When Gundam Factory Yokohama closed at the end of March this year, there were hopeful rumours that the attraction's life-size moving Gundam would reappear in Osaka for Expo 2025. This speculation is not entirely unfounded. As the organisers had announced back in 2023 plans for a Gundam Pavilion at the upcoming Osaka Expo, people naturally hoped that this was the case. After all, what better way to showcase Japan’s futuristic innovations than exhibiting the world’s largest mobile humanoid robot at a gathering of the world’s nations?
After months of speculation, Bandai has just confirmed that its Guinness World Record-setting 18-metre-tall Gundam will indeed be featured at next year’s Expo in Osaka – with one tweak. The robot won’t be moving this time around, unfortunately. Instead, the Gundam will be positioned with one knee on the ground and an arm pointing to the sky.
The robot will largely consist of the same parts and structure as the moving Gundam we saw in Yokohama, save for a few modifications made to reflect the RX-78F00/E model. We'd be lying if we said we weren't a little disappointed that we won't be getting the same moving mecha back in full force, but this life-size Gundam is still an engineering marvel with or without operational limbs. Plus, if the Gundam is fixed to the ground, you don't have to deal with the irrational fear of the robot malfunctioning and possibly charging into the surrounding pavilions.
The Gundam Pavilion will be open for the entire duration of the 2025 Osaka Expo from April 13 to October 13. For more information, see the expo website.
More from Time Out
This summer could be Japan's hottest yet
Universal Studios Japan Osaka is getting a Chainsaw Man pop-up attraction
JR East is releasing a mobile Suica for tourists in Spring 2025
Kyoto now has express buses going direct to top tourist attractions
Line Friends Square Shibuya opens with Takashi Murakami and Min Hee-jin
Want to be the first to know what’s cool in Tokyo? Sign up to our newsletter for the latest updates from Tokyo and Japan.