Japan theme park unveils life-size Godzilla with zip wire into monster’s mouth

Legendary movie monster’s enormous jaws await brave guests

Life-size Godzilla model is first of its kind (Kyodo News via Getty)

A Japanese theme park has unveiled the world's first life-size Godzilla statue complete with a zip wire heading directly into the monster’s mouth.  

Visitors to Nijigen no Mori Park on Awaji Island will play the role of researchers who must zip wire into Godzilla's mouth as part of a mission.

The permanent installation is around 50m long, but only models half of the monster's body. The rest is suggestedly underground, bringing this Godzilla nearer to the size of recent film iterations where it stands over 100m tall.

Artist’s rendition shows how visitors will zip into mouth of the monster (Nijigen No Mori)

Godzilla’s colossal size, which typically allows it to knock over buildings with ease, has always been a pull for moviegoers but the monster has grown notably since first appearing in the 1954 film of the same name; where it measured a mere 50m.  

Visitors will also be able to take Godzilla on in a shooting gallery and see official replicas and movie props in the world’s first permanent Godzilla museum. Hungry guests can dine on “Godzilla curry”, which is made with Awaji Island’s famous onions.

“As far as we know, this is the only life-size Godzilla statue ever built,” a spokesperson for Pasona Group, the recruitment company operating Nijigen no Mori Park, told the BBC.

“We would like Godzilla fans, including those abroad, to come and appreciate the massiveness of the monster they only know of through movie screens.”

The attraction had been due to open this summer but the date was pushed back due to the coronavirus pandemic.