--- description: A special residency certificate is going viral for Godzilla the new tourism ambassador for Shinjuku area of Tokyo Japan title: Godzilla Is Now an 'Official' Citizen of Japan image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt00b165906b311c7b/698852cd428a9e1ccfccd862/godzilla-ambassador-tourism-japan-tokyo.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Newsfeed](/tag/time-section-newsfeed/) ## Newsfeed Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Godzilla Is Now an 'Official' Citizen of Japan  by [Olivia B. Waxman](/author/olivia-b-waxman/)  ## Olivia B. Waxman Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Staff Writer Jun 3, 2015 4:21 PM CUT  Godzilla gets a sash of "Shinjuku-ward tourism ambassador" from the Kabuki-cho Shopping Area Promotion Association Chief Director Mototsugu Katagiri of Tokyo's Shinjuku-ward during its awards ceremony in Tokyo, April 9, 2015. Godzilla gets a sash of "Shinjuku-ward tourism ambassador" from the Kabuki-cho Shopping Area Promotion Association Chief Director Mototsugu Katagiri of Tokyo's Shinjuku-ward during its awards ceremony in Tokyo, April 9, 2015.Shizuo Kambayashi—AP  by [Olivia B. Waxman](/author/olivia-b-waxman/)  ## Olivia B. Waxman Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Staff Writer Jun 3, 2015 4:21 PM CUT A special residency certificate for Godzilla has been trending on Facebook after the fictional movie monster was recognized as a citizen of the Shinjuku area of Tokyo, Japan, in April. Copies of the papers were reportedly handed out to fans in the city late last month. According to [Rocket News 24](http://en.rocketnews24.com/2015/05/30/godzilla-gets-official-tokyo-residency-papers-copies-being-given-out-free-to-fans/ "undefined"), a blog that reports Japanese news in English, the special residency credentials note the character’s birth date as April 9, 1954, the year the first Godzilla movie came out. ([See the rest of the language here.](http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-32987622 "undefined")) A Godzilla head now reportedly soars 171-feet above ground at [Toho](http://www.tohoeiga.jp/eng/movie.html "undefined"), the movie studio that brought the famous creature to life. (h/t [BBC](http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-32987622 "undefined")) ### 10 Ground-Shaking Godzilla Movie Posters  Jim Viola  Shettini Figaro  Tyler Holman  Christian Omar De la Colina  Eric Franer  Robert Pevahouse  Sal Nieto  Joe Galvan  Caleb Voyles  Thomas Taylor ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3907245/godzilla-tourism-ambassador-japan/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3907245/godzilla-tourism-ambassador-japan/"},"headline":"Godzilla Is Now an 'Official' Citizen of Japan","datePublished":"2015-06-03T16:21:21.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-11T04:47:28.506Z","description":"The special resident will serve as a tourism ambassador","url":"https://time.com/3907245/godzilla-tourism-ambassador-japan/","keywords":["Newsfeed","World"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt00b165906b311c7b/698852cd428a9e1ccfccd862/godzilla-ambassador-tourism-japan-tokyo.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Olivia B. 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