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'''''Kaiju''''' (怪獣) is a [[Japanese]] word meaning "weird beast" or simply "monster". The word ''daikaiju'' indicates a giant monster, and ''daikaiju eiga'' is a "[[giant monster film]]". The most famous example of a ''kaiju'' is the giant monster [[Godzilla]], who was perhaps the first Japanese ''daikaiju'' to hit the screen. Other famous kaiju include King Ghidora, Ultraman, and Gabbara. Godzilla has since been joined by numerous other monsters with which he has co-starred, and some have had movies all to their own.
Some ''kaiju'', such as in popular Japanese television, have been based on things such as tomatoes and common household objects (such as toasters and umbrellas).
[[category:Japanese pop culture terms]]