Godzilla Officially Granted Japanese Citizenship, Appointed Shinjuku's Tourism Ambassador

Godzilla, the king of monsters, is now officially a Japanese citizen. Shinjuku, a special ward in Tokyo, has granted an honorary citizenship to the 61-year-old giant monster.

Shinjuku's people now have access to the official residency document of the neighborhood’s latest entrant.

It was, in fact, in April that Godzilla moved to the neighborhood after Toho Cinemas Kabukicho/Hotel Gracery Shinjuku entertainment complex, the production company behind "Godzilla" movies, opened up that month, according to A.V. Club. However, the paperwork for the monster's citizenship was finalized only last week, NEWS 96.5 reported.

The spotlight of the Toho complex is the full-scale Godzilla head jutting out from its rooftop terrace.

During a special ceremony in April, Godzilla was appointed as the tourism ambassador of Shinjuku. “Godzilla is a character that is the pride of Japan,” Shinjuku Mayor Kenichi Yoshizumi had reportedly said during the ceremony.

According to Godzilla's citizenship papers, cited by IGN entertainment website, the reason behind its special residency is “promoting the entertainment of and watching over the Kabuki-cho neighborhood and drawing visitors from around the globe in the form of the Godzilla head built atop the Shinjuku Toho Building.”

The town of Shinjuku has appeared thrice in "Godzilla" and has been flattened by the giant in the Toho movies.