The website for Gundam Factory Yokohama, which hosts the moving RX78F00 Gundam statue, has announced its “GFY Winter Illumination 2022″ event. This winter show will be themed after the current Gundam TV installment, Mobile Suit Gundam the Witch from Mercury.
From November 24 to January 9, 2023 attendees will be able to see the moving Gundam perform new poses related to the Witch from Mercury, with the series opening theme song “The Blessing” by YOASOBI used as music to liven the performance and unique winter laser light effects. The show will be everyday during this period at 15:00, 17:00, and 19:00 JST.
In collaboration with Yokohama’s illumination event “Yorunoyo NIGHT VIEWING”, there will be a special performance every day from November 24 to January 3, 2023 at 18:00 and 19:00 JST.
The Gundam Factory Yokohama opened December 19, 2020 as an amusement facility showcasing the moving 18m RX-78F00 Gundam statue. The facility consists of Gundam-Dock Tower, which allows visitors to see the Gundam much closer and Gundam Lab, a two story building featuring event spaces to learn about the statue’s design, structures and mechanisms through talk shows, lectures, research presentations and workshops. The Lab includes the Gundam Pilot View SoftBank 5G Experience, a VR dome that simulates a real time Gundam piloting experience from the cockpit using 5G technology courtesy of SoftBank. Located within the Gundam Lab is its own satellite Gundam Cafe and The Gundam Base with have their own unique menu and limited edition merchandise.
The “Gundam Global Project” began as an ambitious project to realize the dream of creating a life size, 18m tall RX-78-2 Gundam that moves, the Gundam would later be dubbed RX-78F00 Gundam.With the tagline “Challenge the dream: When Gundam moves, the world moves.”, the project launched in 2014 but was stalled due to complications. In 2018, the project was revived for the Gundam 40th Anniversary.
The project was overseen by staff members from the realms of anime and film production to robotics and engineering. Masaki Kawahara, who’s helmed the creation of the previous Gundam statues, served as project manager. The Gundam utilizes a steel frame with a carbon resin exterior, powered by electrical actuators, and relies on Asratec Corp’s “V-Sido” operating system to generate motion.
The moving Gundam attraction was initially to shutter March 31, 2022, but GFY extended its operations for one year due to Covid-19 pandemic-related travel restrictions hindering tourism. The facility will now remain open until March 31, 2023.
Source: GFY Official Website
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