Tokyo’s Life-Size Gundam Statue Gets Global Goodbye as Bandai Confirms Farewell Ceremony Livestream
Bandai has announced a final ceremony for Tokyo’s life-size Unicorn Gundam statue, bringing its nearly nine-year run in Odaiba to a close with a special live performance and worldwide YouTube stream.
The RX-0 Unicorn Gundam has stood outside DiverCity Tokyo Plaza since September 2017, replacing the original life-size RX-78-2 Gundam and becoming one of the most recognizable landmarks associated with the franchise in Japan.
Its long-running display will officially end on August 31, 2026, with the statue currently wearing special decorations designed by mechanical designer Hajime Katoki under the new RX-0 Unicorn Gundam Ver. TWC FINAL presentation.
The farewell ceremony will feature composer and music producer Hiroyuki Sawano, whose work spans Mobile Suit Gundam UC, Mobile Suit Gundam Narrative and the Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway series.
Sawano will be joined by SennaRin, who performs an insert song for the upcoming Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway: The Sorcery of Nymph Circe, while voice actor Genki Okawa will serve as MC for the evening.
The event will also incorporate “UNICORN GUNDAM Statue ― BEYOND POSSIBILITY ―,” a newly created presentation that synchronizes the statue with WALL-G projections across the exterior of DiverCity Tokyo Plaza.
That show begins its own limited run on August 22 and will play at 8:00 PM each evening through August 31, surrounded by a wider nightly schedule that includes MidNight CHA CHA, the Gundam UC SPECIAL MOVIE Ver. 2.0, a revival of Fly! Gundam 2017, Gundam UC Perfectibility and GUNDAM.
Bandai is also marking the end of the statue’s display with a sizeable collection of commemorative merchandise built around its Ver. TWC FINAL appearance.
The “Mega Size Model 1/48 Gundam Base Limited RX-0 Unicorn Gundam Ver. TWC FINAL,” priced at ¥14,300 (approx. $90 USD / £66 GBP), recreates the life-size statue as an oversized Gunpla kit complete with Katoki’s special farewell decorations.
STRICT-G is contributing five commemorative releases featuring photography of the Odaiba statue, its Ver. TWC FINAL artwork and a traditional Japanese tenugui design.
- STRICT-G Life-Size Unicorn Gundam Statue Photo T-Shirt in Full Color – ¥5,830 (approx. $37 USD / £27 GBP)
- STRICT-G Life-Size Unicorn Gundam Statue Photo T-Shirt in Monotone – ¥5,830 (approx. $37 USD / £27 GBP)
- STRICT-G RX-0 Unicorn Gundam Ver. TWC FINAL T-Shirt – ¥5,830 (approx. $37 USD / £27 GBP)
- STRICT-G RX-0 Unicorn Gundam Ver. TWC FINAL Mug – ¥1,980 (approx. $12 USD / £9 GBP)
- STRICT-G Kamawanu Mobile Suit Gundam UC Tenugui Unicorn Gundam [Unicorn Mode] in Light Blue / Black – ¥2,750 each (approx. $17 USD / £13 GBP)
Bancolle! is also releasing a smaller three-item collection based around the special markings currently applied to the RX-0 Unicorn Gundam Ver. TWC FINAL.
- Bancolle! RX-0 Unicorn Gundam Ver. TWC FINAL T-Shirt – ¥4,400 (approx. $28 USD / £20 GBP)
- Bancolle! RX-0 Unicorn Gundam Ver. TWC FINAL Acrylic Keychain – ¥990 (approx. $6 USD / £5 GBP)
- Bancolle! RX-0 Unicorn Gundam Ver. TWC FINAL Muffler Towel – ¥1,980 (approx. $12 USD / £9 GBP)
The RX-0 Unicorn Gundam Ver. TWC FINAL Sticker, priced at ¥440 (approx. $3 USD / £2 GBP), has also been created as an inexpensive souvenir featuring the specially decorated version of the machine.
Visitors can find another limited item at the GUNDAM Café kitchen car, where the Life-Size Unicorn Gundam Statue Shaved Ice, priced at ¥1,130 (approx. $7 USD / £5 GBP), comes with an original cup sleeve, while any purchase also qualifies for a Unicorn Gundam headband while supplies last.
The Mega Size Model will open for orders through the Gundam Base Online Shop on Premium Bandai Japan shortly, with sales at Gundam Base Tokyo planned after those online orders begin shipping.
STRICT-G’s commemorative products go on sale through Premium Bandai Japan on August 28 before arriving exclusively at the STRICT-G Odaiba store on August 29, while the Bancolle! merchandise launches at Gundam Base Tokyo and Gundam Base Tokyo Annex on August 29.
The Ver. TWC FINAL sticker arrives slightly earlier on August 21 through Gundam Base Tokyo and its Annex location.
DiverCity Tokyo Plaza is also running a holographic sticker campaign through August 31, giving visitors a commemorative sticker after spending at least ¥3,000 (approx. $19 USD / £14 GBP) in a single transaction at participating stores while supplies last.
The Life-Size Unicorn Gundam Statue Final Ceremony begins at 7:30 PM JST on August 29 and will be streamed live through the official Gundam YouTube channel, allowing fans outside Japan to watch the farewell before the statue closes permanently two days later.
If you enjoyed this article, you can see more from us directly in your Google feed by adding us as a preferred source.
This post may contain affiliate links, and Essential Japan may earn a commission if you purchase through them.
