THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
December 1, 2020 at 17:30 JST
YOKOHAMA--Watch out below, Gundam has come to life.
The 18-meter-tall, 25-ton movable model finally got to stretch its arms and legs in public when it showed off its moves at a media preview on Nov. 30 at Yamashita Pier in Yokohama Port.
The Gundam exhibition will be open to the public from Dec. 19 through the end of March 2022, giving fans a chance to experience the lifelike, moving Gundam model up close.
The movable robot is the centerpiece of the Gundam Factory Yokohama project, a collaboration of Bandai Namco Group, the city of Yokohama and other organizations. It's part of the celebration of the 40th anniversary of the popular animated TV series “Mobile Suit Gundam.”
The design of the massive robot replica set up at Yamashita Pier is modeled off the first-generation Gundam from the original series, first broadcast in 1979.
Unlike the TV show, there is no pilot in the cockpit. Technicians operate the robot from the remote-control room using the latest robot technology, organizers said.
There will be different shows every 30 minutes between 10:30 a.m. and 8:30 p.m. all day.
Visitors must reserve the date and time of their visit in advance.
Admission for adults and visitors 13 or older is 1,650 yen ($15.81).
Entry to the special observation deck is priced at an additional 3,300 yen, for visitors 7 and older. Taxes are included for both fees.
The special admission tickets for the observation deck, however, have already been sold out for December. Tickets are currently being sold online and through a special app.
More information is available on the project’s official website: https://gundam-factory.net/
(This article was written by Nanako Matsuzawa and Hiroyuki Takei.)
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The full-size Gundam seen from the observation deck at Yamashita Pier in Yokohama Port on Nov. 30 ((c) Sotsu Co. and Sunrise Inc.) (Hiroyuki Takei)
