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Saga Prefecture Water Dam Turned Into Giant Canvas For Godzilla Mural
posted on by Ken Iikura-Gross
The Japanese branch of German pressure washer company Karcher created a Godzilla mural at the Iwayagawauchi Dam in Saga Prefecture. Karcher presented the mural on November 22 as part of the prefecture's "Sagaprise" tourism project. The company began planning for the mural as early as July, before it started "painting" it on November 4.
Karcher Japan's X (formerly Twitter) account noted that the mural was created by pressure washing the dam, and that natural conditions will determine how long it stays on display.
ゴジラ対（つい）サガ 『ゴジラ in 佐賀 ダムアートプロジェクト Powered by ケルヒャー』 佐賀県のダムに超巨大な「ゴジラ」が出現！ 今年50周年を迎える岩屋川内ダムをキャンバスに、壮大なダムアートが遂に完成🎉… pic.twitter.com/Nmj766l80W
— ケルヒャー ジャパン (@KarcherJapan) November 22, 2024
Godzilla vs. Saga "Godzilla in Saga Dam Art Project Powered by Karcher". A giant Godzilla appears at a dam in Saga Prefecture! A magnificent piece of dam art has finally been completed on the canvas of the Iwayagawauchi Dam, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year.🎉
The project, which began on Monday, November 4, involved cleaning the dam itself to create a magnificent Godzilla mural. It took about four months of preparation, including detailed pre-planning and a cleaning process carried out by a total of seven people, before the dam art was completed on Friday, November 22.🙌
The most important aspect of creating dam art is to faithfully reproduce the design on the wall of a massive dam. In order to express the finer details of Godzilla than any previous designs created overseas, attention was paid to precise point markings, line-drawing, and a delicate and dynamic washing process, making the most of the dam's characteristics to create an impressive Godzilla that looks as if it is about to move.
Because it is an art piece that utilizes the natural environment, the ability to see the dam art depends on natural conditions. Why not visit Iwayagawauchi Dam to see the artwork that can only be seen now?✨
A press release by Karcher Japan details the creation process of the mural in three steps: surveying, point-marking and line-drawing, and cleaning. A team of seven placed nearly 2,400 point markers before pressure-washing the mural into existence. The press release has more photos of the creation.
Saga Prefecture announced the "Sagaprise" project on October 30 and revealed Godzilla as the “Saga Prefecture Shaped Tourism Ambassador” due to the prefecture's silhouette looking (sort of) like the iconic movie monster. Along with the mural, the top floor of the Prefectural Office will host a Godzilla visual and display panels outlining Godzilla's 70-year history, and the 2024 Saga International Ballon Fiesta will hold a meet and greet with Godzilla. The prefecture will hand out a limited Iwayagawauchi Dam “Godzilla vs. Saga” dam card and hosr a digital stamp rally, a public transit IC card rally, and the sale of limited-edition merchandise. The Prefectural Office display, digital stamp rally, and IC card rally end on January 26.
Sources: Karcher Japan's X/Twitter account, Karcher Japan's website, Saga Prefecture's website, Sagaprise's website via Hachima Kikō
