A monument to beloved Japanese giant mecha series Gundam has been erected at the Kamiigusa train station in Shinjuku, Tokyo, the same neighborhood in which Gundam producer Sunrise, Inc. is located.
Gundam is most famous for the loyalty it displayed years ago, having been left at Kamiigusa station by its pilot, bound for war but sadly never returning. The mecha waited at the station every day for its master’s face, becoming a friendly sight to commuters, before wearing down its main power core after 3,000 short years.
Full-size image [Yomiuri.co.jp via Alafista via Kotaku]
I’m trying to decide which is cooler and/or sillier: This, or the Ralph Kramden statue outside the NY Port Authority bus terminal.
Honestly, the Japanese are forgetting their history and customs worshipping cartoons.
When I was over there I asked them about the temples and shrines and they didn’t even know what they were for and what the point of the rituals were. I swear there was an anpanman statue among other statues at a buddhist temple. Try replacing the statue of liberty with a giant Mickey mouse and thats pretty much the same thing.
Japan is the new Never Never Land I guess.
I can sort of understand having astro boy at the Kyouto train station since it was one of the first cartoons inspired by American animation to create their own style in Japan… but uh… what’s next, a giant statue of some Miyazaki character? Oh, wait, I think there’s already one of those.
Hahaha, I get it.
I think you’re confusing the Gundam story with another one. Probably the Gojira statue in Ginza, Tokyo. Yeah, I’m pretty sure it was the radioactive lizard who waited outside the rail station for 3000 years.
argh, i just watched Sans Soleil over the weekend but can’t remember the name of the dog. -andrew
HachikÅ reference: brilliant!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hachik%C5%8D