GORILLA AND WHALE

riginally named “Gojira” in Japanese, the giant lizard got its moniker from a portmanteau of the Japanese words “gorira,” which means “gorilla,” and “kujira,” which means “whale.” (The creature’s name was later anglicized to Godzilla when the movie was sold to the U.S.) Debuting in 1954 from director Ishiro Honda, the monster spawned an entire genre known as “kaiju,” meaning “strange beast.” When he first appeared, Godzilla was closely tied to nuclear power, boasting thermonuclear breath and massively destructive abilities. More recently, Godzilla has often been embraced as a protector who resurfaces in response to large-scale weaponry or the potential threat of even bigger monsters. He’s appeared in dozens of films, has his own postage stamp, has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and in 2015 was named an official tourism ambassador for Tokyo’s Shinjuku ward, which he has flattened in several movies. Source: Hakai Magazine | Date Updated: May 27, 2021