By SHIKI IWASAWA/ Staff Writer
June 27, 2024 at 17:59 JST
A diorama of the Bandai Namco Holdings Inc. pavilion and life-size Gundam model that will be on display at the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo. The photo was taken on June 13. (c) Sotsu, Sunrise
An iconic artwork called "Tower of the Sun" by artist Taro Okamoto loomed large over Osaka Expo '70 and became a lasting image.
Now, the popular anime robot Gundam is set to tower over the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo.
Bandai Namco Holdings Inc. announced on June 26 that it will display a life-size model of Gundam at its pavilion at the Osaka-Kansai Expo.
It will mark the first display of such a giant Gundam in the Kansai region in western Japan.
The Gundam will be kneeling on its left knee while raising its right arm high, supposedly pointing at outer space or the future.
The pavilion will be called Gundam Next Future Pavilion and the contents of its displays will be announced at a later date.
“We aim to make our pavilion a place to connect with people in the world through Gundam and think about the future together,” Bandai Namco said.
The Gundam model will be shown outside the pavilion building. It will scale 16.72 meters in height (up to the tip of its finger) and weigh 49.1 tons.
The materials for the model will be taken from a moving life-size Gundam attraction, which was formerly displayed at Yamashita Pier in Yokohama from December 2020 to March 2024.
However, the Gundam model at the expo will not move.
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