Where To Find Giant Anime Robot Statues in Japan
Tuesday, May 13, 2014
Scattered around Japan in various cities like Tokyo, Kobe, and others are giant statues of giant robots from anime such as Gundam, Macross, Gigantor, and Patlabor. I haven't seen all of these, but I definitely plan on seeing a few more on the next trip over there.
Tetsujin 28-go (Gigantor)
This was the first big statue raised in a permanent location in homage to a classic giant robot. Tetsujin is 60 feet tall, weighs 50 tons, and was raised to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the quake that rocked the city in 1995. It is located in Wakamatsu Park, about 5 minutes from Kobe's Shin-Nagata Station.
http://feel-kobe.jp/_en/sightseeing/spot/?sid=348
Gundam RX-78-2
This is the giant 60 foot tall big white robot in front of Diver City Mall, Odaiba, Tokyo. You can see this fantastic big robot and visit the Gundam Front mini-theme park inside Diver City for more Gundam goodness.
http://www.tokyoexcess.blogspot.ca/2012/02/gundam-front-tokyo-at-diver-city-in.html
The Enduring Gundam Anime Franchise
Day 1 - Tokyo Travelogue with the Giant Gundam, Space Boats, and the Tokyo Skytree
Not quite as amazing, but there is also a big bronze statue of Gundam in front of the Kami-Igusa Station on the Seibu Shinjuku Line.https://www.flickr.com/photos/heiwa4126/4230115713/in/photolist-dXk9tt-dXqN45-dXk6s4-dXqPW3-dXk5BH-dXqJqE-dXqMnN-7rNs2x
UPDATE: April 2017, the RX-78-2 was taken down in March of 2017. A Unicorn Gundam is supposed to be raised in the fall of 2017 to replace it. The exact timing is not known at this time.
Macross VALKYRIE VF-25F
This one is a partial full-scale model of the robot in Gerwalk mode that is located on the 8th Floor Chiba Institute of Technology Robot Museum at the Tokyo Skytree.
http://www.it-chiba.ac.jp/skytree/index_en.html#c18
http://tokyoexcess.blogspot.ca/2012/05/i-want-to-see-tokyo-skytree.html
Evangelion
There are many person sized replicas of the various EVA units. You can find them in anime stores, pachinko parlors, and other locations. They do move so I can't really give you a permanent location. Look around Akihabara. I myself saw EVA-01in the old demolished Radio Kaikan building and in Nakano Broadway.
There is a full scale head of EVA-01 at the Fuji Highland Theme Park Evangelion Attraction and there is also an Evangelion experience at Universal Studios in Osaka.
http://tokyoexcess.blogspot.ca/2012/05/evangelion-world-at-fuji-q-highland.html
Patlabor
This one is being used to film the new live action series and probably won't have a permanent home for a few years. However, it has been seen at Japan Anime and in other venues on occasion. I'll update this if I ever hear of a permanent home!
More pop culture posts.
More Tokyo highlight posts.
Tetsujin 28-go (Gigantor)
This was the first big statue raised in a permanent location in homage to a classic giant robot. Tetsujin is 60 feet tall, weighs 50 tons, and was raised to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the quake that rocked the city in 1995. It is located in Wakamatsu Park, about 5 minutes from Kobe's Shin-Nagata Station.
 | |
| Tetsujin 28. Kobe Japan |
Image provided via creative commons license from dozodomo.com Flickr.
http://feel-kobe.jp/_en/sightseeing/spot/?sid=348
Gundam RX-78-2
This is the giant 60 foot tall big white robot in front of Diver City Mall, Odaiba, Tokyo. You can see this fantastic big robot and visit the Gundam Front mini-theme park inside Diver City for more Gundam goodness.
http://www.tokyoexcess.blogspot.ca/2012/02/gundam-front-tokyo-at-diver-city-in.html
The Enduring Gundam Anime Franchise
Day 1 - Tokyo Travelogue with the Giant Gundam, Space Boats, and the Tokyo Skytree
 |
| Giant Gundam |
 |
| Back of the giant Gundam in Odaiba. Everyone shows the front! |
UPDATE: April 2017, the RX-78-2 was taken down in March of 2017. A Unicorn Gundam is supposed to be raised in the fall of 2017 to replace it. The exact timing is not known at this time.
Macross VALKYRIE VF-25F
This one is a partial full-scale model of the robot in Gerwalk mode that is located on the 8th Floor Chiba Institute of Technology Robot Museum at the Tokyo Skytree.
http://www.it-chiba.ac.jp/skytree/index_en.html#c18
http://tokyoexcess.blogspot.ca/2012/05/i-want-to-see-tokyo-skytree.html
Evangelion
There are many person sized replicas of the various EVA units. You can find them in anime stores, pachinko parlors, and other locations. They do move so I can't really give you a permanent location. Look around Akihabara. I myself saw EVA-01in the old demolished Radio Kaikan building and in Nakano Broadway.
There is a full scale head of EVA-01 at the Fuji Highland Theme Park Evangelion Attraction and there is also an Evangelion experience at Universal Studios in Osaka.
http://tokyoexcess.blogspot.ca/2012/05/evangelion-world-at-fuji-q-highland.html
Patlabor
This one is being used to film the new live action series and probably won't have a permanent home for a few years. However, it has been seen at Japan Anime and in other venues on occasion. I'll update this if I ever hear of a permanent home!
More pop culture posts.
More Tokyo highlight posts.