Looming over the waterfront, the majestic Gundam RX-78F00 stands guard, protecting Yokohama from would be invaders and entertaining visitors with regular performances in displays of its strength, speed and agility. Home to the world’s first fully moving, life-size Gundam statue, Gundam Factory Yokohama is a must-see attraction for fans of Gundam, Mecha anime or if you just dig Giant Robots from any form of media. Launched in December 2020 (while many people still were unable to even enter Japan due to travel restrictions) , Gundam Factory Yokohama houses the Gundam Dock, featuring the full scale Gundam RX-78F00, a Gundam Cafe where you can get a range of Gundam themed food and snacks, the ‘Academy’ that chronicles the journey from the original ideas and concepts of the fully moving Gundam, to the final result, and the Gundam Base shop.
The main attraction of Gundam Factory Yokohama is the massive 18 meter tall Gundam RX-7800 (A unique variant of the original Gundam RX78), housed within the Gundam Dock tower which also has a special viewing platform at the top near the head of the Gundam for visitors that want to get as close as possible. The Gundam has 2 performances each hour, with several different performance types of different lengths ranging from 5 minutes to 12 minutes cycling throughout the day. During these performances you can see the larger than life mecha power up, walk, and move with accompanying voices and music depending on the session. On the Gundam Dock Tower, a large LED clock counts down the time until the next performance, so you can always easily check how long you have before the Gundam starts moving again. During the time the RX-7800 is standing dormant is a good opportunity to check out the different parts of Gundam Factory Yokohama, like visiting the Gundam Base Shop which sells a variety of Gundam model kits, clothing and merch, some of which are exclusive to (GFY) Gundam Factory Yokohama.
As Gundam Factory Yokohama had always been intended to be a temporary installation, it was originally planned to only be active for less than 2 years, with the original closing date set as March 2022. Because of the pandemic making it difficult for overseas fans to visit and the following popularity of Gundam Factory, the closing date was postponed to 2023 and most recently to March 2024. It’s unknown if it would be likely that another delay to the closing date could occur, so this might be the last chance to see the moving Gundam RX-7800 in person before Gundam Factory Yokohama potentially closes its doors for good on March 31, 2024. If you have the chance to visit Yokohama before then, this should definitely be something to add to your sightseeing list!