Missing Japanese Island Has People Thinking Godzilla is Here

A small island in Japan has disappeared and while Japanese locals and authorities are still trying to figure out what's become of it, there are some who think they've already solved the mystery: Godzilla is here.

Earlier this month a small, uninhabited island (or "islet") named Esanbehanakitakojima appeared to disappear off the northern coast of Japan. The islet, which is used to mark Japanese territorial waters in the Northern Territories -- an area which Russia also claims and refers to as the Kurils -- was located less than half a mile from the village of Sarufutsu. It was previously visible from land now appears to have simply vanished. While it's unclear if it was eroded by wind and other environmental forces or if rising sea levels swallowed it, on Twitter some are pointing fingers at Japan's most famous kaiju.

That's right: the island's disappearance is all Godzilla's fault. Don't believe it? Well, some of the comments on Twitter are pretty convincing reminders of just how destructive Godzilla can be. Fans of the kaiju shared a variety of GIFs and other images from the long history of Godzilla films to show exactly why the monster could be responsible.

All joking aside, though, whatever the reason for Esanbehanakitakojima's disappearance, it is a big deal for Japan's claim on territorial waters. International says that nations are only allowed to claim waters around islands that are visible above sea surface at high tide. If the missing island has sunk, Japan will lose around 500 meters of territorial waters.

Read on for some of the best accusations that Godzilla is behind Japan's missing island.