ガンダム

One of Japan's most popular anime franchises, 'Mobile Suit Gundam', is celebrating its 30th Anniversary this year.

So what better way to commemorate the occasion than to build a 59-foot statue of one of the series' signature giant robots?



That's exactly what organizers of the Green Tokyo Gundam Project have done, building a 1:1 scale model of a Gundam which has stood in Odaiba's Shiokaze Park since early July.



The statue is rendered in almost perfect detail, with familiar markings on the shoulders and torso, and stands with its metallic gray fists clenched as it towers above its surroundings.

The statue comes equipped with a number of points which emit light while the head moves and also opens as the model spews mist. It is illuminated by lights at night as background music plays while curious fans gawk at the impressive creation.



The exhibit is free to view and is planned to last until the end of the month.

The statue is a feature of the Tokyo Green Project which is aimed at promoting a more environmentally friendly future for the city. The project also features prominently with Tokyo's bid for the 2016 Olympics, which the city is promoting as a very 'green' Olympic Games.

The Gundam is a replica of the RX-78 Gundam, which was featured in the franchise's flagship series 'Mobile Suit Gundam.' The model is the signature mobile suit of the Gundam series. Predominately white in color, with a blue and yellow midsection, the suit gained the nickname "White Devil" from other characters in the series.

One of the most famous of the "Super Robot" animes, the Gundam franchise began in April 1979.
The series has spawned several prequels, sequels and spinoff series and is hugely popular not only in Japan but other countries as well, such as the United States. While most of the spinoffs are unrelated to the main series, each installment usually features the giant machines used against the backdrop of intergalactic war.


© Jason Coskrey & JapanVisitor.com

Yahoo Japan Auction Service

Book a Japanese Hotel with Bookings

Japanese Friends

Rough Guide To Japan

Tags

Japan Olympics Tokyo Gundam

東京　オリンピック　２０１６年



Just since last week, various colors of banners have appeared on the streets of Tokyo advertising the metropolis's bid for the 2016 Olympics. They feature the Tokyo 2016 Olympic and Paraolympic Bid logo, designed by Kenji Ekuan, Director of the Japan Design Foundation.

Most prominent on the design is the knot (musubi) in mizuhiki style – mizuhiki being a traditional technique used to create knots from multi-color dyed strips of mulberry-bark washi (Japanese-style paper). Mizuhiki-style knots were originally used to decorate the packaging on gifts to the Imperial household, and the technique spread, being used also to create decorations.

The knot (musubi) itself is a symbol of unity and binding commitment.

Between the words "Tokyo" and “2016” is a rising sun symbol, and under the words “Candidate City,” the Olympic rings. (Note that the mizuhiki uses the same five colors as the Olympic rings.)

Finally, the timing of the banners being put up throughout Tokyo was clearly in order to coincide with the IOC Evaluation Commission Visit – Tokyo 2016, of 16-19 April 2009. Perhaps it helped, because IOC Evaluation Commission Chair, Nawal El Moutawakel, said she was “most impressed by what Tokyo could offer to the Olympic Games” and described Japan’s capital as “a dynamic city, where sport plays such a key part in people’s lives.”

Check out the impressive Tokyo Olympic 2016 website created by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, the Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC), and the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

© Japan Visitor.com



Yahoo Japan Auction Service

Book a Japanese Hotel with Bookings

Book the Ginza Kokusai Hotel Tokyo

Tokyo Serviced Apartments

Japanese Friends

Rough Guide To Japan

Tags

Japan Tokyo Olympic 2016 bid