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Tokyo 2016’s environmental, technological and youth-engaging credentials were spotlighted Wednesday with the announcement of the Green Tokyo Gundam Project, which kicks off Saturday in Odaiba to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Mobile Suit Gundam, the popular Japanese anime series created by Yoshiyuki Tomino.
The giant 18-meter replica of this long-favorite robot animation will welcome visitors to the man-made island of Odaiba throughout the summer season until Aug 31.
Specifically, the project will help raise funds for new greenery throughout Tokyo as part of the transformation the city is undergoing within its 10-year "Tokyo Big Change" that will be completed in 2016 for the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Contributions will be collected by the Green Tokyo Fundraising Campaign Committee and then used for four Olympic projects to increase greenery in Tokyo:
-- Developing the Sea Forest, an 88-hectare area of land reclaimed from the ocean which will host the equestrian competitions at Tokyo 2016.
-- Planting roadside trees – doubling their number in Tokyo from the current 480,000 to around a million.
-- Planting lawns in schoolyards to provide an attractive, healthy environment for children to study and play.
-- Creating low-pollen forests in the Tama area of western Tokyo.
Addressing the international media at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan, Tomino said: “I am deeply moved, I feel the power of this construction in Odaiba, because it uses what I call the 'twilight colors,' which are not the colors of real weapons but peaceful colors, colors that little kids like and that tell people 'don’t give up hope.' I believe this statue in Odaiba will serve as a new Statue of Liberty, something that will inspire people and the new generations.“
Meanwhile, Ichiro Kono, CEO of Tokyo 2016, said: “Providing the best possible urban environment is part of how Tokyo 2016 is setting the stage for heroes. By creating the conditions for athletes to perform at their peak surrounded by a healthy environment we will promote these solutions to a global audience.
“The Gundam robot symbolizes the advanced technology for which Japan is famous, and also how this is helping Tokyo 2016 to inspire young people and bring about a green transformation across the city.”
Thousands of "otaku" – the name given to fans of Japanese animation worldwide – are expected to visit the robot, many via a cutting-edge monorail service to the Shiokaze Park site which will host beach volleyball in 2016 if Tokyo's bid is successful. The construction has moving body parts, and will "come alive" at night with lights and sound effects.
The Gundam robot overlooks Tokyo Bay and the Odaiba beach area. The nearby Odaiba Marine Park is Tokyo 2016’s proposed venue for the Olympic triathlon and marathon swimming events.
© Japan Today
26 Comments
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xpompey8
That works for me. Go Tokyo 2016!!
Gaijinocchio
The Gundam robot symbolizes imagination, the popularity of anime and manga, and science fiction. Who is this person trying to fool?
But, if it inspires people to change Tokyo from gunmetal grey and dystopia brown to a better shade of green, then great; build a DeathScythe Gundam next to it to speed things up.
TSRnow
I saw this in the morning news. Too bad there's no cockpit where you can sit in. They should have put this beside the cockpit-only exhibit shown at the AICHI Expo.
BTW, I think it's Shiokaze Park, not Shikaze.
Moderator: Yes, indeed. It has been corrected.
gogogo
This is what I'm talking about, don't care care about the "healthy environment for children" normally but come a chance for the olympics we have to make it "healthy" for the children. Why couldn't the government outside of trying to win 2016 do this?
Potsu
Nice and childish...deep culture isn't it if that's the best idea.
Altria
Great comeback to Michael Jordan and Barack Obama!
IchyaWarFare
Good stuff.
majimeaussie
gogogo,
If my memory is correct it has probably happened in reverse. They seemed to do a report, a trial and then decided to implement grass at the schools. I think with the Olympic bid coming along they have gone what "green" things can we do to mekr the bid look better and decided to include this as part of the bid (when it really wasn't). But this is typical of how governments / marketing seems to work worldwide. Don't worry too much about the truth.
stirfry
look !!! we're childish !!! prease give us the orympics !!!
NeoJamal
I admit, the first Gundam was not much more than a mere "pilot series" for the real robot genre and it's too obscure to westerners. The outside world is probably more familiar with the pretty boys and buffed up abomination mecha from the Wing and Seed series (Yeah I would've loved to see Deathscythe in the place of existing one in the picture)
Personally I like the Zeta and Victory series for their well developed storyline. Not only that, the mecha were well designed too. Too bad they left bitter impressions for most Japanese audience due to the high character death count, so much so that the producers had to introduce very childish sequels to recover ratings.
wawawasuremono
♪VESTIGE -TM Revolution
smithinjapan
While I like Gundam somewhat, I don't see how a war ravaging robot represents 'environmental harmony' or whatever it is.
