6 The Life-Sized Unicorn Gundam Project, Tokyo

Big giant robots always get a lot of attention, and there are plenty of humorous fake pictures that show the mecha from various shows and comics descending on a city street. This Gundam robot is one of the real ones, however, and fans can find it in Tokyo.

The first version of the statue went up in 2017, and the public outcry when it was removed prompted the Tokyo Gundam Project to return it. The Life-Sized Unicorn Gundam, based on a design featured in the actual show, isn’t just a fun place for fans of the mecha genre. The location hosts family and community events like treasure hunts, movie showings, and light shows.

5 The One-Piece Statues, Kumamoto

One-Piece fans rejoice and make sure to visit the city of Kumamoto if you haven’t already. This is the hometown of Eiichiro Oda, the author and artist who created the original One-Piece manga. The statues are partially meant to commemorate the author and his work, but their main purpose is to help the city recover from the 2016 earthquakes.

The first two statues were unveiled in 2018 and featured the main protagonist of the series, Luffe, with his companions Usopp and Sanji going up a year later. The list doesn’t stop there, but continues into the present, with six more statues now scattered throughout town and others scheduled to go up this year. It’s one of the city’s most popular attractions, and a nice way to explore Kumamoto.

4 Attack On Titan Statues, Osaka

Visitors will find a variety of Attack On Titan statues throughout the grounds of Universal Studios Osaka, and fans need to see them all, but one of the best is the “Eating Titan” where fans can take pictures being consumed by one of the iconic beasts. The statues went up in 2015 as part of a related new exhibit, and there are also two full-sized fighting Titans and wax replicas of characters from the show.

The exhibit includes other anime such as Evangelion and Monster Hunter along with the popular video game franchise, BioHazard. Be advised that seeing any of these exhibitions requires entry into the Universal Studios Theme Park.

3 The “Birthplace Of Japanese Animation” Statues, Nerima

The bronze statues scattered throughout this quaint park can be found outside the Seibu Ikebukuro Subway Line station in Nerima, Japan, and they represent a variety of famous characters from both anime and manga. With several animation studios nearby, and many of them headquartered here for most of their history, these statues are intended to help celebrate the city as the birthplace of Japanese animation.

There are a total of three statues, with Astroboy being the most recognizable. The others are Lum Invader from Urusei Yatsura, as well as Tetsuro and Maetel from Galaxy Express 999. Animator and artist Leiji Matsumoto, who created Galaxy Express 999, was present when it was unveiled. Rumiko Takahashi, who created Ranma 1/2 and InuYasha, unveiled the Lum statue.

2 Robot Soldier, Mitaka City

This is one of the best anime statues anywhere, let alone in Japan, and it’s also one of the toughest to see. The Robot Soldier overlooks the rooftop garden of the Ghibli Museum, and tickets for admission have to be reserved weeks in advance.

Fans of Studio Ghibli movies will recognize the figure from Lupita: Castle In The Sky. There are several references to this particular fan favorite throughout the garden for those with an eye for detail, such as the inscribed Laputan control cube​​​​​​. The whole building and the surrounding grounds were designed by Miyazaki to resemble a variety of his creations, so there’s a lot more here for an anime aficionado other than statues.

1 The Nine-Tailed Demon Fox Statue, Kobe

Of course, there would have to be a theme park for one of the most popular anime and manga franchises in history, Naruto. This is where fans can find a massive statue of a demon fox. This statue is a depiction of the supernatural being known as the Kurama, or Nine-Tails, and it’s so big that it doubles as a rock-climbing wall. Another statue that’s just as impressive is the gigantic “Mount Rushmore” which features several famous characters.

The exact location of the park is on Awaji Island and is officially known as Naruto & Boruto Shinobi-zato. It’s an essential visit for fans of this series or its sequel, Baruto, and includes other diversions like a three-dimensional maze and ninja-training courses that mimic the ones from the show.

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