The Gundam Factory Yokohama held its “Grand Finale: To the Next Stage” event on March 31 to finally bid farewell to the mesmerizing life-size Gundam and the event was a total blast!
The life-size moving Gundam has been one of the greatest and coolest attractions at the Yamashita Pier area in Yokohama, as people have come to see the 18-meter-tall RX-78F00 Gundam at the Gundam Factory Yokohama from various places. The life-size walking Gundam in Yokohama has finally closed its doors to the public, but it had a great send-off.
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The Yokohama Gundam’s last day – why the farewell was a blast
On the last day of the GFY, the venue opened at 10 a.m. and closed to the public at 4 p.m. Fans gathered for six hours to bid their final goodbyes to the Yokohama moving Gundam.
Many fans were disappointed as the organizers have yet to say whether the life-sized “Moving Gundam” will return to another place. As the show came to a close, there was a mix of sadness over the Gundam’s departure and joy that fans could be a part of such a historic occasion in the franchise. The fans got to witness a series of events as a part of the grand celebration of the GFY.
Memories of battles and renditions of songs
When fans entered Gundam Factory Yokohama, they were greeted by some excellent acoustic guitar renditions of songs from throughout Gundam’s history. The rendition of “Ima wa Oyasumi” stood out not only because it’s a great song, but also because it reminds us of the tragic battle between protagonist Amuro Ray and his flight partner Sayla Mass, as well as Amuro’s rival Char Aznable and his protégé Lalah Sune, in Mobile Suit Gundam’s 41st episode.
As the music stopped, the audience became silent, and Akiko Amano, the host of the Grand Finale, appeared on stage. Following a brief introduction of the GFY project, Amano invited viewers to watch a short video documenting the life-size “Moving Gundam”‘s three-year stay in Yokohama. The film emphasised several events, including the opening ceremony in December 2020, the Nike SB Newtype Jam Contest in September 2021, and the Yokohama light festival “Yorunoyo Night Viewing” from November to December 2022.
Akiko Amano asks the right questions
Following the movie on the history of the GFY, Amano brought four guests to the stage for a brief discussion. The guests were Gundam Global Challenge (GGC) system director Wataru Yoshizaki, technical director Akinori Ishii, creative director Masaki Kawahara, and special guest and media artist Yoichi Ochiai. The talk was an interactive session and Amano asked some great questions to the panel of people who were greatly involved at the GFY.
As the talk session wound down, Amano asked the question on everyone’s mind that if they could share with the public what they would their next projects be like and if there were any plans for pilotable Gundam.
Director’s cut: The franchise creator’s version
Following the discussion, Amano introduced a special guest to the stage: Director Yoshiyuki Tomino, the franchise’s creator. While an interview with Tomino would have been ideal for Gundam enthusiasts, he delivered a prepared message. He discussed how Gundam Factory Yokohama and the life-size “Moving Gundam” gave him a fresh learning opportunity. He thanked everyone involved, as well as the people that watched the Grand Finale.
But Tomino’s parting words were what truly got people talking. He expressed his expectations for the future of the Gundam franchise and stated that Gundam has a place to return to. So this isn’t actually the end. Tomino’s statements demonstrate his desire to pass on the franchise’s ethos and support it for a new generation.
Theatrical performance and fireworks!!
The theatrical segment was the last “start-up experiment” for the life-size “Moving Gundam” at the GFY. However, this was not simply a show in which the Gundam moved. Instead, the plot followed the Gundam’s pilot and those in mission control as they conducted the final experiment.
It was truly a sight for sore eyes, as the show closed with a rendition of “The Beyond” by the as the LUNA SEA and fireworks were set off by the organizers. The show addressed Gundam’s history, going over some of the main moments from the original series while also delving into modern Gundam with sections on Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury and Mobile Suit Gundam Seed FREEDOM.
One of the show’s highlights was a firework and drone performance of The Witch From Mercury by Suletta Mercury, Miorine Rembran, Kira Yamato, and Lacus Clyne from Seed FREEDOM. Both couples’ love was literally engraved in the stars.
Significance of Yokohama’s life-size moving Gundam
Collectibles such as action figurines and plastic model kits have been a huge part of the franchise and the fan-base for Gundam series after its initial debut. Gunpla (Gundam and plastic) kits allowed fans to make their favorite mobile suits by hand.
Since December 2020, Gundam fans from all around the world have flocked to the Yamashita Pier region in Yokohama to see the 18-meter-tall RX-78F00 Gundam at the Gundam Factory Yokohama. In 2009, Yokohama’s Gundam statue was erected in Shiokaze Park, Odaiba, and later relocated to the Divercity Tokyo Plaza Festival Square. The Gundam displayed at GFY was not only life-sized, but also a “Moving Gundam.” For enthusiasts of the Gundam franchise, this meant that real-world technology was one step closer to making Gundams a reality. Unfortunately, the GFY closed its doors for the public on March 31, 2024.
While there are several statues of true-scale replicas of the franchise’s giant robots in Japan, the Yokohama Gundam was the first of its kind to include advanced mechanics—36 moving parts in total—that allowed the mobile suit to perform rudimentary movements from its framework display, such as kneeling, walking in place, and moving its arms and head.
However, after extending its intended exhibition length twice beyond its original 2022 closure date, in part due to the effects of the covid-19 pandemic and due to overwhelming demand for the attraction, which received nearly 2 million visitors during its run, the Yokohama Gundam has moved for the last time.