A prototype or things to be?
Gundam Factory Yokohama
I know that I was supposed to continue in chronological order of my latest trip to Japan in December 2022 but its hard not to want to jump ahead and talk about the ‘geekiest thing’ on this trip. Every since I heard about a ‘life sized’ original Gundam that could move and that it was there for a limited time, I knew I had to go check it out.
And then the pandemic struck.
It was a worse case scenario as the original closure was to be the end of March 2022 but with everyone unable to visit due to the pandemic, locally or overseas, they decided to extended it to the end of March 2023 once Japan had reopened to tourists. Yeah! (and as a further update, it is now extended to March 2024)
So… priority number one, okay maybe three, as visiting Miyakojima and Matsuyama was also on my list of priorities for this trip; okay, four, as visiting Kinkakuji again in Kyoto was also on the list - and like Monty Python’s famous Spanish Inquisition sketch - Let me run back in and start again.
After some scheduling gymnastics, I was happy that everything aligned and I could visit Yokohama again as it is my favourite city in Eastern Japan.
Getting to the location is not very hard. There are many ways to get there but since I was staying near the JR Sakuragicho Station, I took the bus instead of walking. Walking is also enjoyable as the waterfront area is beautiful and only takes approximately 30 minutes but I was too excited to see this remarkable exhibit. I will talk more about some of the great things to see and do in Yokohama in future posts.
The time slot conundrum
One thing I learned on about visiting popular places in Japan is that every place requires a time slot to visit (and every place has its own app and ticket which contains a QR code). This isn’t something new in Japan but definitely check the website and read everything about when you want to visit, closures, holidays, extra fees, when tickets go on sale, etc…
When I was planning my visit and doing the scheduling gymnastics that I mentioned earlier, I had a few variations of my trip depending on the timing. Normally, this would not be so difficult but I also wanted to go see it up close and personal, and not just at any time, but as close to sunset as possible.
“Golden hour in Japan is shorter than you think so plan accordingly”
When I arrived, I saw the line ups at the front, the various queues directing traffic and checked the signs. Since I had reserved my tickets and had printed my tickets with the QR codes (just in case my cell phone battery died) I skipped a head and showed my first QR ticket to gain admission.
The Gundam had just finishing its first performance and was already in the kneeling pose when I entered the main area. Looking around, I started to scout for good angles, keeping a close tab on my sun tracking app of where sunset was going to be and when it would get dark. The main building has a gift shop on the main floor, stairs to go to the small cafe and balcony area. I watched a couple of the performances and took some photos from different places that I could get an unobstructed view. Tripods aren’t allowed so I use my camera bag to brace my camera while on the stairs as well as the balcony when the sun started to set.
Upclose and Personal
My reserved time slot was 420-520 pm and at the appointed time, I presented my second ticket for the ‘up close and personal portion’ and was told to line up in one of the four queues. We were then told in Japanese (but they did have English instructions on placards) that no baggage other than cameras or cell phones were allowed and that they needed to be put in a free locker at the base before each group got on to the elevator. The area was monitored by staff so there was no fear of my camera bag being stolen. I chose my Canon 16-35 f/2.8L lens for my camera as it was going to be tight, the sun was starting to set and I would need a fast aperture to be able to hand hold it steadily.
We then proceeded by group to the first elevator and got off at the 5F. Another staff greeted us and then told us to wait at one of the dots on the ground for the first sequence of the program to begin. This was all explained in Japanese but he did have a placard also to explained in English. Using a stop watch, he instructed us to rotate to the next dot on the ground in 1 minute intervals so that everyone could see and/or take their photos. The path was arranged that the first part was close to the glass and the second part was moving back towards to the elevator again.
The platform is a real metal and thick glass structure that this could literally be a real operational Gundam that we are seeing. Obviously, this has its advantages and disadvantage due to the timing of the performance. It was very orderly and people did not mind someone next to them take a photo quickly from their personal space. Also, everyone was asked to kneel if they were closest to the glass in the front row so that those behind them on the way out. Once the whole performance was completed which was pretty much everyone who attended, we then proceeded to the 6th floor to do it all over again.
When I was up near the glass, I slapped on my circular polarizer to cut out some of the glare as there was a lot of stray reflection as the sun was setting to the left of my position. I also braced my lens on the glass and cranked up my ISO to take my photos and hoped my shutter speed wasn’t too slow. At the end, I managed to get a few great shots and even posted one on my Instagram Account @nippon_edo72.
Start the party!!
Once we were done, I took the elevator back down and reclaimed my camera bag. The sun set was pretty much in its last stages before it became pitch black. The great thing about the time that I chose was that the Gundam was starting illuminate. Now, that it was getting darker, even more lights around the frame was starting to be more obvious. The two things that I think when I look at the photos below now is that it could be a gigantic rave party. If Daft Punk was here, it would be even more perfect! The other thing was that photos can not truely capture the scale even with real references like humans that it still looks like a diorama.
By the time I left, I think spent over 3-4 hours and was now starving. Taking another bus back to JR Sakuragicho Station, I dropped off everything in my hotel room before heading out to eat.
