By HIROAKI ABE/ Staff Writer
April 29, 2024 at 17:34 JST
“Godzilla Rock” bathes in the setting sun in Oga, Akita Prefecture, on April 21. (Hiroaki Abe)
OGA, Akita Prefecture—Godzilla, the long-heralded “king of the monsters” in cinema, has also achieved rock star status here.
A silhouette from a rock emerging from a reef in Shiosezaki, about 12 kilometers west of the central part of Oga city, resembles a roaring Godzilla.
The “Godzilla Rock,” about 10 meters high, used to be known only to locals.
But about 20 years ago, the city began promoting the rock as a tourist spot and installed information signs and parking spaces at the coastal site.
Its popularity soared this year after the “Godzilla Minus One” movie won the Academy Award for Visual Effects in March.
A local taxi driver said the number of tourists requesting rides to the rock has increased.
“It must be the influence of the movie,” the driver said.
On weekends, cars with license plates from other prefectures have become more noticeable.
Locals say the sight of the Godzilla rock from the sea is also amazing.
A cruise around the west coast of Shiosezaki will begin in May.
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