Kobe Tetsujin Project

A 18-meter-tall statue of Mitsuteru Yokoyama’s Tetsujin28-gÅ (Ironman #28 or Gigantor) robot will soon be a permanent sight at Kobe’s Wakamatsu Park. Apparently initial plan called for an earlier completion date in spring but now it has been pushed back a few months later, now planned for completion by the end of September with an opening ceremony on October 4. It is bound to bring a huge crowd of robot fans and Otaku locally and overseas to catch a glimpse of the “Grandfather of robots”.
According to the Kobe Shinbun, the Kobe Tetsujin Project’s statue is intended as a symbol of the city’s revival after the 1995 Kobe Earthquake. It is being build in Nagata Ward, the city’s hardest hit neighborhood which has since been rebuilt and revitalized. Apart from this, the statue also celebrates the life of one of Kobe’s most well-known manga artist cum animator, Mitsuteru Yokoyama has not only created the Tetsujin 28-gÅ manga and anime, but also Giant Robo and Sally the Witch.
Approximately 600km away from Kobe, standing on Tokyo’s artificial Odaiba island, in Shiokaze park is a similar size statue of Gundam. The Gundam statue will be the same size as the original anime character and made with iron framing and reinforced plastic, and will emit light and fog, while Tetsujin 28-gÅ statue will just be a permanent installation with no moving parts.
The Gundam statue will only be available for viewing from July 11 to August 31, purpose is to help promote Tokyo’s bid to host the 2016 Olympics. Catch it before it is gone. Do anyone know where it is heading next?
More information on the Gundam statue in Odaiba.




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