KING KONG VS. GODZILLA FILMING LOCATIONS! A New Look at Some Classic Scenes!

Akabanedai Danchi, the site of the exterior shots of the apartment in King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962). Photo by Brett Homenick.

Recently, diligent Japanese Godzilla fans have identified Akabanedai Danchi as the filming location for the exterior shots of Fumiko's apartment used in Toho's King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962). Akabanedai Danchi is an apartment complex near Akabane Station. Although it's difficult to identify which particular area was used in the film with certainty, any of the complex's buildings from #2-8 would be good candidates.

I found the apartment complex very easily, and even though I was expecting a 10-minute to the area, it seemed closer to five minutes.

The Big O Ferris wheel at Tokyo Dome City, the successor to Korakuen Amusement Park, which is featured in the movie. Photo by Brett Homenick.

The location now known as Tokyo Dome City (in Bunkyo, Tokyo) is site to several notable locations from King Kong vs. Godzilla. When Kong snatches Fumiko from the train, several rides and attractions (including a Ferris wheel) can be seen in the background. At the time, this place was called Korakuen Amusement Park, though it is now Tokyo Dome City.

The famed Kodokan Judo Institute, which Kong clobbered back in 1962. Photo by Brett Homenick.

During Kong's rampage on Tokyo, the beast suddenly stops and punches a gaping hole through a building. That building is the Kodokan Judo Institute (the building on the right in the above photo). Of course, given that it's a celebrated judo school, many Japanese fans have speculated that the attack on the Kodokan was a deliberate in-joke by the filmmakers, signaling the beginning of the series' descent into "monster wrestling."

Elevated train tracks for the Marunouchi Line, the spot from which Kong picked up the train to grab Fumiko. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Right next to the Kodokan are the elevated train tracks that Kong wrecked in the film. Given the close proximity these locations have to one another, it's a convenient way to check out several Godzilla locations in one shot.

I plan to do more location searches in the future, so stay tuned for more cool filming spots!