Head Installing Ceremony held for Life-Sized Nu Gundam Statue

Bandai Namco’s Koji Fujiwara, the current CGO (Chief Gundam Officer), announced in mid-June that a new life-sized Gundam statue project was underway. The project was fully unveiled September 15 as the RX-93ff Nu Gundam.

The statue’s construction team have been hard at work to briskly assemble the titanic mecha over the fall months into December. Earlier today, a jotoshiki(roof-laying ceremony), or “head installing ceremony” was held, in which the mobile suit’s head was blessed by a Shinto priest before being hoisted with a crane and attached to the Gundam’s body.

Based on Amuro Ray’s RX-93 Nu Gundam from the 1988 Mobile Suit Gundam Char’s Counterattack film, originally designed by Yutaka Izubuchi, the RX-93ff version sports a new long-range fin funnel and tricolor markings designed under the supervision of Gundam creator Yoshiyuki Tomino.

Constructed in conjunction with Mitsui Fudosan Co., Ltd., Kyushu Electric Power Company, Inc., Nishi-Nippon Railroad Co., Ltd., and NOMURA Co., Ltd, the 24.8 meter statue is scheduled to be fully exhibited April 2022 at Mitsui Shopping Park LaLaport FUKUOKA in Hakata-ku, Fukuoka City.

Accompanied with the statue at Mitsui Shopping Park Lalaport FUKUOKA will be “Gundam Park Fukuoka”, a new Gundam-themed entertainment complex developed and managed by Bandai Namco Amusement Inc. and Bandai Spirits.

Set fourteen years after the One Year War in U.C. 0093, Mobile Suit Gundam Char’s Counterattack serves as the final confrontation between legendary rivals Amuro Ray and Char Aznable. Char has risen to power as leader of Neo Zeon and plans an all-out assault to decimate the Earth’s population to revive the planet. Released to theaters in 1988, Char’s Counterattack adapted Yoshiyuki Tomino’s 1987 Mobile Suit Gundam High-Streamer novel, grossing 1.16 billion yen at the box office.