The Japanese version is generally superior, because it has a lot more footage that was removed for the American theatrical release in order to add in the scenes with Raymond Burr at the Pentagon. Unfortunately, if you watch the American version without having seen the Japanese version, not only do you have to put up with the anti-Soviet propaganda (for which the movie is well-known), but you also have to put up with lots of questionable omissions that create plot holes. For example, the American version of the film lacks the scene where Professor Hayashida visits Okumura at the hospital, and where he describes the origins of the giant sea louse that attacks Goro on the Yhata Maru (if you watch the American version, the big bug's existence is never acknowledged and treated like a non-event).
That being said...the American version has a lot of strengths that I think get overlooked. For one thing, the American director and editor did a much better job than their Japanese counterparts with the editing and pacing of the film in some scenes. The Japanese print may have more footage, but more is not always better. Take the aforementioned sea louse scene - the American version of the scene is a bit shorter, which is probably a good thing because in the Japanese version, the fight between Goro has a lot of shots where you can tell the bug is a cheesy rubber prop (like when he throws a flashlight at it and the entire insect wobbles). I feel as though the American director had good instincts for removing or at least shortening scenes that revealed weaknesses in the special effects. (Another good example: During the power plant scene, when Godzilla first hears the bird calls, there is a shot of him looking up that was filmed using the big robot Godzilla. In the Japanese version, the camera lingers for too long before the robot moves its head, which destroys the illusion of a living creature. Whereas the American editor shortened this shot so that Godzilla looks up faster - it's a good example of what I am talking about.)
There are also a bunch of scenes in the American version that do a better job matching the action to the music - i.e. I prefer the American editing of the power plant scene over that in the Japanese version. And while I love the Japanese score from this movie, there are places where the musical cues don't have the right tone for the scene, and the score from "Def Con 4" that was used by the Americans works better. Best example: The attack on the Soviet submarine. Compare the music in the Japanese version to that used in the American version - far superior. Same for the music used when the JGSDF armored division is getting its missiles, tanks, and artillery into position at Tokyo Bay - the American version uses music from "Def Con 4" that is perfect for the scene.
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