Godzilla isn’t the only giant fella to adorn a building in Tokyo. You’ll also find a giant gorilla if you know where to look. And we do…
As you walk down the cute high street of Sangenjaya in Tokyo, you can be distracted by a few things – there’s a music store with a piano outside, a cute fabric shop where the rolls of cloth dwarf the serving staff, and a lot of bars, restaurants and bakeries – but, once you get to the star of the street there’s no distraction. It’s huge.
Located on the right-hand side of the road you’re walking north, the Family Mart convenience store is topped by the figure of a giant gorilla with a woman in its hand, in the style of King Kong, in one of his most famous moments.
Why is the “Gorilla Building” here?
No one officially remembers.
The gorilla arrived in 1979. One theory is that it was to draw people into the shopping street that leads to him – which is still full of cute, local shops today; others suggest it was a homage to the King Kong vs Godzilla films loved in Japan in the 1960s, but here he is, and here he stays.
So, if you want to find him on our trip, how do you get here?
How to Reach the Sangenjaya Gorilla from Central Tokyo
The easiest option is by train. Catch the Tokyu Den-en Toshi Line to Sangenjaya Station.
Make your way to Exit A and then walk down Chazawa Dori.
It’s about a seven-minute walk – assuming you don’t nip into any shops or buy yourself a cake.
It’s marked on google maps as the Gorilla Building – don’t type in Family Mart, there are a lot of them around!
When you arrive, make sure you walk along the front of the building, as there’s another small gorilla over the door.
Exploring Sangenjaya
I haven’t spent nearly enough time in Sangenjaya, it’s a cool neighborhood, but two of the things you should make time to check out are Sankaku Chitai a network of narrow alleys filled with cozy bars, eateries, and shops.
If you watched the TV show The Reluctant Traveler with Eugene Levy, the bar he went to is in this area, It’s called Izakaya Hoshigumi.
Also, look for the Carrot Tower, a skyscraper with an observation deck providing panoramic views of Tokyo.
So, that’s how you get to the Gorilla Building. Say hi from me.