A giant egg washes ashore and it is bought by an entrepreneur. Tiny twin fairies arrive pleading for the return of the egg. It belongs to Mothra and destruction will follow when its larva emerges. The fate of the world hangs in the balance as they engage in a destructive dance across Japan's model landscape where Godzilla faces off against the benevolent insect monster-god Mothra in this clash of the titans, a crossover battle between two of Toho Studios’ most popular monsters—the last in which Godzilla would figure as a malevolent villain rather than a fearsome hero.

Mothra vs. Godzilla marks a creative high point in the Godzilla series, with pointed social commentary from director Ishiro Honda, a masterful score by Akira Ifukube, and astonishing special-effects work by Eiji Tsuburaya.