Mechanic Profile: Kyūshū J7W1 Shinden (Godzilla Minus One)
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The Kyushu J7W1 Shinden mechanic profile is the 81st episode of Wikizilla's Kaiju Profiles video series. It was uploaded on April 1, 2025.
Video
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Transcript
The year is 1947, and Ginza lies in ruin—razed to the ground by a monster born from nuclear hellfire. With the Japanese government paralysed by inaction, assistance from the Allied occupation forces out of the question due to growing tensions with the Soviet Union, and the beast responsible sure to return before long, a civilian organisation of ex-soldiers and scientists band together to find a way to end the chaos. While the group puts their stock in a plan to destroy the behemoth by utilising the physics of compression and decompression, one man believes that it’s missing a crucial piece to ensure its success…
Greetings, kaiju fans. I’m Koopa, and today we’ll be taking a look at a real-life super-plane that had the power to take on Godzilla himself: the Kyūshū J7W1 Shinden!
Kyūshū J7W1 Shinden
Magnificent Lightning
Height: 3.92m
Wingspan: 11.11m
Length: 9.76m
Dead weight: 3465 kg
Engine: Mitsubishi MK9D, 18-cylinder, air-cooled radial, 2130 horsepower
Manufacturer: Kyūshū Hikoki K. K., Zasshonokuma
Spotlighted in 2023's "Godzilla Minus One," the Shinden plays a key role in the climactic Operation Wada Tsumi, luring the monster out to sea and ultimately delivering a finishing blow. Writer/director & VFX supervisor Takashi Yamazaki stated that his decision to feature the aircraft—alongside other famous contemporary Japanese military vehicles such as the warships Takao and Yukikaze—was because of both his interest in military history, and the fact that he hadn't yet depicted these particular vehicles in his previous WWII-era projects such as "The Eternal Zero" and "The Great War of Archimedes."
Background
In order to fully appreciate the Shinden's usage and portrayal in "Godzilla Minus One," there's real-world context a viewer must be privy to. As someone who's very passionate about aviation, I'm excited to share with all of you the fascinating true story of the Shinden!
With a name which in English translates to Magnificent Lightning, the Shinden immediately sets itself apart from the other fighter planes of World War II. Conceived in 1943 by Masayoshi Tsuruno, a member of the Imperial Japanese Navy’s technical staff, the Shinden was designed as a short-range, land-based interceptor that could rapidly climb to meet and counter squadrons of American B-29 Superfortress bombers, which proved to be a difficult target for Japanese aircraft due to their ability to conduct bombing raids at high altitude, out of reach of most fighter planes.
The most obvious difference between the Shinden and its contemporaries is its unusual shape; it features a pusher configuration, with the engine and propeller positioned behind the cockpit, swept wings instead of the straight wings common among piston-engined fighters of the era, and canards on either side of the nose, which served as the plane’s 'tail'... making it almost look as if the craft had been built backwards.
During the design process, Tsuruno believed that the Shinden could easily be modified to be equipped with a turbojet engine to further improve the aircraft’s performance (these would've been designated J7W2 Shindenkai), but this proposal never left the drawing board, and both prototypes were J7W1s utilizing the Mitsubishi Ha-43 radial engine instead. To test the feasibility of a canard-based fighter plane, the First Naval Air Technical Arsenal constructed a couple of gliders based on Tsuruno’s design, designated as the Yokosuka MXY6. Data gathered from these experimental airframes proved that the design could be realised, and so the process of building a working prototype for the Shinden commenced.
The two prototypes began construction in June 1944, and the first was completed by April 1945. The first finally commenced flight testing, with Tsuruno himself at the controls, on August 3, 1945. Over the course of each of its 15-minute flights, the plane was never flown at altitudes higher than 400 meters nor at speeds above 259 km/h (although, theoretically it could reach speeds of up to 750 km/h at 8000 meters).
