If you’re a fan of 「ガンダム」 (“Gundam“), there has been many things in Tokyo that you would love…the “life size” Gundam robot, the smallest Gundam, the Gundam Cafe, and now a 「ガンプラケータイ」 (“Gunpla Cell-phone”).
This phone is made by the Japanese electronics maker “Sharp” for the Japanese cellular phone company “Softbank“.
The phone is to commemorate the 30th anniversary of 「ガンプラ」 (“Gunpla”), which stand for “Gundam plastic models“.
This new Gundam cell-phone comes decorated with decals and parts similar to a Gundam robot, Gundam inspired applications, a unique charger and a plastic model of a Gundam robot.
I won’t be buying this phone…I’m not much of a Gundam fan, and my cell-phone is kinda old but it still works so I’m not in the market for a new one.
Anyways, it’s a Softbank phone…I use Japan’s biggest cell-phone service provider—DoCoMo.
How about you? Would you buy this? What type of cell-phone do you have now?
Tokyo Five 
Yeah Amazon.co.jp might work
LikeLike
Good luck. I hope you can find it.
Can you read Japanese?
LikeLike
No I use google translate to translate the site. I wish I had enough money if anyone has a used one I’ll buy it or I could just save up.
LikeLike
>I wish I had enough money
Those phones are kinda expensive.
LikeLike
can any one tell me where to buy one online? email me at hazamaryu8@gmail.com
LikeLike
Online? I’m not sure.
Have you tried “Amazon”?
LikeLike
tried the us site I’ll try amazon.co.jp next thank you.
LikeLike
>I’ll try amazon.co.jp next
Yeah, the Japanese site probably has it even if the U.S. site doesn’t.
LikeLike
I am a lucky owner of the Gundam phone. Being a gundam-fan and living in Japan I couldn`t let this one go. I am really happy with it and it is as much fun as the iPhone. Touchscreen, loooooooooooooads of features etc..and hey..who doesn`t want to wake up with an alarmsound of Amuro saying” Ohayoi Gozaimasu”. A phone for the Gundam-fan. Agree..it`s expensive but you do get a lot for your money,. Highly limited phone, an awesome Gunpla model, supercool charger and many deco stickers for your phone. A must-have.
Greetz,
Jacob
LikeLike
I guess you’re a big Gundam fan.
LikeLike
I watched SD Gundam when I was younger, I thoguht the show was really cool, I also enjoy reading and wayching Naruto and reading the Yu-Gi-Oh comcis from Shonen Jump. I enjoy Pokemon and other video games from Japan, but I hate Pikachu,mainly because it is used for marketing pokemon and that is all the little kids know, Japan really has a big influence nowadays on toys and stuff for kids here.
LikeLike
I heard that Japanese pop-culture has become extremely popular in America nowadays.
LikeLike
It has, speaking about culture, are 70s-80s hard rock/heavy metal bands really popular in Japan, I know they used to be, I read that on Metallica’s most recent tour to Japan they had 6-year old girls coming to their concerts in Japan. I also dislike specifically Japan gets all bonus tracks or bonus cds on albums.
LikeLike
>are 70s-80s hard rock/heavy metal bands really popular in Japan, I know they used to be, I read that on Metallica’s most recent tour to Japan they had 6-year old girls coming to their concerts in Japan.
Generally speaking, until they become teenagers, Japanese kids don’t listen to so much “foreign” music. They mainly prefer Japanese bands.
And they don’t usually like “old” bands.
They’re are exceptions of course. If little kids like an ’80s band, it’s probably from their parents’ influence.
Japanese fans though are well-known for being extremely loyal to a band that they like…even when the band is no longer popular in “fickle” cultures such as America, Japan fans will still buy their music and attend their concerts.
That’s why I have seen a number of bands such as Aerosmith and KISS on “Japan-only” tours.
>I also dislike specifically Japan gets all bonus tracks or bonus cds on albums.
Well, from my point-of-view it’s great! 😉
I think the reason that CDs are usually released in Japan first and with bonus songs and stickers because CDs are more expensive here.
LikeLike
Ahhh, well my music taste developed from my parents and then I expanded it to include mroe hair metal and mroe ehavy metal and hard rock. I have only been listening to music for two years, before then I actually thought music was stupid. Well I guess that makes sense, but a lot times the bands never release even the bonus songs elsewhere on a greatest hits or anything, unless it is a b-side to a single.
LikeLike
>a lot times the bands never release even the bonus songs elsewhere on a greatest hits or anything
If bands commonly released the “Japan-only” bonus tracks in other countries’ markets then that would defeat the whole purpose…it wouldn’t be special for Japan and justify the higher price.
LikeLike
true that be, I guess collectors will just have to hunt them down by themselves.
LikeLike
>collectors will just have to hunt them down
With the internet, that’s not as difficult as it had been.
LikeLike
Sometimes it can be, like the live versions of Mine All Mine and Eagles Fly from the Japanese releases of Live: Ruight Here, Right Now; I did however find those were both b-sides to the Jump (Live) single.
LikeLike
But not only bonus songs…the Japanese version of CDs also have an “obi“, extra lyrics book, and many times a sticker.
LikeLike
so that is what an “obi-strip” is? I thought it was used for stores to order more copies of the cd. I have one japanese import and one german import cd, the Japanese import is Giuffira’s self-titled debut album and the german one is Pat Benatar’s Best Shots.
LikeLike
>so that is what an “obi-strip” is?
An “obi” is the “belt” / “sash” of a kimono…and the paper strip that tells info about an imported album is called an “obi” too.
>I thought it was used for stores to order more copies of the cd.
No. Imported CDs have the band’s name, album title and song titles written in a language besides Japanese (usually English), so the obi translates that info into Japanese to make shopping for CDs easier for Japanese customers in Japan.
>I have one japanese import
Did you keep the obi on the CD cover?
>and one german import cd
The German versions of KISS‘ albums have an altered band logo because the lightening bolt “SS” in the KISS logo can’t be used in Germany because it resembles Nazi “SS” insignia.
In Germany, the KISS logo looks like “KIZZ”.
LikeLike
Ah, sadly my dad ios the one who got it so the package is gone, I don’t know if the obi was on it when he got it, that is very inteeresting about the KISS logo, I have known about there ban on Nazi stuff but I didn’t know that about KISS
LikeLike
>I didn’t know that about KISS
Well, German issue of KISS albums are collectables because of the altered logo.
LikeLike
the s looks mroe like a Z
LikeLike
adore robots in common, esp japanese gundam. Gundam is truly a piece of arts, why do they look so detail. Japanese are sure amazing.
LikeLike
Would you use this “Gundam phone“?
LikeLike
I use Iphone in Singapore…I love it and I’m still considering if I will upgrade to Iphone 4 when it’s released in July….
LikeLike
Isn’t typing emails on it a pain?
LikeLike
Funny you should blog about this … I was just at a Softbank store today to cancel our cell phones and I saw this ad/poster inside the store. I like Gundam and use Softbank, but this looks too kiddy for an old man like me.
Anyway, don’t have a cell phone at the moment and haven’t decided what I will select in Canada (probably either an iPhone 4 or a Blackberry).
LikeLike
The only cell-phones I have ever used are DoCoMo.
And I don’t change phones often…I keep them until they don’t work anymore and I’m forced to get a new one.
I think both the I-Phone and Blackberry don’t look easy to type emails with.
LikeLike