Tokyo Region Known For Its Noodle Shops Appoints Godzilla As Tourism Ambassador

Officials in the Shinjuku ward, an area of Tokyo known for its bars and noodle shops, have appointed Godzilla as a "special resident" and tourism ambassador for the region, reports The Guardian.

Toho, the Japanese film company responsible for creating the monster back in 1954, recently unveiled a Godzilla head statue 171 feet above ground level at one of its offices, and will film the return of Godzilla to Tokyo this year, after a decade-long absence.

From the Guardian:

"At an awards ceremony, where the giant Godzilla head was present, an actor in a rubber suit waddled over to the Shinjuku mayor, Kenichi Yoshizumi.

But a Toho executive had to accept the residency certificate for ambassador Godzilla — since the suit's claws were not designed to grab anything."

The announcement of Godzilla's special place as monster-in-residence of the Tokyo region is predicted to boost tourism to Shinjuku, and is part of an overall strategy in Japan to expand its markets.

"Godzilla is a character that is the pride of Japan," Mayor Kenichi Yoshizumi declared in a statement.