On Wednesday 22nd December, a new life-size RX-93ff νGundam statue was finally unveiled at the Mitsui Shopping Park LaLaport Fukuoka, a shopping complex that is scheduled to open in Spring 2022. In Japanese culture, it is customary to hold a "Jotoshiki" (roof-laying ceremony) to mark the completion and long-term safety of newly built house or building. The event to celebrate the construction of this impressive Gundam model was a similar type of ceremony; however the organizers called it a "Jotoshiki / Head Installation Ceremony."* The press were given the chance to attend and witness the full grandeur of the statue.

* The word "Jotoshiki" consists of three Kanji characters. The central character is read as "棟 (tou)" and means building. For this event, the organizers swapped the character for "building" with one meaning "頭 (head)," which although has a different meaning can also be read as "tou."

The newly constructed "RX-93ff νGundam" now proudly stands in Fukuoka! The statue is based on the "ν Gundam" appeared in the 1988 movie "Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack"! The model, which is equipped with a "long range fin funnel," has been decorated in a tricolor paint scheme of red, yellow, and blue. Apparently, the initials "ff" that feature in the name have more than one meaning... The letters represent "Fukuoka Factory" and "Fin Funnel." This full-scale statue is the sixth standing Gundam installation (five in Japan and one in Shanghai, China), at height of approx. 24.8m, this is currently the tallest Gundam standing statue in the world!

Various people and parties connected to the project were invited to the "Head Installation Ceremony." Time was set aside to pray for the structure's safety. A priest from Kasuga Shrine (Kasuga city, Fukuoka Prefecture) purified the head of the Gundam statue. Afterwards, a large crane slowly lifted it up and placed it on top of the body!

Fujiwara Koji, chief Gundam officer from BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc., was at the event. Mr. Fujiwara spoke about the growing popularity of the Gundam series overseas, especially in Asia and North America. He told the crowd, "Fukuoka is easily accessible from neighboring Asian cities, so I hope lots of people can visit and experience the power of Gundam." He went on to quote a famous line, "ν Gundam wa da-te jyanai!"" (lit.: Don't underestimate ν Gundam!). The statue in it's entirety was only shown to the media at the event. A few final adjustments will now be made to the structure. It is scheduled to be completed at the end of February 2022. Details about the soon-to-be opened "Gundam Park Fukuoka" entertainment facility are also expected to be announced soon, so be sure to stay tuned for any announcements!