Lake Motosu (a.k.a. Motosuko) in Yamanashi Prefecture was the filming location for the opening scenes of Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973). Photo by Brett Homenick.
One of the most recognizable locations in the entire Godzilla series is the lake at the beginning of
Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973). The Seatopians drain the lake in order to allow Megalon to rise to the surface and exact revenge on Japan.
In the film itself, the body of water is given the fictitious name Lake Kiriyama. In reality, the filming location was Lake Motosu (a.k.a. Motosuko), one of the Fuji Five Lakes. Situated in Yamanashi Prefecture, it stands in the shadow of Mt. Fuji, although Fuji-san is never visible in
Godzilla vs. Megalon.
Mt. Fuji begins to emerge from the clouds. Photo by Brett Homenick.
As you can plainly tell by the photos, I went on a cloudy day, making a clear view of the lake (and especially Mt. Fuji in the distance) rather difficult at times. Even though it sprinkled on occasion, it never rained, so I guess I should be thankful for that.
Lake Motosu is rather inaccessible by rail, so travelers who wish to visit the lake should take a highway bus from Shinjuku Station. The trip is about two and a half hours one way, so it will take a large chunk of your day to see it. It's a beautiful lake, and the filming location is iconic (in my opinion, of course), but your mileage may vary.
I still think it would be cooler to ride on some plastic dolphins. Photo by Brett Homenick.
For just under 1,000 yen, visitors can take a boat ride out over the lake, which gives you a great view of Mt. Fuji. Thankfully, while out on the boat, the clouds parted just enough to get a glimpse of the mountain. Other than that, the sky was completely opaque when I was there.
I am happy to report that there were no signs of Seatopians, and at no time did the water levels go down. I suppose Lake Motosu will be a safe haven for Godzilla fans interested in checking out locations from the coolest Godzilla films.
