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Cancel the apocalypse! Life-sized Gundam to take its first giant steps in Japan this fall
A mecha-based deterrent against giant monsters rising from the ocean is taking a giant step toward becoming a reality. That's because a life-sized Gundam robot will be literally walking in Yokohama, Japan, this October as part of a project (which was first announced back in 2015, according to Forbes) by the "Gundam Factory" based in the 15th-century port city.
"The rich worldview of Gundam is the source of imagination and passion of the people involved in the project. The dream becomes reality, and that reality creates yet a new dream … This is the ultimate entertainment. One step towards achieving the dream," reads the official website.
Per the Forbes report, the 59-foot-tall machine won't actually be free-roaming, "but will be attached to a support mechanism at the waist, to avoid it from falling over." As an added precaution, members of the public won't be able to personally pilot the Gundam, which will be controlled via remote.
A very wise move, since Jaeger-esque tech is still being perfected right now.
Based at Yamashita Pier, the Gundam Factory sounds like a fully immersive theme park experience that also includes classes, shops, conference spaces, and limited-edition products.
If massive kaiju ever try to threaten our way of life, we'll finally be able to give Stacker Pentecost's rousing speech about "canceling the apocalypse." Yes, we're aware that Gundam and Pacific Rim are two separate brands, but the latter was heavily inspired by mecha anime like the former.
Tickets for admission to the Gundam Factory are expected to go on sale in July. The experience is opening in October 2020 and running through early October 2021. A special sneak peek at the facilities will be held for a select group of customers sometime in July and August.
