A little over three years after its launch, the Yokohama Gundam Factory welcomed visitors one last time before closing on March 31 2024. Though the attraction was initially only set to be open from December 2020 to March 2022, the attraction was extended for two years longer than planned due to its immense popularity.
The site boasted a museum, a shop and a themed café, but the pièce de résistance was, of course, the 18-metre-tall Gundam robot. Equipped with movable limbs, it could step outside its loading dock and strike various poses. This robot, which had been under development since 2015 before being unveiled to the public, attracted over 1.5 million visitors during its stay in Yokohama.
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While the engineering marvel stuck around for longer than anticipated, the closing of this exhilarating attraction came far too soon. Still, on its final day of opening, the moving mecha bowed out in style, with a spectacular drone show and fireworks that almost matched the grandeur of the giant robot itself. Roughly 1,500 fans flocked to witness the event, and even Toshiyuki Tomino, creator of the ‘Mobile Suit Gundam’ anime franchise, came to bid the colossal mecha goodbye.
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The moving Gundam is set to be dismantled soon, and while the fate of this mega mecha is still uncertain, we’re crossing our fingers that the legendary robot will make a reappearance in time for the franchise’s 45th anniversary. In the meantime, we’ll be on the lookout for updates on the Gundam Pavilion scheduled to open at the Osaka World Expo 2025.
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