While its trials were a success, Tsuruno's creation wasn’t perfect. During his time flying the plane, he noticed the Shinden had a tendency to pull to starboard due to the engine’s torque. In addition, the landing gear couldn’t be retracted, so the plane was flown with it extended on all three of its test flights. On one of the flights, Tsuruno raised the Shinden’s nose too early, causing the propeller to strike the ground and suffer damage - to prevent this from happening again, tailwheels were added to the plane’s rudders to protect the propeller in the event of a tailstrike. Nevertheless, it was believed that these issues could be rectified in time for the start of mass production. However, by the time the Shinden finally left the ground, it was simply too late for it to make any difference. The other two other test flights took place on the same days the atomic bombs fell.
With the war now at an end, the victorious Allies confiscated Japanese aircraft, including the two Shinden prototypes. While one of the prototypes was scrapped shortly after the end of the war, the other survived and was shipped to the United States, where it was evaluated by a US Navy Technical Air Intelligence Unit. In 1960, it was transferred to the Smithsonian Institution and placed into long-term storage at the Paul E. Garber Facility in Silver Hill, Maryland. The forward fuselage of the surviving prototype was put on display in 2016 at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia, where it remains to this day.
Production
In an interview translated into English for the "Minus One" companion booklet, visual effects director for the movie—Kiyoko Shibuya—stated that the team at Shirogumi created the Shinden's 3D model using data and material compiled by computer graphics artist Kiyoshi Harada, who had previously provided model data for the Mitsubishi A6M Zero fighters featured in Takashi Yamazaki’s 2013 film "The Eternal Zero." The Shinden was initially planned to be realised entirely through the use of CGI save for a practical cockpit interior; anything more than that would've been too costly. Luckily, a solution was found which allowed for the construction of a 1:1 scale model. Yamazaki explained, "[W]e were able to find a museum that was willing to purchase the prop after the film was made, which offset the production budget it would have taken to produce the plane in the first place.” The institution which offered to help finance the model was the Tachiarai Peace Memorial Museum in Chikuzen, Fukuoka Prefecture—a museum dedicated to the history of Japanese military aviation, with particular focus on the Second World War. Following the completion of principal photography, TOHO Studios anonymously donated the model to them, only revealing their role after Minus One had commenced its theatrical run. Data used in the creation of the 3D model was also used to aid in its production.
The scale model for the Shinden was built to a modular design, allowing for portions of it to be removed according to the requirements of a given scene; this included removable exterior panels to expose features such as the aircraft’s engine and fuel tanks, as well as the ability to remove entire sections of the model to make way for camera rigs for close-up and interior shots. To simulate banking and turning maneuvers, the Shinden model was attached to a rig that allowed it to be moved by hand, with several crew members standing on both sides of the Shinden to lift and tilt it. Scenes featuring the Shinden in its hangar were filmed on location at Kashima Naval Air Station in Miho, Ibaraki, using an actual surviving hangar that was part of the base during its use in World War II. During filming, care had to be taken to protect the model from accidental damage; it was "really unbalanced" according to art director Anri Jojo, and "would tip over" if it wasn’t weighted down. To rectify this, chains were attached to the model during its scenes on the ground to help support it.
As no operational examples of the Shinden’s Ha-43 radial engine had persisted into the present day, sound designer Natsuko Inoue found assistance from a surprising source: she was introduced to an individual who owned a 14-cylinder radial engine—one size smaller than the 18-cylinder set-up of the Ha-43, describing this fortunate occurrence as ‘a miracle.’
History
Godzilla Minus One (2023): Following Godzilla’s devastating raid on Ginza, preparations began for a plan to kill him using the effects of barotrauma. However, ex-kamikaze pilot Koichi Shikishima believed that he needed to sacrifice himself if the plan was to be successful, and asked Kenji Noda, the plan’s architect, if he could source him an aircraft to use. Although most of Japan’s aircraft had been confiscated by the Allies following the end of World War II, Noda was able to locate one. Nestled inside a neglected aircraft hangar which had been used as a warehouse sat a single Shinden, one of a small number built with the intention of fending off a US invasion of the mainland which never came to pass.
