The storied legacy of the Mobile Suit Gundam franchise has spawned several massive life-size statues on display across Japan, including a Unicorn model, the RX-93 (or Nu Gundam) iteration, and an RX-78 installation. While the former two are permanently housed in Tokyo and Fukuoka, respectively, the classic mech from the original 1979 anime is no longer at Yokohama Factory in Tokyo, soon to be relocated to Osaka for Expo 2025.
With that event running from 13 April to 13 October this year, the future of this massive Gundam machine remains uncertain as there’s no word on whether it will return to its old haunt but as it turns out, the RX-78 Gundam is taking flight across Southeast Asia afterwards, charting a route that ends with its eventual homecoming at the end of 2027.
The first-of-its-kind Gundam Global World Tour is bringing the 46-year-old franchise out of Japan, as it’s making its way around the world, setting foot in Singapore, Thailand, and Indonesia, where each stop will see the massive icon stand tall in a country for six months.
The first Gundam invasion kicks off on 5 December, just in time for Singapore Comic-Con, or SGCC, happening on the same weekend, before moving onwards to Bangkok, Thailand from August 2026 to February 2027. It’s still too early for any event tie-up but Geek Culture understands that the 18-metre tall statue will likely take centre stage at the Thailand Game Show, which usually takes place during that time of the year.
Jakarta, Indonesia marks the last leg of the tour, spanning April to October 2027, with the two-month break between each country reserved for teardown, transport and setup (no, this thing does not and cannot fly itself).
Here are the full list of countries, locations and date details:
- Singapore: 5 December 2025 to 5 June 2026, Gardens by the Bay.
- Thailand: 12 August 2026 to 12 February 2027, Siam Centre Mall (Bangkok).
- Indonesia: 20 April to 20 October 2027, Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium (Jakarta).
Notably, the venue for Bangkok is also home to Southeast Asia’s first flagship Gundam Base, which already has a smaller-scale RX-78 statue on display. During the six-month stint, it’ll be replaced by the life-size version, spelling more excitement for fans and visitors in the country.
Closer to home ground, Gardens by the Bay is a sound choice, serving as an appropriate follow-up to the Transformers: Rise of the Beasts exclusive world premiere event in May 2023, and before that, the rollout of life-size Optimus Prime and Optimus Primal statues. Having the OG Gundam take over from its equally iconic robot counterparts is nothing short of symbolic, whether intentional or not.
While the decision to include Thailand as a stop is a no-brainer, the addition of Singapore and Indonesia can be attributed to the increased sales of Gunpla kits and greater interest in the hobby. According to sources close to the project, the tour may possibly expand into other territories if sufficient buzz is generated, although no concrete plans were shared.
As for why Gundam won’t be traveling to more countries in Asia, it’s understood that there was fierce bidding by the tourism ministries for each country, and Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia recognised the draw of Gundam and opted to go big for this project.
One more reason to look forward to December – apart from the usual festivities!
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If you’ve made it this far, well, Happy April Fool’s! Unfortunately, there won’t be any Southeast Asia tour featuring Japan’s life-size RX-78 Gundam, but hey, it could become a reality one day. One can only wish!
Passion and love mean little to the Baroness. No man can ever be her master. Where there’s terror to be sown and coin earned, that’s where she will be with guns akimbo.
Si Jia
Natalie
