Now, we’re pretty sure that the mighty and terrible Godzilla hardly needs an introduction — he’s probably one of the most famous creations to come out of Japan. And the new Hollywood movie featuring a larger than ever before seen version of the monster, which was released late last month in Japan, seems to have gotten off to a good start here, having secured the number-one spot in the box office in its opening week.
It also happens that 2014 is quite a special year for Godzilla, as it marks the 60th anniversary since his very first movie came out from Toho in 1954. And now, to commemorate the celebrity monster’s 60th birthday, Toho has collaborated with renowned German stuffed toy maker Steiff to create a version of Godzilla quite unlike anything we’ve seen before — Yes, it’s the special edition 60th anniversary stuffed Steiff Godzilla, and what’s more, we got to take a look at the actual doll in advance of its sale!
Sure, this stuffed Godzilla may not be made of gold, but we certainly expected him to look precious, since Steiff is known for their expert craftsmanship. They’re now taking pre-orders for the doll, and the actual product won’t become available for several months, but when we heard that one of them was being displayed at the Shinjuku Isetan Department for a limited time, we couldn’t resist heading to the store to get a peek!
▼Here he is on display at Shinjuku Isetan. Standing 50cm (approx 19.5 in) tall, he isn’t exactly gigantic, but he has a definite presence.
▼See him standing tall and proud on the white display stand.
▼The sign placed by the doll explains that the doll is the result of a collaboration between stuffed toy manufacturer Steiff and Toho, and that the timing of the display was arranged to coincide with the release of the movie here in Japan on July 25.
▼A close-up look at Godzilla’s fierce yet somehow lovable face — yes, he’s fuzzy, and he’s a lovely light-chocolatey color.
▼Here’s a promotional flyer of the doll that was available next to the display. This is the front …
▼… and this is the back. We have to say, he looks pretty cool for a gigantic irradiated sea monster.
When we first heard about this collaboration, we have to say that we did have a slight moment of doubt about the fearsome Godzilla looking fuzzy and cute. But it appears the beast has more than risen to the task, having turned himself into quite an adorable furry toy.
Now, as cute as he may be, this stuffed Godzilla is a masterfully created Steiff product, which means he’s bound to come with, shall we say, a significant price tag. Yes, the fuzzy little fella is priced at 51,300 yen (US$500), but being such an obvious collector’s item for Steiff and Godzilla fans alike, the doll has been so well received that pre-orders for the first batch set to come out in November have already sold out, and they’re now taking advance orders for the next shipment which will become available in December. Well, it is a limited edition after all, as they’re producing just 1,954 dolls in honor of Godzilla’s birth year, and you have to admit he’s a beautiful piece of work, even if he doesn’t have moveable joints.
Unfortunately, August 5, which is when we went to see the Steiff Godzilla at Shinjuku Isetan, was the last day he was being displayed, so you can no longer see him there, but you can enjoy detailed pictures of the doll on the Steiff website, which do quite a good job of giving you an idea of what he actually looks like.
▼We’ll leave with you pictures from the official website, so that you can take a close look at the doll from different angles. Enjoy!
▼Definitely a cool profile there!
▼We love the spikes on his back!
▼He may be fuzzy, but we think he still looks awesome, including the details of his face!
Reference: Steiff Japan website (Japanese)
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Top image: Steiff Japan website