GODZILLA vs. GOJIRA, Atomic Fishing Boat Horror, Cannibal Rats & Giant Turtles, Could Real Kaiju Exist?

From The Stories We Tell in the Dark by Anywhere But Hollywood

September 17, 2025 · 26 min

About this episode

Adam explores the dark origins of Japan's most iconic monsters, linking them to real-life events and folklore.

What do radioactive fallout, cannibal rats, and a flying turtle have in common? In this episode, Adam explores the dark origins of Japan's most iconic monsters. From the real-life 1954 Lucky Dragon incident - sometimes called the "third atomic bombing" - to the scrapped rat-horror film that accidentally gave birth to Gamera, it's a wild ride through film, folklore, and Cold War fear. Plus: just how big could a real kaiju actually get? Topics include: Godzilla's link to post-war trauma and Shinto beliefs The Lucky Dragon #5 nuclear disaster How a failed giant rat movie led to Gamera Could a real giant monster actually exist? A monster-sized mix of pop culture, science, and the strange stories we tell in the dark. Movies mentioned: Gojira (1954) Godzilla (1956) King Kong (1933) Godzilla Raids Again King Kong Vs. Godzilla Rodan Mothra Them! Tarantula The Day the Earth Stood Still It Came from Beneath the Sea Beast from 20,000 Fathoms Gamera (1965) Giant Horde Beast Nezura (unmade)

People in this episode

Host: Adam

Topics covered

Godzilla
Japanese monsters
Cold War
nuclear disaster
film history
folklore
kaiju

Keywords

Godzilla
Gojira
kaiju
nuclear disaster
cannibal rats
film history
Japanese folklore

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: GODZILLA vs. GOJIRA, Gojira (1954), Godzilla (1956), King Kong (1933), Godzilla Raids Again, King Kong Vs. Godzilla, Rodan, Mothra, Them!, Tarantula