The end of Gundam Factory Yokohama

I know I am late for this news, but for those of you who didn't know, Gundam Factory Yokohama closed at the end of last month. What started in December 2020 and was originally supposed to conclude in March 2022, was extended twice, with the first extension planned until March 2023 (due to a certain Communist Pneumonia), which was then extended again to March 2024. In case you also didn't know, Gundam Factory Yokohama contained a moving 1:1 scale RX-78F00 Gundam, the first of its kind, and quite a sight to see. 

I was able to go to last year as a birthday present for myself and while I did return from my business trip in Hyogo before the end of last month, I really didn't feel the need to go again - partly because I had already seen the Gundam - which was certainly one of those once in a lifetime experiences - and most of the products at the Gundam base store there were already sold out.

However, as it was the end of something significant for Gundam fans, a video of the official closing ceremony was live streamed and uploaded to the official Gundam Channel.

However, the video of this closing ceremony will only remain archived until April 14th. I decided to go ahead and download the video for myself. 

I am hoping that the moving Gundam will return at some point. While there is still the Unicorn Gundam statue at the Gundam Base in Odaiba, the RX-93ff Nu Gundam statue in Fukuoka, and the Freedom Gundam (laughs) in Shanghai, China, it would be interesting to see what Gundam they will develop next based on what they learned in the construction of the RX-78F00 Gundam. While I would like to see the God Gundam built, I think that may be ways off yet. If they did the Zaku on the other hand, that would be quite the sight to behold, as there has not been a single statue built for the Zaku, which is just as iconic as the RX-78-2 Gundam, with its rounded form, and intimidating pink mono-eye. 

As a Gundam fan, I can only wait and see what will come next. 

An afternoon at Gundam Factory Yokohama

Last month, I mentioned about Gundam Factory Yokohama extending its period to March 2024 next year. Well, on Tuesday, as kind of a birthday present, I went to Gundam Factory Yokohama with my girlfriend. As Tuesday was a public holiday, this was a good opportunity to go.

From what I understood from checking out the official website (both the English and Japanese versions), it implied that to be able to get in, you would have to purchase the entry tickets online with a credit card. Even after I called up Gundam Factory on the day while making our way there, the staff confirmed that you could only get in by purchasing a ticket online with a credit card. As I don't have a credit, my girlfriend made the purchase online while we were taking the train to Yokahama. However, upon arriving there, we noticed there was a ticket window where you could buy the tickets by others means, aka cash. So that 店員さん who told me I could only purchase a ticket online with a credit card:

Anyway, after getting in, we actually made it just in time to see the RX-78F00 Gundam begin moving. There are several opportunities during your time there to see the Gundam move and pull off various poses and moments, just to showcase the many years of research and work put in to presenting the world's largest moving robot (as confirmed by Guinness World Records)

Also to note, while you get a perfectly good view from the general assembly area where I was, if you are early enough, you can purchase a ticket online to get admission for spot on the loading frame to get a close up view of the moving Gundam. Since it was completely booked out for that, I was rather content with the regular view. 

While the moving Gundam is the main draw of Gundam Factory, there are couple of other things to see and do. Aside from the Gundam Cafe, there is also the Gundam Factory store where you can buy exclusive or limited edition Gunpla, include the RG clear coloured version of the Zeong, the HG clear coloured version of Heine Westenfluss'/TM Revolution's Destiny Gundam among other things. However, the catch here, is that once you have paid for your purchases, you cannot enter the store again for the rest of the day, something that the staff explain to you when you make your purchase, giving you a chance to go and purchase some additional items if you wish to do so. For me, I puchased the Cross Silhouette SD RX-78F00 Gundam. I have several High Grade of the classic RX-78-2 Gundam (including the Revive, Beyond Global, The Origin, and the recently ordered Full Armor Gundam) as well as the Master Grade versions of the Origin version and 3.0, but never have I owned an SD version of the Gundam, and the Cross-Silhouette version looked interesting to try.

 Besides the shop, there is also a museum that actually shows a lot of information surrounding the construction of the RX-78F00, including the technologies used, the research involved, along with the various companies that played a part in the development of the Gundam, including the creator of the Gundam series, Yoshiyuki Tomino himself. 
While I didn't get a chance to take pictures of the various technologies that were on display, I was able to take photos of the evolution of the 1/100 scale RX-78-2 Gundam, starting from right to left. I also was able to take a picture of the diorama of RX-78F00, showing how it scales next to a person.

There was also a room that was showing videos surrounding the development of the RX-78F00, though this can also be found on the official Gundam Channel on youtube. 

Lastly, before we left, I took the opportunity to write a message that the facility encourages visitors to do, whether it be feedback, your thoughts on the moving Gundam, or even what moving Gundam you would like to see next. While not a fan of Mobile Fighter G Gundam, I figured that it would be a great opportunity to showcase even more movement, given that it is a martial arts fighting Gundam. 

[It was a lot of fun! The moving Gundam's amazing!! Next, do the God Gundam!]

After that, we spent some time in Yokohama's China town before heading home. Though checking out China town again after so many years was fun, the moving Gundam at Gundam Factory was the highlight of the day for me.

Gundam Factory Yokohama ２０２４年３月３１日まで延長されました

For Gundam fans outside of Japan that aren't aware, according to Gundam.info, Gundam Factory Yokohama has announced that it will be extending it's stay until March 31st, 2024.

This is great for those not only outside of Japan who are finally allowed to enter the country since restrictions were lifted last year, but also for those within the country to be able to get around to seeing the moving RX-78F00 Gundam in person - a project that came to fruition after years of planning and work. 

Having not been to Yokohama in the last few years, I definitely want to head out there and see the Gundam for myself this year - hopefully some time in March.