TokyoScope NEWS: Celebrate Godzilla's 70th Birthday with a Box of Traditional Japanese New Years Food!
A round up of recent Japanese pop culture headlines and ephemera
2024 is set to be a big year for the giant monster known as Godzilla. That’s because the Lizard King is celebrating his 70th anniversary as a cinematic icon, beloved the world over by people with incredibly good taste in movies. The first Godzilla film initially debuted in Japan way back in 1954, and with the upcoming release of Godzilla: Minus One scheduled for Winter 2023, there will be 33 Japanese Godzilla films in total to watch and worship one frame at a time (yes, even Godzilla’s Revenge).
Such a momentous occasion requires some suitably ostentatious merchandise, and die-hard Godzilla fans with deep pockets can celebrate the moment the clock ticks down to the King of the Monsters' birthday with a special box of traditional Japanese foods (aka osechi), packed with Big G-themed goodies.
Available now for pre-order from DeAgostini Japan, the Godzilla Osechi 2024 Box is limited to 300 sets. You can pick up the regular version of the box for 31,000 yen (about US$214), but real fans will want to invest 38,800 yen (think: US$267) in the deluxe version, as it comes with a special figure of everyone's favorite radioactive giant lizard as he appeared in his 1954 debut (as seen below) created by master toy makers Cast Co., Ltd.
The special wooden box is also crammed to the gills with items guaranteed to provide at least a few moments of amusement on New Years Day, including Godzilla trading cards, New Years Day cards, and a 70th anniversary poster suitable for framing and interior decorating.
But a Japanese osechi box is only as good as the tender vittles inside it, and Deagostini Japan has hedged their bets by employing a traditional food manufacturer located in Toyonaka City, Osaka Prefecture. They’ve come up with 40 edible items in total for the box, inspired directly by the kaiju creations seen in Godzilla films. Feast on items that sort of, kind of resemble Mothra’s wings, King Ghidorah’s heads, or Godzilla’s oversized foot.
Then, relax and watch bad TV shows, and pass out under a warm kotatsu. Rest up. As the New Year begins, Godzilla’s 70th birthday party has only just started.
Official website: Godzilla Osechi 2024 Box
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