Coming off my recent Tokyo trip, part of my itinerary is going to Odaiba for a couple of reasons. First is to complete the Gundam Stamp Rally 2025, with the second being to take better photos of the life-sized RX-0 Unicorn Gundam (Ver.TWC) statue. While I’m not saying I’ve made leaps and bounds in terms of improving my photography skills, having more modern gear does help.
And since I was flying solo during this trip, I had total control of the places to visit, which allowed me to have multiple visits to Odaiba and take two sets of photos of this life-sized mobile suit statue. This set includes day time photos, to which the Unicorn Gundam is primarily showcased in Unicorn Mode.
Model Number / RX-0
Model Name / Unicorn Gundam (Ver.TWC)
Scale & Class / 1/1 Scale Life-Sized Statue
Site Location / Tokyo Waterfront City, Odaiba, Japan
Opening Date / 2017
I arrived at Odaiba earlier than usual since I heard that it will take you a couple of hours to finish the Gundam Stamp Rally. It really didn’t take me that long to get all stamps, and the walk did allow me to absorb the autumn scenery, and temperatures, this place offers. Walking from the Rainbow Bridge, I was welcomed by sights of red, yellow, and green leaves as expected during this season.
As your circle towards the front of DiverCity Tokyo, you are greeted with the familiar sight of the 20-meter tall white statue as sunshine hits it. This is the first time I’ll take photos of this statue in under daylight with totally clear skies, so the lighting is as perfect as I wanted it to be.
What follows are familiar close ups that places you in some suspension of disbelief, thinking that what you’re seeing is an actual functioning mobile suit. Starting with the head.
Before going further down, I do want to highlight the manipulators or hands.
Despite being a fixed piece, that suspension of disbelief isn’t broken and you can easily see those digits moving at command. Especially after seeing the Moving Gundam in Yokohama a couple of years back, you will be inclined to think that such machinery would eventually step out the confines of its fiction.
The part of this mobile suit closest to your reach would be the legs, and at the same time, they also give you the sense of scale if you see one of these things walking in real life. At the same time, the sheer mass of such mobile suits will also cause damage, and that large footprint can immediately switch from awe to devastation. But at least for now we don’t have to worry about the latter.
As cool as it is to see mobile suits in real life, their practicality is hindered by so many bullet points. One being the actual energy such machines would consume. One, to just do basic movements, much more the thrust needed to get this 23-ton machinery off the ground. Especially if you see the relatively small thruster units when compared to the rest of its body. But then again, these designs are working under science fiction rules so the style over substance approach is acceptable.
If the sheer scale isn’t enough of a marvel for you, then the details should be. This is one of mechaical designer Hajime Katoki’s most recognized designs and it really shows though the amount of angled panels and signature caution markings that give the illusion of a real working machine. Not to mention the use of multi-colored shades of white to break the otherwise monotonous design.
And yes, I’m not forgetting to include a vanilla shot just like how you’d see this guy in various social media posts from the multitude of visitors that come every day. This is also a good vantage spot to see the hourly transformation it does during the day. Do note that it only transforms every hour and there’s no accompanying video wall presentation along with that transformation. It is recommended to visit during the evening to witness all the lights and sounds this statue is engulfed in.
Unless they do some major visual change to this statue the next time I visit, then this is likely the last set of detailed photos I’ll take of the Unicorn Gundam in Unicorn Mode. In just a couple of years, the Unicorn Gundam would’ve been standing in this spot for 10 years and while it still commands awe when seen in person, I’m not ruling out the possibilities of discussions already taking place about what would replace it.
But I’m just speculating so for now, The Life-Sized Unicorn Gundam Statue is still one of the pinnacles any Gundam fan should visit in Japan. More so during the night time…
