Life-size Gundam statue to appear in Osaka for first time ever

Full-scale anime mecha strikes a new pose in Kansai.

In recent years, Osaka has done a lot to establish itself as an otaku travel destination, largely thanks to Universal Studios Japan’s collaborations with major anime and video game franchises. But now comes word of Osaka’s biggest anime collaboration yet, as the city will, for its very first time, be getting a life-sized Gundam statue.

The 1:1-scale anime mecha will be appearing at Expo 2025, the upcoming word’s fair scheduled to open next year. Bandai Namco Holdings, the Gundam franchise’s rights holder, will be constructing an RX-78 Gundam, the model seen in the original Mobile Suit Gundam anime, next to its pavilion at the event.

▼ Teaser video for the Gundam Next Future Pavilion

Unlike previous life-size Gundams, the one at Expo 2025 will not be standing upright. Instead, it’ll be kneeling down with a hand outstretched towards the heavens, a pose chosen to evoke feelings of reaching for the future and outer space. The total height of the installation will be slightly over 16 meters (52.5 feet), and concept art suggests that a beacon of light will be shining behind Gundam after sundown.

Though this will be the life-size Gundam’s first trip to Japan’s central Kansai region, it won’t be the first time anyone’s laid eyes on it. The Gundam appearing at Expo 2025 is a reconfiguring of the one that, until this last spring, stood on the waterfront in the city of Yokohama, half an hour south of downtown Tokyo. A bittersweet farewell ceremony was held for the RX-78 in April before it was dismantled, but the full-size Gundam was obviously too awesome to scrap. While it won’t move at Expo 2025, the multi-jointed design is what’s allowing it to strike a new pose, making it seem even more like a gigantic Gundam figure.

Expo 2025 will take place from April 13 to October 13 of 2025, with Gundam present for the whole six months.

Source: Bandai Namco, Mantan Web via Yahoo! Japan News, NHK News Web
Images: Bandai Namco
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