On the small island of Odo in the Japanese archipelago locals tell of a great sea dragon inhabiting the waters off their sleepy shores. This ocean dwelling god was often blamed for shipwrecks and loss of fishing in the area. The legends became well known when in 1954 a giant reptile mutated by atomic radiation appeared on the island. Subsequently the creature was named after the legends. In the decades following the event tourists have often visited island to see where the titan first made itself known. Yet, despite the attention (and tourist money) the people of the island seek to separate the incident from the tales. Insisting that the beast of 1954’s namesake is very much a reality and that it still swims beneath the waves off shore.