Gundam Pepsi

In Japan, Pepsi-Cola offers many different flavors and other campaigns.
Click here to look at all of the different posts I’ve written about the various flavors and other gimmicks Pepsi has offered in Japan.

And Gundam is popular in Japan. There is a life-size Gundam robot, Gundam cafe, Gundam cell-phones and many other Gundam-related campaigns in Japan.
Click here to see the posts I’ve written related to Gundam.

Of course, Gundam and Pepsi have teamed up.
Click here to see a post I’ve written about it.

Well, they’ve teamed up again.

Currently Pepsi-Cola in Japan is selling their cola in cans decorated with Gundam characters.

Here are the cans:

Happy birthday, Mr. Gundam

Do you know 富野由悠季 (Yoshiyuki Tomino)?

If you’re a big fan of the Japanese anime series “Gundam” you might know who he is…because he’s the creator of the Gundam series.

Today (2011 November 5) is Mr. Tomino’s 70th birthday. He was born on 1941 November 5 in 神奈川県 (Kanagawa Prefecture), just south of Tokyo.

I wrote a post with photos I took of the “lifesize” Gundam robot when it was in Tokyo (click here to read it).
Actually, I’ve written a number of Gundam-related posts.

Have you ever watched Gundam? Are you a “fan”?

Gundam Phone

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?

Gundam Cafe

Last summer I wrote a post about the “life-size” 「ガンダム」 (Gundam) robot that was in Tokyo.

A photo I took last summer of the giant Gundam.

Well, yesterday the “Akihabara Gundam Cafe & Bar” (also called simply 「ガンダムカフェ」 (Gundam Cafe)) opened in the Akihabara area of Tokyo.

"Gundam Cafe" logo

This cafe / bar is near the 「電気街口」 (“Electric Town” exit) of 秋葉原駅 (Akihabara train station).

It’s called a “cafe and bar” because from 8:30AM – 5:00PM it’s a cafe with lunch meals and coffee on the menu, and then from 5:00PM til closing it becomes a bar and serves dinner and alcohol.

They also sell souvenirs such as Gundam Coffee, Gundam ashtrays, Gundam coasters, せんべい (rice crackers),　ガンダム人形焼き (Gundam “Ningyou-yaki” (which is a traditional Japanese snack)) and 「ガンプラ焼き」 (“Gunpla-yaki” (which is a たい焼き (traditional Japanese bean-filled snack) in the shape of a Gundam robot)…

「ガンプラ焼き」 ("Gunpla-yaki")

Smallest Gundam

In Tokyo right now, until the end of August, is the biggest Gundam robot ever made.
I wrote a post about it (Click here to see it).

Well, from 2009年8月31日(月) ～ 2009年11月30日(月) (Monday, August 31 – Monday, November 30 (2009)), 日清カップ・ヌードル (Nissin Cup Noodles) will give away the smallest Gundam figures ever made.

Just like the giant 18 meter tall Gundam robot in お台場 (Odaiba, Tokyo), these figures that come in the top of the noodle package are in commemoration of the 30th anniversary of Gundam‘s debut.

The Gundam figures

Only 1000 of this red and white figure will be made (making this one the most valuable):

Only 1000 of this figure will be available

ガンダム

Today, my wife and I went to お台場 (Odaiba, Tokyo).

お台場 (Odaiba) is a man-made island in Tokyo Bay that is most famous for the beautiful view that it offers of Tokyo’s skyline, the driverless train that connects the island to the downtown Tokyo, the shopping centers, the ferris wheel, the unique Fuji TV‘s headquarters, and the 自由の女神像 (Statue Of Liberty) there.

Fuji TV head-quarters

「自由の女神像」 (Statue Of Liberty) at Odaiba

Also, in お台場 (Odaiba) is the “Himiko” Tokyo Cruise boat that looks like a spaceship.
It was designed by the famous anime artist 松本零士 (Leiji Matsumoto).

"Himiko" Waterbus ship

My wife and I bought some 持ち帰り (take-out) 牛丼 (rice and beef) from the “Yoshinoya” Japanese ‘fast-food’ restaurant and a couple beers from a convenience store and had lunch near the “Himiko” ship.

From there, we went to the nearby 潮風公園 (Shiokaze Park).
This park is popular for family barbeques (BBQ). You don’t even need to bring anything to have a BBQ there…you can rent everything you need: utensils, plates, charcoal*, and even the food* (*the charcoal and food are sold…not rented, of course).

The reason that we went to this park today was because they have displayed an “actual size” 「ガンダム」 (Gundam) robot! It stands 18 meters (59 feet) high!

This 「ガンダム」 (Gundam) robot is on display in Odaiba until August 31 in honor of the 「ガンダム」 (Gundam) anime series’ 30th anniversary. (The anime debuted in 1979).

When we went there today they were still working on the “actual-size” robot, but it looked about finished.

Here are some of the photos I took:

Also, last year at 上井草駅 (Kami-Igusa train station) in Tokyo (not far from 新宿 (Shinjuku, Tokyo). there is a brass statue about three meters tall of the same 「ガンダム」 (Gundam) robot.

The reason this statue was built there is because the anime studio that draws 「ガンダム」 (Gundam) has their headquarters there in 上井草 (Kami-Igusa).

「ガンダム」 ("Gundam") statue in front of 上井草駅 (Kami-Igusa Stn).