Life-Size Gundam Statue Unveiled at New Shizuoka Home

The 1/1-scale, 18-meter-tall statue of the title robot from the Gundam anime franchise was unveiled on Friday at its new home in central Japanese city of Shizuoka, the self-described "model capital of the world." Media and industry guests attended a ceremony, presented by Bandai President Kazunori Ueno, Gundam creator/director Yoshiyuki Tomino, and Japanese rock singer T.M. Revolution, on the eve of the public opening. The statue will be officially open to the public from Saturday, July 24, 2010 to January 10, 2011.

The Gigazine website posted a report before the ceremony, and then posted a report of the ceremony itself with high-definition video.

Unlike its previous stay at Tokyo's Odaiba Island, the statue now sports a beam saber in its right hand. The Gundam now stands in front of Japan Railway's Higashi-Shizuoka Station.