know, this is the only life-size Godzilla statue ever built. We would like Godzilla fans, including those abroad, to come and appreciate the massiveness of the monster they only know of through movie screens."
In 1954's Godzilla -- released by Toho Studio and directed by Ishiro Honda -- the kaiju was approximately 164 feet high. The monster reached nearly 400 feet high in 2019's Godzilla: King of the Monsters. Since the first film, Godzilla has anchored a franchise that spans more than 30 films, television and works of animation.
Source:Â BBC