World's biggest Godzilla replica unveiled in Japanese theme park

A life-size Godzilla is the newest attraction to be unveiled at a Japanese theme park on Awaji Island, in the city of Kobe, Japan. Measuring 75 feet tall, it is believed to be the world's first and biggest permanent Godzilla statue. Visitors to the park can ride a zip line that goes right into the beast's gaping mouth complete with jagged teeth. The attraction is scheduled to open to the public on Saturday, October 10.

The original Godzilla used in the movie measured only 50 metres tall. But, in its succeeding movie last year, "Godzilla: King of the Monsters," the beastly reptile grew to 120 metres in height, the BBC wrote.

The monster's colossal size has always been a movie crowd drawer with die-hard fans documenting its ever-changing appearance.

Although the new statue attraction on Awaji Island stands a few metres shorter than its latest film version, it is the tallest off-screen structure ever built. The Godzilla head found at the Toho Building in Tokyo only stands about 12 metres high.

A spokesperson from the recruitment company operating the Nijigen no Mori 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."

Godzilla is thought to be a cross incarnation of a gorilla and a whale. In 1954, the film Gojira directed by Ishiro Honda became the pop culture icon we all know as Godzilla today. It has drawn a fan base of 9.6 million viewers even before the days when TV sets were not so common in Japanese homes. It has since rolled a franchise of more than 30 films, and spawned a milieu of toys and video-games.

The story that revolved around the beast is said to be a metaphor that reflects Japan's history along with its concerns over the threats of nuclear warfare. The experiences of Japanese post-war society fuel a lurking sense of fear embodied in Godzilla movies that somehow points its fingers to humanity and how we would reap the evils of our own doing.