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Godzilla Minus One
 Work In Progress This article is still under construction. It may contain factual errors. See Talk:Godzilla Minus One for current discussions. Content is subject to change. |
  Unidentified This article currently has one or more unidentified weapons. |
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Godzilla Minus One (Japanese: ゴジラ-1.0; Gojira Mainasu Wan) is the 2023 installment of Toho's long-running Godzilla franchise, written and directed by Takashi Yamazaki. It is the 37th film in the franchise and the the 33rd film by Toho.
The film takes place in 1947, two years after the end of the Second World War and the defeat of Japan. As former Imperial Navy aviator Kōichi Shikishima (Ryunosuke Kamiki) tries to rebuild his life and move on from his experiences during the war, Japan is beset by a new crisis: a massive, mutated creature known as Godzilla that is wreaking havoc at sea and has set its sights on mainland Japan, threatening to bring the down-to-zero nation into the negatives (hence the title of the film).
The movie was a box office success in Japan and overseas. It was awarded the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects at the 96th Academy Awards in 2024, making it the first Godzilla movie to be nominated for and to win an Oscar. The film also received a limited black-and-white release entitled Godzilla Minus One/Minus Color.
The following weapons were used in the film Godzilla Minus One:
Rifles
Type 99 rifle
In the prologue, the maintenance personnel on Odo Island attempt to defend themselves against Godzilla with Arisaka Type 99s, which prove completely ineffective. It's worth noting that while the rifles are shown to have zero effect on the creature, this isn't accomplished by giving the rifles weak muzzle flash or sound effects. To the contrary, their muzzle flashes are blindingly bright and gunshots are very loud and punchy, thematically making Godzilla seem unstoppably powerful without making the humans and their tech feel unimpressive (as tends to be common in monster films).
M1 Garand
Period footage of General Douglas MacArthur features US servicemen holding M1 Garand rifles in the background.
Machine Guns
Type 97 aircraft machine gun
The A6M5a Reisen fighter flown by Shikishima in the prologue is armed with a pair of Type 97 aircraft machine guns above the engine.
Type 97 tank machine gun
Several Chi-To tanks are seen attempting to drive Godzilla out of Ginza. In addition to their Type 5 75mm main cannon, each tank is also equipped with a Type 97 tank machine gun in the hull. Like the Shinden, the Chi-To was developed very late in the war and intended for the defense of the home islands, but extremely few were produced.
Type 93 heavy machine gun
The minesweeper Shinsei Maru is equipped with a single Type 93 heavy machine gun, used to detonate mines once they're brought to the surface. Their fellow minesweeping boat Kaishin Maru is also armed with a single Type 93, as is a boat of similar size (Kuroshio 12) seen later in the film. The weapon is correctly referred to as being 13mm in dialogue.
Cannons
Type 99 Mark 2 Model 4 cannon
Kōichi's A6M appears to specifically be an A6M5a variant, and as such has a pair of Type 99 Mark 2 Model 4 cannons in the wings; this was the first Type 99 variant to be belt-fed. Tachibana urges Shikishima to get in his parked fighter and blast the monster with the cannons as it walks in front, however Shikishima, paralyzed with fear, is unable to open fire. The cannons are referred to by calibre in dialogue, with Tachibana noting that the 20mm cannons should be far more effective than their rifles.
Type 5 cannon
The J7W1 Shinden interceptor is armed with four Type 5 cannons in the nose; the upper two cannons are removed from the aircraft in preparation for the battle. The weapons are again referred to by calibre (30mm) in dialogue, as well as correctly noting their capacity of 60 rounds per gun. The J7W was an experimental defense fighter which first flew only days before the atomic bombs were dropped. Only two were built in reality (with one preserved today) though in this universe it's implied that a small handful were produced before war's end, retained for defense of the home islands. A full-scale replica Shinden was built for the film, its high detail extending to the cockpit as well as internal components such as the engine and cannons. This replica now lives at the Tachiarai Peace Memorial Museum.
20mm/70 Mark 4
The damaged and adrift Liberty-class cargo ship is armed with eight 20mm/70 Mark 4 cannons, the American development of the Oerlikon SS. The Liberty ship also features a pair of deck guns, one each at the bow and stern; specific IDs of such guns are difficult as a variety of surplus was used for these emergency wartime ships.
Balao-class submarine USS Redfish is mentioned as part of a War Office video briefing on the newly-mutated Godzilla's attacks on US Navy ships. The sub's gun armament consists of a 4"/50 Mark 9 deck gun and two 20mm/70 Mark 4 cannons. Redfish observed and photographed the monster, engaged it, and was sunk; the visual depicting the damage to the sub is taken the real world damage report for her sister sub USS Tang.
Type 96 cannon
In terms of lighter AA, Takao also mounts several twin Type 96 cannons. Takao is noted as returning from Singapore, given back to Japan as a means of defending against Godzilla, rather than being scuttled (as historically happened).
12cm/45 Type 10
Ukuru-class frigate Ikuno has a close encounter with Godzilla when the monster swims under her on its way to Tokyo. Although functionally disarmed like all Japanese ships after the war, she retains her forward 12cm/45 Type 10 cannon, albeit with the barrel cut off.
12.7cm/40 Type 89
In addition to her primary armament of ten 20cm/50 3rd Year Type No.2 cannons (actually 20.3cm) in five twin turrets, heavy cruiser Takao features four twin 12.7cm/40 Type 89 cannons for long range anti-air work.
Operation Wada Tsumi destroyers
The named Japanese ships which appear in the film, Takao, the four destroyers (Yukikaze, Hibiki, Yuukaze, Keyaki), Ikuno, and the Sokuten-class minelayer Katashima were all among the few IJN ships to survive the war in reality, thus their appearances are very much appropriate; this is also true of the half-dozen No.13-class subchasers and the No.101-class landing ship. Japan's warships were disarmed after the war, with their lighter mounts removed and their main armament either removed or simply left in place with the barrels cut off. As they essentially always appear together, the destroyer quartet will be noted here in one entry. All of these destroyers were previously armed with varying numbers of Type 96 cannons and/or Type 93 machine guns, though all have been completely removed.
Kagerou-class destroyer Yukikaze retains her forward turret, its two 12.7cm/50 3rd Year Type cannons left in place with the barrels cut off at the forward edge of the turret. Akatsuki-class destroyer Hibiki also retains her turrets, originally armed with the same guns, though it appears hers were removed entirely. Minekaze-class destroyer Yuukaze was armed with four single 12cm/45 3rd Year Type cannons, however these have been removed. Matsu-class destroyer Keyaki retains her single forward 12.7cm/40 Type 89 mount, with the gun's barrel cut off; this is the same gun type fitted as twin AA mounts on the Takao-class.
