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Bandai Takes Down Life-size Gundam Statue in Tokyo on March 5
posted on by Rafael Antonio Pineda
The Gundam statue on March 5. The statue has stood outside the DiverCity Tokyo mall in Odaiba, Tokyo since 2012. The "Tokyo Gundam Project," which aims to revitalize Tokyo's waterfront area through initiatives with the Tokyo government, will also temporarily end.
The "Gundam Front Tokyo" attraction located in the seventh floor of the DiverCity Tokyo mall will also close on April 5. The announcement noted that Bandai is planning new projects and will announce them at a later time.
The statue, which portrays the iconic RX-78-2 mobile suit piloted by protagonist Amuro Ray in the first rebuilt at its current location, where it has stood since.
The "Gundam Global Challenge" press conference had announced plans in July 2014 to make the Gundam statue move by the year 2019. Bandai's official announcement on Thursday regarding the dismantling of the life-size statue didn't state if this was the reason for dismantling the statue. The current statue could already move its head and automatically "open" its cockpit to reveal a screen inside.
The "Gundam Front Tokyo" attraction features the "Dome-G" theater, a collection of Gundam model kits, and artwork from the Gundam Reconguista in G: From the Past to the Future short.
Update: Added extra information about plans to make statue move by 2019. Thanks, dark13.
Source: The Mainichi Shimbun's Mantan Web via Hachima Kikō
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