Ninjazilla
Way for the Tokyo 2016 campaign to go out with a Bang. This robot really sums up Tokyos campaign -Big expensive heartless and brainless See you in Chicago.
USNinJapan2
Zeek Zeon!
Raja Kumar
Olympic bid 2016 competitions heats up with 80 days.
Japan doing more to attract IOC members to Tokyo2016 bid via tech/Gundam and many other features.
Chicago also going fullsteam with their campaign highlights.
Pele says Brazil should be host,because south america has not hosted it even once. They Brazilians also will have more facilities than ever with world cup hosting in 2014.
It will also be 1st time games goes to a green equatorial amazon nation of world,if they host.
Brazil is also fifth most populated nation in world,with distinct culture/taste/music still new to discover for tourists.
Brazilian olympics in 2016,will something really new in atmosphere for olympic games.
Madrid also going all out for games in 2016. The countdown of 80 days something ,will be interesting .
It will interesting to see how all 4 cities compete for games via various pull out of many promotions and campaign tactic pitches.
memyselfI
Japan lost, Brazil wins !!!!
DickMorris
Japan, give up now and avoid the humoloation. Sure your Gundam looks impressive, though a little childish.
The Olympics are coming back to the States, where they belong. The inferior Japanese transport system , xenaphobic populace etc cannot compete with Ameican hospitality and Gndam aint gonna help their cause.
goodDonkey
memyselfI said:
An easy mistake to make on your part but Chicago wins. We will find out in 90 days.
jihan
go, go JAPAN!!!
the Gundam replica is very impressive...it really is a good way to promote JAPAN not only for the 2016 Olympic bid but also as a beautiful country...
i hope there would be following projects like these to make Japanese pop culture even more popular...
When I watched the movie Ultraman Mebius:Great Decisive Battle, I thought that having a huge life-sized replica of Ultraman would be a hit especially to tourists and would be a good way to promote japanese pop culture even more....with this, i think my "hypothesis" was true...
Good job! It's very nice and super impressive....it is one creative piece of work only the japanese could do
JAPAN for 2016 ALL THE WAY
---- looking forward to an ULTRAMAN replica too....i bet it's a good way to promote japan since Ultraman is very japanese!!!
goodDonkey
Oh by the way the 18 meter Gundam is very cool. Very, Very cool and ya gotta love the green.
I really wish they could say Chicago in 2016 and Tokyo in 2020 but it doesn't work that way does it? So I have to support Chicago.
Raja Kumar
Host will be decided in 84 days time on 2-10-2009, via 13th olympic congress in copenhagen,denmark.
Tokyo as 2016 host will have best safety levels compared with chicago,rio and barcelona.
Spain has ETA woes, Chicago/USA always has woes in criminal/gun violence, and Rio has woes from highest levels of crime via rio slum/drug gangs.
Advantage rio has is being host for 1st south american games.
They intend to host games in rio's famous maracana,famous copacabana-sugar loaf area,barra areas and elsewhere.
Biggest woes for Rio is worries about drug gangs and high crimes from slums of rios. Brazil also has legends of sports like Pele,Ronaldinho, and Brazil world cup team
Chicago,USA has good advantages,by being the richest of all 4 nations.
It has very good sport ambassador via Obama,who is a good basketball sport player/fan.
Spanish olympics also has advantages,they already have full facilities experiences in Spain by being a host via Barcelona olympic games.
84 days to know whether it will be an American olympics,Spanish Olympics, Portuguese brazilian olympics or Japanese olympics.
Let the competition begin,may the best city of these 4 cities win.
Raja Kumar
correction- 84 days to know whether it will be, Spanish 2016 olympics,American 2016 olympics,Japanese 2016 olympics or Brazilian 2016 olympics.
TheDoink
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2016_Summer_Olympics
Whats this? Tokyo has a bid rating of 8.3, and Chicago has a bid of 7.0? See you guys in Tokyo!
EurajReturns
Great. Now, Kitajima can disintegrate Michael Phelps before he beats him in the breaststroke.
zurcronium
Gundam? Is Mothra also involved in this?
mako805
Tokyo !! very very cool !! I just saw their plan for 2016 olympic games. very very impressive. only Japan can do this !! I'm sure Chicago,Rio and Madrid will be very nice too ... But just think about in a huge sophicated mega city ... this would be a very very new future onlympic games!! ..if Japan don't do it now which country is gona do it. I think it will be very cool for whole world to see this very new style of olympic games in a huge mega city like Tokyo. Transportation in Tokyo is amazing and people are very friendly .. It will be the most interesting futurlistic .. new olympic games for sure.