The RX-78F00 Gundam exhibit at Yamashita Pier in Yokohama closed March 31, 2024. (Juan King/Stars and Stripes)
A 60-foot-tall moving robot inspired by a popular Japanese anime series said its last goodbyes Sunday after a four-year, twice-extended display.
The RX-78F00 Gundam — or General Purpose Utility Non-Discontinuity Augmentation Maneuvering Weapon System — stood on Yamashita Pier with the Yokohama skyline as its backdrop.
It was erected in December 2020 to mark the 40th anniversary of “Mobile Suit Gundam,” which premiered in 1979. Most Gundams are large, bipedal, humanoid vehicles controlled from a cockpit by a human pilot. The one in Yokohama could move its head and arms and take steps backwards and forwards and kneel. More than 1.5 million people visited the manned robot in its Gundam Dock Tower.
The nearly 60-foot RX-78F00 kneels for visitors at the Gundam Factory in Yokohama, Japan. (Juan King/Stars and Stripes)
The nearly 60-foot RX-78F00 takes a step at the Gundam Factory in Yokohama, Japan. (Juan King/Stars and Stripes)
The exhibit was scheduled to close in 2022 and again last year but the Gundam Factory, which operates the exhibit, had extended the robot’s appearance through the end of March.
Tickets for the final weeks went fast, but I was among the lucky few. Approaching the Gundam Factory from Motomachi-Chukagai Station, the towering robot was already visible from afar.
Hundreds of people were already present, but there was a clear view for photos of the Gundam once I was inside the Gundam Factory’s gate.
The 25-ton robot stood inside an intricately built dock tower. With its back attached to the dock, the massive structure was raised, lowered, moved forward and backwards using the Gundam-Carrier, an assembly of large gears and pulleys.
Visitors take photos of Gundam models at the Gundam Factory in Yokohama, Japan. (Juan King/Stars and Stripes)
Visitors to Gundam-Lab Academy, part of the Gundam Factory in Yokohama, Japan, learn about the RX-78F00, the first General Purpose Utility Non-Discontinuity Augmentation Maneuvering Weapon System, or Gundam. (Juan King/Stars and Stripes)
Visitors to Gundam-Lab Academy, part of the Gundam Factory in Yokohama, Japan, learn about the RX-78F00, the first General Purpose Utility Non-Discontinuity Augmentation Maneuvering Weapon System, or Gundam. (Juan King/Stars and Stripes)
From standby mode in a standing position, the Gundam undertook a series of scheduled movements.
The free movement of its hands, arms, legs and feet allowed it to simulate walking forward. Light-emitting diodes, including red and green ones in its eyes, made for a brilliant night show. Altogether, the performance was called the Artificial Intelligence Awakening.
Before leaving, I looked back at the giant Gundam one last time. Sentimental music playing over the public address system lent an aura of sadness to one of its final performances.
Anyone who may have missed the final RX-78F00 exhibit can find an even taller Gundam display for free at Odaiba, a waterfront area of Tokyo. The Gundam statue at DiverCity Tokyo Plaza, the RX-0 Unicorn Gundam, depicts a newer version of robot that stands 64 feet.