Although they now had a plane, it was in no state to fly; the two years it had spent sitting in the hangar had taken its toll, and it would require repairs to be made before it would be ready to use. Fortunately, Shikishima knew exactly who would be able to help repair the Shinden: Sosaku Tachibana, a former IJN mechanic and the only survivor of Godzilla’s attack on Odo Island other than himself. To find Tachibana, Shikishima wrote poison pen letters and mailed them to Tachibana’s comrades from his postings prior to Odo Island. Predictably, this drew Tachibana out, and he was furious. After… letting off some steam, Tachibana saw the Shinden for himself and agreed to repair it. The race to make the Shinden airworthy was on. During the restoration work, Tachibana removed two of the Shinden’s Type 5 cannons and one of its fuel tanks to make way for two internally-mounted bombs, which Shikishima planned to use to destroy Godzilla at the cost of his own life.
Finally, the day of the operation arrived. After arriving at the hangar, Shikishima was shown the lever to arm the bombs by Tachibana, who also revealed an additional modification he had installed; a German ejector seat, which he urged Shikishima to use instead of sacrificing himself. With Godzilla making landfall ahead of schedule, Shikishima climbed inside, and took to the air to confront him. As Godzilla began walking inland, intent on continuing his rampage, Shikishima irritated him with the Shinden’s two remaining cannons, then dodged the monster’s attempts at knocking the plane out of the sky. The Shinden then flew towards Sagami Bay, where the ships taking part in Operation Wada Tsumi were waiting, luring Godzilla back to the sea.
Once Godzilla entered Sagami Bay, he continued to follow the Shinden towards the ships, breaking contact with it briefly to attack two unmanned destroyers that were employed as bait. While the Yukikaze and Hibiki circled Godzilla to attach cables equipped with Freon tanks and balloons to him, Shikishima kept the monster busy by carrying out close passes and dives, firing on the monster repeatedly to prevent him from trying to destroy the ships.
After Godzilla was successfully sent into the depths of the Sagami Trough, then hauled back to the surface, the effects of the onslaught of compression and decompression were apparent, but the damage inflicted wasn’t enough to kill him; Godzilla had survived, albeit in a horrific state of mutilation. Immediately, he began charging up his Heat Ray. Shikishima took the Shinden on a rapid dive, before levelling out above the surface of the water. Shikishima armed the bombs and activated the ejector seat, launching himself from the Shinden less than a second before it crashed head-long into Godzilla’s mouth. A few moments later, the bomb exploded, blowing the top of Godzilla’s head clean off, and his body fell apart.
With the operation a resounding victory, Shikishima parachuted to safety. Thereafter, he—along with the others who took part in the operation—returned to port, where a jubilant crowd awaited.
Capabilities and Weapons
Flight Properties: The Shinden boasted a theoretical top speed of 750 km/h at 8000 meters and a cruising speed of about 430 km/h at 4000 meters. Storyboards indicate that the latter is the speed it predominantly flew at during the events of the movie, although at significantly lower altitudes. With Shikishima at the controls, this nimble plane was easily able to evade Godzilla’s close-range attempts at downing it. When Godzilla made landfall ahead of schedule, the Shinden’s impressive speed allowed it to reach the monster quickly and lure him back out to sea.
Type 5 cannons: The Shinden is equipped with four Type 5 cannons mounted just behind and above its nose, two of which were removed by Tachibana. While these 30mm caliber autocannons didn’t appear to be effective against Godzilla, they proved annoying enough to draw his ire. Additionally, the Shinden’s cannons served as a distraction during the second phase of Operation Wada Tsumi.
Bombs: As part of Tachibana’s modifications to the Shinden, he installed two bombs into the aircraft’s nose, removing two of the four Type 5 cannons and a fuel tank to make space for them. These bombs were connected to a lever installed in the cockpit to arm their fuses. They destroyed Godzilla's head upon detonation.
Ejector Seat: During the repair work carried out by Tachibana, he sourced and installed a German-made compressed-air ejector seat, which Shikishima used to escape the aircraft a split second before it crashed into Godzilla’s mouth. To heighten the suspense, the film cuts away just before Tachibana can explain the ejector seat to Shikishima, only revealing what he said via flashback after Shikishima uses it. Viewers fluent in German, however, may have ended up spoiling themselves.
