The Shinjuku ward of Tokyo has announced it has a new citizen – Godzilla.The iconic fictional monster who terrorized Japan’s capital city 61 years ago in Ishirō Honda's 1954 film “Godzilla”, has this week been granted special residency status by the Shinjuku ward office. The residency has been approved by the mayor and adorned with the ward’s authentic seal.The certificate states that Godzilla has been granted special residency in order to promote tourism, entertainment, and to watch over the bustling Kabuki-cho neighborhood. The document also sites that Godzilla has made three previous visits to the area in 1984, 1991, and 1999.3000 copies of the certificate have been circulated throughout the city for fans of the terrifying new Tokyoite to keep as a memento. A gigantic replica of the fire-breathing lizard has also been erected on the top of the district’s Toho Entertainment building which is now offering “Godzilla Head Tours.”Godzilla, the newest addition to Shinjuku’s 17,000 residents, is surely delighted to have been given the title of “Tokyo’s Tourism Ambassador” as reported by the Anime News Network. He will be making his first major contribution to promoting tourism and entertainment since being officially bestowed with the title, when Toho Entertainment release their latest “Godzilla” franchise film in 2016. The film will be the first Japanese version of a Godzilla film to have been made in the last 12 years.The news of the half-whale, half-gorilla creature’s Japanese residency has sadly coincided with “Godzilla” movie actor Hiroshi Koizumi passing away. The actor died 31 May in Tokyo at the age of 88.The Japanese actor had enjoyed a successful career following being cast as the human lead in “Godzilla Raids Again” in 1955, in which his character discovers Godzilla fighting with another monster on a remote island. Koizumi continued to be part of the Godzilla franchise story later appearing in “Mothra vs Godzilla” (1964) “Godzilla vs The Thing”, “Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla” (1974) and “The Return of Godzilla” (1984).The star, who also acted in “47 Samurai” (1962), appeared for the final time with Japan’s favorite monster in “Godzilla: Tokyo SOS” (2003).View the slideshow to learn 5 little known Godzilla facts.
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