Ogasawara Islands
The Ogasawara Islands (小笠原諸島 Ogasawara Shotō), also referred to as the Bonin Islands, is a Japanese archipelago chain. It lies to the south of mainland Japan and to the northwest of the island of Guam, and has a total surface area of 84 square kilometers. Multiple Godzilla films, including Destroy All Monsters, Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack, and Godzilla: Tokyo SOS, have featured the Ogasawara Islands or locations within the island chain.
History
- Destroy All Monsters (1968)
- Submersion of Japan (1973)
- Terror of Mechagodzilla (1975)
- Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II (1992)
- Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack (2001)
- Godzilla: Tokyo SOS (2003)
- Godzilla Minus One (2023)
Showa era
Destroy All Monsters
An island in the Ogasawara Islands was established as Monsterland, where all of Earth's monsters were detained for the safety of mankind. An underground base was built in the island so that the United Nations Science Committee could study the beasts. Towards the close of the 20th century, the Kilaak attacked the island, taking control of the kaiju and the staff on the island, before setting the monsters loose on the world's nations. The crew of the Moonlight SY-3 arrived on the island to investigate it, discovering the Kilaak invasion plan, before they were attacked by the brainwashed crew on the island and forced to retreat. After the humans discovered how to control the monsters themselves, they overcame King Ghidorah. The Kilaaks' final weapon, the Fire Dragon, retaliated with a raid on the island that destroyed the building housing the control room for the containment devices. Shortly after Godzilla destroyed the Kilaaks' base, the Moonlight SY-3 engaged the Fire Dragon in battle and destroyed it. With the Earth saved once again, the monsters returned to Monsterland to live in peace.
Submersion of Japan
Earth physicist Dr. Tadokoro, having observed some concerning seismic activity, traveled to the bottom of the ocean off the coast of the Ogasawara Islands in the submarine Wadatsumi with Toshio Onodera to investigate the source, heading for the intersection of the Ogasawara Trench and the Japan Trench.
Terror of Mechagodzilla
Dr. Shinzo Mafune first discovered Titanosaurus on the seafloor near the Ogasawara Islands, where it had been living prior.
Heisei era
Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II
As part of G-Force's "G-Crusher" plan, Godzilla was to be lured to the Ogasawara Islands where Mechagodzilla would defeat him, using BabyGodzilla as bait. This plan was foiled by Rodan, revitalized in his Fire Rodan form, who intercepted the Kawasaki CH-47J Chinook transporting BabyGodzilla and Azusa Gojo before it could reach its destination.
Millennium era
Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack
In the midst of a typhoon, Godzilla surfaced on Magonoté Island in the Ogasawara Islands, and devastated the village there. Following this, the Japanese Defense Force issued a security bulletin to all Japanese coastal cities. The Defense Force also scrambled the Aizu to patrol the waters of the Ogasawara Islands, but they were unsuccessful in spotting the God of Destruction even after three days searching.
Godzilla: Tokyo SOS
On Himago Island, the Shobijin Hio and Mana sang to Mothra's egg, which laid within a volcano. After a stray blast of Godzilla's atomic breath hit Mothra, the two larvae within the egg hatched and took to the seas, heading for Tokyo to aid their mother against Godzilla.
Reiwa era
Godzilla Minus One
In May 1947, the minesweepers Shinseimaru and Kaishinmaru were deployed near the Ogasawara Islands, where they found a capsized American Liberty ship. The two boats were tasked with delaying Godzilla's advance towards Japan until the cruiser Takao could arrive from Singapore, having been returned to Japan to respond to the crisis. Their orders suggested that they use the mines that they recovered as weapons and forbade them from telling anyone else about the mission. Godzilla soon dragged the Kaishinmaru underwater and chased the Shinseimaru until the monster was temporarily incapacitated by a sea mine detonated inside his mouth. The Takao arrived in time to save the Shinseimaru's crew, but Godzilla destroyed the warship with a blast of atomic breath before continuing towards Japan.
Books
- GODZILLA: Project Mechagodzilla (2018)
- Godzilla Minus One (2023)
GODZILLA: Project Mechagodzilla
Titanosaurus was discovered in the Ogasawara Islands, and the United Earth captured two specimens. The island chain was also the center of the United Earth's research project "Operation: LTF," in which they controlled the Titanosaurus and attempted to make them fight each other.
Godzilla Minus One
The encounter between the Shinseimaru and Godzilla, along with Godzilla's clash with the Takao, are recounted in the novelization. It is mentioned that Godzilla's atomic breath was potent enough to sublime the metal composing the Takao.
See also
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