Themed installation opens in Yokohama with “life-size” Gundam statue

A themed installation featuring an 18-meter “life-size” movable statue of Gundam , a giant robot featured in a Japanese science fiction animation series, opened in the city of Yokohama.

The new statue, which has more than 20 moving parts, was built at the Gundam Factory Yokohama complex after the 40th anniversary of the broadcast of the ” Mobile Suit Gundam ” TV series last year.

Visitors can climb 15-18 meter observation decks on the Gundam-Dock tower to get a closer look at this anime icon, as it will move into different poses every half hour and light up at night.

On the premises of the Gundam-Lab exhibition venue, a virtual reality dome has been installed to simulate sitting inside the cockpit of the 25-ton mobile suit! How fascinating!

At the opening ceremony, animator Yoshiyuki Tomino , creator of the series, attended and thanked the people involved in building the statue saying “I didn’t expect anyone to do it for real.” What a thrill it will be to see your work of fiction come true, don’t you think?

The exhibition will be open until March 31, 2022, so if you plan to come to Japan by then you must go to meet this already iconic character in Japanese pop culture.

You can check the hours and prices on the GUNDAM FACTORY YOKOHAMA website.