Some People Still Don’t Know the Life-Sized nu Gundam Statue Exists

When people talk about Gundam statues in Japan, the conversation almost always goes straight to the iconic RX-78-2 and Unicorn Gundam in Odaiba. Those two have become massive tourist attractions over the years, even for people outside the Gundam fandom. But somehow, the life-sized Nu Gundam Statue still flies under the radar for many people.

And honestly, that feels surprising considering what mobile suit it represents.

The Nu Gundam from Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack is one of the most legendary designs in the entire franchise. Amuro Ray’s final mobile suit has always been treated as one of Gundam’s crown jewels, from GunPla to figures and video game appearances. So you would think a towering life-sized version of it would instantly become one of the most talked-about Gundam attractions in Japan.

Instead, a lot of people still react the same way whenever they first come across photos of it online:

“Wait… there’s a Nu Gundam statue?”

Located at Mitsui Shopping Park LaLaport Fukuoka, the statue opened in 2022 and stands at around 24.8 meters tall. Rather than using the standard Fin Funnel loadout from the movie, the statue comes equipped with the massive Long Range Fin Funnel, giving it a completely unique silhouette compared to the original design.

What makes the location even better is that the statue is also home to Gundam Side-F, the official Gundam entertainment space and store themed around the Nu Gundam. The area is filled with exclusive merchandise, GunPla kits, displays, and exhibits that fans cannot normally find elsewhere. For many visitors, it basically feels like a mini Gundam destination hidden inside Fukuoka.

And yet, despite all of that, it still doesn’t feel like the statue gets talked about enough outside dedicated Gundam circles.

Part of that probably comes down to location. Odaiba sits in Tokyo, which naturally gets far more international tourism and anime coverage. Meanwhile, Fukuoka feels more like a hidden gem compared to the usual anime travel hotspots. Because of that, many casual fans simply never hear about the Nu Gundam statue or Gundam Side-F unless they actively follow Gundam news pages or GunPla communities.

It also doesn’t help that the Unicorn Gundam has become deeply associated with modern Gundam tourism over the years. The transformation gimmick, the constant event coverage, and years of viral photos helped cement Odaiba as the definitive Gundam destination for many people worldwide.

Meanwhile, the Nu Gundam statue quietly exists in Fukuoka waiting for people to discover it.

And once they finally do, the reaction is almost always the same:

“How did I not know this existed sooner?”