Trivia
Godzilla Busters: In destroying Godzilla’s body, the Shinden joins an elite club of real aircraft which have "defeated" the Big G. The most famous examples are, of course, the three McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornets in the 1998 TriStar film—which killed Godzilla using twelve air-to-ground missiles on the Brooklyn Bridge. Additionally, the Mitsubishi F-86 Sabres in “Godzilla Raids Again" trapped Godzilla in ice until the events of "King Kong vs. Godzilla" by collapsing Kamiko Island’s glacier on top of him with the use of airstrikes.
Games & merch: The Shinden joined "Godzilla: Battle Line" in December 2023 as a 2-cost aerial unit. In a metagame dominated by 4-stars, the 3-star Shinden is relied upon by some for its Compel effect—distracting enemy units capable of hitting flying targets, thus creating an opening for your own units to damage the distracted foe without retaliation. Its attack nullification ability lets it negate damage for a couple of hits (with exceptions such as Guiron), though this can be bypassed quicker by units with consecutive attacks or by being targeted by multiple foes at once. The Shinden was also part of a collaboration with the mobile game "Fleet of Blue Flames" alongside the ships Takao, Yukikaze, Akagi and Yamato.
As for merchandise …— though a number of model kits of the aircraft have been produced over the years, a 1:48 scale kit by Hasegawa released around Christmas 2023 was explicitly a tie-in with "Godzilla Minus One." Then in August 2024, Tamashii Nations revealed an exclusive radiation heat ray S.H. MonsterArts Godzilla (2023), which came with a very tiny little Shinden accessory. How adorable...
About Those Ejector Seats…: While the Shinden itself is an example of “Minus One”’s alternate history elements, having multiple prototypes built and fully weaponized as opposed to the two in real life, an additional alternate history angle can be found in its ejection seat (added at the request of Yamazaki for purpose of the story). Dialogue by Kenji Noda during the introductory meeting for Operation Wada Tsumi implies that aircraft manufacturers during the war intentionally built aircraft without ejector seats, citing it as an example of Japan ‘treating life far too cheaply’; in reality, ejector seats were a very new invention during World War II. While experimental ejector seats had been tested earlier in the 20th century, it wasn’t until 1943—well after the war had began—that the technology began to be mass-produced, being installed on three German-made aircraft - which were only manufactured in small quantities, as like Japan, Germany was also hit by supply chain shortages in the latter half of the war. The Allied Nations also didn’t employ ejector seats in their aircraft during World War II, only implementing them in the latter half of the 1940s, when the introduction and rapid development of jet aircraft made ejector seats a necessity.
Smithsonian Treasure: The Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, home to the second Shinden prototype, is also famous for its massive collection of air and spacecraft from across the history of aviation, and essentially serves as a second site for the National Air and Space Museum, housing objects that the main museum lacks sufficient room for. The Shinden sits in a section of the museum dedicated to World War II aviation - with aircraft from both the Allies and Axis Powers - including several airframes which are the sole examples of their type left. Also, situated just a handful of metres away from these aircraft is none other than Enola Gay, the B-29 Superfortress which dropped the Little Boy nuclear bomb on Hiroshima. Though merely a coincidence, it's fitting that the most famous of all B-29s happens to be in the same museum as the fighter which had been designed with the express purpose to target it. These are not the only aircraft in the museum which should be familiar to Godzilla fans; among the ones that stand out are a North American F-86 Sabre—the original American version of the Mitsubishi F-86 Sabres frequently fielded by the Defense Force in the Showa era, a Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star similar to the ones used to bury Godzilla in ice in "Raids Again", a McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet of the Blue Angels aerobatic team—the same type of fighter jet that took down the 1998 Godzilla, a General Atomics MQ-1 Predator—the same type of drone as one of two models operated by the USAF during Operation Yashiori in Shin Godzilla—and a Lockheed Martin X-35B Joint Strike Fighter—the concept demonstrator Lockheed Martin produced for the F-35B as part of the Joint Strike Fighter program. The closely-related F-35 Lightning IIs have appeared extensively as part of both the U.S. Navy and Monarch’s inventory in the Monsterverse films.
Well, that about wraps things up for the Shinden. Thank you so much for watching all the way to the end of the video! Take care.
