Visit Fukuoka City!

Above, a view of Hakata Bay from the observation level of Fukuoka Tower. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Japanese monster fans who visit Japan and don't travel down to Kyushu are missing out of some great scenery along with some notable movie locations.

Fukuoka is a must-see city for any kaiju fan. It is a semi-industrial city at the southern end of the shinkansen.


Left, Fukuoka Tower. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Fukuoka City was featured in Rodan (1956), Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (1991), Gamera, Guardian of the Universe (1995) and Godzilla vs. Space Godzilla (1994).

The most notable landmarks are: Hakata Bay and Fukuoka Yahoo! Dome in Gamera, Guardian of the Universe; Fukuoka Tower in Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah and Godzilla vs. Space Godzilla. Fukuoka Tower and Fukuoka Yahoo! Dome are within easy walking distance from each other.


The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan spotlights Fukuoka City's kaiju (and other) attractions on page 45.

Above, Fukuoka Yahoo! Dome. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It is about a six-hour ride to Fukuoka City on the shinkansen from Tokyo, with a change of trains at Shin-Osaka Station. The main stop at Hakata Station is also the end-of-the-line for the Hikari and Nozomi shinkansens. The Japan Rail Pass and the JR West Rail Pass are good for the Hikari trains but not the Nozomi trains.

There are many hotels clustered around Hakata Station, along with a McDonalds and a Starbucks at the station.

If you are planning a trip to Japan, try to set aside some days to visit Fukuoka City in Kyushu. It is well worth a visit!

Views of The Saikai Bridge

The 1956 Toho movie Rodan (ラドン, Radon) featured the Saikai Bridge located near Sasebo City in Kyushu.

The Saikai Bridge is a steel arch bridge constructed in 1955 (just in time to be demolished by Rodan the following year). The bridge has a span of 216m and crosses the Hario Seto Straits, which is famous for its whirlpools.

In the movie, one of the Rodans is being pursued by the Japan Air Self-Defense Force over the Sasebo City area. During the pursuit, Rodan flies over the Saikai Bridge. The wind turbulence from Rodan's fly-by causes the bridge to collapse into the strait in one of the most convincing miniature effects by Eiji Tsuburaya.

I visited the Saikai Bridge in 2007 and took a number of photographs of the bridge, some of which are posted for the first time.

Information on how to reach the Saikai Bridge is included in The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan.

The following photos are from my 2007 visit to the Saikai Bridge (click on image to view larger):

Nagasaki Mayor Iccho Itoh Murder

This evening, I was going through my photographs of my April 2007 trip to Japan. While doing so, my attention was directed to photos of the campaign headquarters of Nagasaki Mayor Iccho Itoh, who was gunned down on April 17, 2007.

Mayor Itoh (left) was campaigning for a fourth term as mayor of Nagasaki when a man approached him from behind in front of the campaign headquarters and shot him at point-blank range in the back.

According to news reports, the assailant, Tetsuya Shiroo, shot Mayor Itoh from behind after he got out of his campaign car and fired another bullet into his back after he had already fallen.

Above, Mayor Itoh being administered first aid by paramedics following the shooting.

Mayor Itoh arrived at Nagasaki University Hospital around 8:00 pm in critical condition. His heart and lungs had ceased functioning. Itoh was placed on a heart-lung machine and doctors proceeded with fours hours of emergency surgery in an attempt to stop internal bleeding. Unfortunately, Itoh died shortly after 2:00 am on April 18.

Police investigators found that Tetsuya Shiroo, age 59, was a senior member of Suishin-kai, a gang organization. Shiroo was allegedly upset that his claims for damages to his car at a public works construction site were denied. Shiroo was tried and sentenced to death, but the Fukuoka High Court tossed out the death sentence in 2008.

This was big news throughout Japan. I was in Kumamoto at the time of the shooting and my next stop was Nagasaki.

Above, the front of Mayor Itoh's campaign headquarters, where the Mayor was shot two days before. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

While in Nagasaki, I stopped at Mayor Itoh's campaign headquarters on April 19, two days after the murder. Flowers were beginning to pile up in front of the campaign office when I arrived. After taking a few photographs of the scene from a nearby pedestrian bridge, I went inside and signed the condolence book. The people inside the campaign headquarters were grateful that a foreign tourist would take the time to pay respects.

In a way, it is almost like being a witness to history.

Post Quake, Japan Struggles For Normalcy

Above, the Saikai Bridge in Kyushu that was featured in "Rodan." Photo by Armand Vaquer.

An interesting article on the state of Japan's tourism industry caught my attention.

The article is titled, "Post Quake, Japan Struggles For Normalcy."

Here is an excerpt:

Tourism has dwindled in Japan, where under normal circumstances, hotels could name their fees and anything amounting to a serious discount is generally unheard of.

Now, hotels and tour groups in Tokyo are offering major discounts in the hopes that a good deal will make potential visitors forget about things like earthquakes and leaky nuclear plants. The industry is simultaneously facing the double challenge of trying to offset the Yen's rise against the US dollar.

"Even top-class hotels have reduced their prices," said Yonehara Ryozo, president of the Institute for Japanese Cultural Exchange and Experience, who is among those tasked with getting things back on track.

Indeed, a four-star hotel room in the city's glittering Ginza district can now be had for between $120 - $150 a night, including all taxes. Not convinced? How about free breakfast and a room upgrade? No?

As regular Rancho readers know, I've been promoting The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan for those interested in making an autumn visit. To sweeten interest, I'm even offering the guide at a 20% discount starting on the Autumnal Equinox on September 23.

Also, as regular readers know, I've also been monitoring the exchange rate between the U.S. dollar and the Japanese yen. The dollar has taken a big hit in recent months with the current exchange rate at 1 USD = 76.7700 JPY (Source: Universal Currency Converter).

However, if deals can be had as the article states, they will take the sting away from the poor exchange rate. It is definitely something to look into if you are contemplating an autumn visit to Japan.

Besides the deals that can be found, travelers will enjoy the moderate temperatures an autumn visit will provide.

By the way, where did the article come from? Al Jazeera.

To see the full article, go here.