August 2, 2026 12:26 pm EDT

Tokyo’s life-size Unicorn Gundam statue in Odaiba ends its public display on August 31, 2026, after nearly nine years.

The viewing window is now just weeks long, so it’s worth locking in flights to Tokyo and a place to stay in Odaiba soon — fares and room rates tend to firm up as a confirmed closure date approaches.

Why the Unicorn Gundam statue is leaving Odaiba

Bandai Namco announced at the Gundam Conference SPRING 2026 that the statue’s display will end on Aug 31. It depicts the RX-0 Unicorn Gundam from Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn, standing 19.7 metres tall and weighing about 49 tons.

It has stood in Festival Plaza, on DiverCity Tokyo Plaza’s 2nd floor, since Sept 24, 2017. No reason for the removal has been given beyond the end of its planned display run, and no successor statue has been confirmed.

Bandai Namco did tease a Gundam Landmark Project — a future Gundam facility in Japan — but without a confirmed location, statue, or opening date.

Book now: Flights and hotels before the farewell rush

A closing date this firm tends to pull travel demand forward. 

For where to stay, these Odaiba/Tokyo Bay picks put you within easy reach of DiverCity Tokyo Plaza:

  • Grand Nikko Tokyo Daiba — a waterfront hotel right next to Daiba Station, about a five-minute walk to DiverCity Tokyo Plaza.
  • Hilton Tokyo Odaiba — next to Aqua City Odaiba, roughly a 10-minute walk from Tokyo Teleport Station.
  • Villa Fontaine Grand Tokyo Ariake — a short ride from DiverCity via the Rinkai Line, a more affordable Tokyo Bay option.

Compare hotels in Tokyo on Wego and filter for Odaiba/Tokyo Bay to check current rates against these picks. Prices are likely to keep climbing as Aug 31 approaches, so comparing fares and rates now is the practical way to keep the trip affordable.

A 9-year Odaiba landmark: How we got here

The Unicorn Gundam is actually the second life-size Gundam statue to stand at DiverCity Tokyo Plaza. Its predecessor, the RX-78-2, took a longer route to get there.

July 2009

Original RX-78-2 Gundam debuts — at a different site

The first life-size Gundam statue is unveiled at Shiokaze Park, Odaiba, for Mobile Suit Gundam’s 30th anniversary, as part of the Green Tokyo Gundam Project.

2010–2011

Moved to Shizuoka, standing intact

The statue relocates to Higashi-Shizuoka for the city’s Hobby Fair, standing fully assembled from July 24, 2010 to March 27, 2011.

August 2011

Briefly back in Odaiba, in pieces for charity

For nine days at Symbol Promenade Park, a paid-admission display of the disassembled statue raises money for 2011 Tohoku earthquake relief.

2012

RX-78-2 arrives at DiverCity Tokyo Plaza

The statue is rebuilt as Ver. GFT and installed at the newly opened DiverCity Tokyo Plaza, where it stands until March 2017.

2017

RX-78-2 replaced by the Unicorn Gundam

The RX-78-2 is dismantled in March 2017. The 19.7-metre RX-0 Unicorn Gundam is completed on 24 September 2017 in Festival Plaza at DiverCity Tokyo Plaza.

Aug 31

Unicorn Gundam display ends

Nearly nine years after completion, the Unicorn Gundam’s public display in Odaiba concludes. No successor statue has been confirmed.

Farewell events and the Gundam stamp rally

The statue has worn newly designed farewell decals for its final months on display. A companion Gundam Stamp Rally 2026 ran across six spots in Odaiba’s Rinkai Fukutoshin waterfront district from early May through mid-July.

Check the official Gundam project channels for any further farewell activities before you fly, since dates can shift.

How to get to the Unicorn Gundam statue in Odaiba

The statue stands in Festival Plaza on DiverCity Tokyo Plaza’s 2nd floor, at 1-1-10 Aomi, Koto City, Tokyo. Two train lines get you there in about five minutes on foot.

  • Yurikamome Line: Daiba Station, roughly a five-minute walk.
  • Rinkai Line: Tokyo Teleport Station, roughly a five-minute walk.

Daytime transformation shows run at 11am, 1pm, 3pm, and 5pm. A longer illuminated night show plays daily from 19:00 to 21:30, projecting Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn scenes onto the DiverCity building.

Since a June 2025 mechanical fault, the transformation has run with partial shoulder movement only. The Gundam Base Tokyo is in the same mall, an easy add-on after seeing the statue.

Expect bigger crowds on weekends and around any newly announced farewell event, especially through August. A weekday morning visit is the more comfortable option if your dates are flexible.

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This article was first published in Wego.

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