In the spirit of peace that Japan has held in esteem for decades now, the Shinjuku ward officially granted special residency to Godzilla. Perhaps the most iconic kaiju that wreaked havoc in Tokyo, Godzilla has appeared in a number of media franchise, including movies, comics, and video games. The documents sealing the recognition were finally printed in the last week of May, more than a month after the fictitious giant monster was presented with a sash acknowledging its citizenship in April, Time reported.

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As if to mark its birth anniversary, the awarding ceremony was held in Tokyo on April 9, exactly 61 years after the first Godzilla movie was released in April 9, 1954. A colossal replica of Godzilla's head can be seen towering from the top of Toho Cinemas, the film studio that made the first movie possible. Aside from becoming a recognized local, the mutant reptile will also serve as a tourism ambassador for Shinjuku.

"Godzilla is a character that is the pride of Japan," said Shinjuku ward Mayor Kenichi Yoshizumi as quoted by People.

According to CNET, the residency papers of Godzilla elaborates on why the giant monster was declared a citizen. Two reasons noted were its role to promote Shinjuku tourism to the world and to "watch over the Kabuki-cho neighborhood." The documents also registered the official birth date of the city smasher.

Over 3,000 reproduction of the official documents were distributed to local fans. These proud neighbors posted their copies of the residency certificate, especially on social media. In a report by People, the giant monster is so revered by its neighborhood that even Hiroshi Ohnishi, chief executive of the Isetan-Mitsukoshi department store chain, addresses Godzilla with "sama," a high honorific in the Japanese language. 

In 2016, Toho is set to release its own reboot of the film, following the Hollywood remake by Gareth Edwards in 2014. In an article by Geek, the 28 productions by Toho depicted Godzilla as either fighting other monsters to defend humans or being fought against by the military. 

Aside from its Shinjuku neighbors, many Japanese and non-Japanese fans took to Twitter their warmest welcome for the "King of Monsters." BBC even quoted one saying "Welcome to Tokyo! We forgive you for destroying our city previously." 

TagsGodzilla, Tokyo, Shinjuku Ward