Tokyo's Gundam Robot Statue Upclose Odaiba
Tokyo's Gundam Robot Statue Upclose Odaiba
Overview
John Daub takes viewers on an intimate family outing to Odaiba to get up close with the iconic Unicorn Gundam statue standing proudly in front of Diver City Tokyo. This live-streamed video captures the excitement of visiting one of Tokyo's most recognizable landmarks while sharing a meal of takoyaki with his young son Leo. As a longtime resident of Japan, John provides context about how robots have become ubiquitous in Japanese culture—from convenience stores to hotels to the humble barista—while the Gundam stands as a monumental protector of humanity. The video balances intimate family moments, casual sightseeing, and interaction with the live chat, creating an authentic slice of life in Tokyo's waterfront district. With the Gundam Yokohama location having closed down, this Odaiba statue represents the last accessible giant Gundam in the Greater Tokyo Area.
Highlights
- 00:02 First glimpse of the Unicorn Gundam statue with John narrating its significance
- 00:39 John reflects on the proliferation of robots throughout Japan and calls the Gundam "the only one protecting humanity from itself"
- 01:11 Leo makes his debut appearance, ready to defend the world alongside the Gundam
- 01:43 John picks up a six-pack of takoyaki for him and Leo at Diver City's food court
- 02:50 John discovers the statue is now fenced off but still impressively close
- 03:54 Celebration of John and Kanae's 2018 anniversary with a shoutout to Michael's gift
- 05:07 John examines the intricate details of the Gundam including rocket blasters and structural bolts
- 06:16 Takoyaki eating session begins as Leo waits patiently
- 12:39 Leo takes control of the gimbal to show the Gundam to the live stream viewers
- 14:17 John shows the map and explains Odaiba's geography, the Yurikamome line, and the contrast between the island and central Tokyo skyscrapers
Timeline / Chapters
00:02 — Introduction at the Gundam Statue John arrives at Diver City Tokyo and introduces the Unicorn Gundam statue. Notes that the Yokohama location has closed, making this the only accessible one in the area.
00:39 — Robots in Japan John reflects on the many robots in Japanese daily life—restaurants, hotels, convenience stores, and baristas—positioning the Gundam as unique among them.
01:11 — Leo Joins the Stream Leo appears, and John picks up takoyaki from the food court. The food court is crowded with families on a Sunday.
01:43 — Takoyaki Acquisition and Waiting John shows the takoyaki six-pack and waits for it to cool down. Discusses the crowded Sunday atmosphere.
02:50 — Getting Close to the Gundam John approaches the Gundam and discovers it's been fenced off but remains very close. Compares Leo's size to the massive robot.
03:21 — Anniversary Shoutout Thanks Michael for an anniversary gift. Acknowledges John and Kanae's 2018 wedding anniversary. Leo enjoys being near the fence.
03:54 — Examining the Details John walks around the backside, noting maintenance bolts and hidden structural details. Imagines if someone could actually pilot it.
05:07 — Up Close with Rocket Blasters John examines the rocket blasters and marvels at the realistic details. Confirms there was no movement at noon despite rumors.
05:42 — Takoyaki Break Begins John and Leo head to eat teriyaki tamago takoyaki. Notes that the Gundam cafe has declined in popularity.
06:16 — Eating Takoyaki with Leo Detailed takoyaki eating scene. Leo is patient during the wait. John shows the egg topping and cheese. Leo gets chopsticks.
08:59 — Super Chats and Leo's Reactions Super chats from Michael and Brandy for Leo's snacks. Leo reacts to the chat. John plans to get ice cream with the donations.
10:31 — Heading to Ice Cream John mentions the long takoyaki line (about 10 minutes). Plans to get Leo ice cream and cotton candy.
11:32 — Cycling Distance John mentions it's about a 15-minute bicycle ride from his home to Odaiba. Leo continues eating.
12:07 — Leo's First Youtuber Moment Leo finishes takoyaki. John encourages Leo to show the robot to the viewers.
12:39 — Leo Controls the Gimbal Leo takes the camera and films the Gundam, getting a good panning shot. John cheers him on.
13:44 — Inside Diver City Heading inside to get Leo ice cream. John declines to livestream inside the mall.
14:17 — Odaiba Geography Lesson John shows the map and explains Odaiba is a man-made island. Describes the Yurikamome driverless monorail and notes the futsal court on the Diver City roof.
15:27 — Contrasting Tokyo Landscapes Discusses the contrast between Tokyo's skyscrapers and Odaiba's open spaces. Mentions the Tokyo Statue photo spot and their bicycle ride.
17:07 — Cotton Candy and Gachapon Shows cotton candy from a nearby machine. Leo spots gachapon (capsule toys). Ice cream selection begins.
18:15 — Ice Cream Selection Leo picks a color for ice cream. Thanks super chat senders. Prepares to leave.
18:46 — Goodbye and Tomorrow's预告 Thanks viewers. Announces tomorrow's stream will feature the Olympic Village. Final farewells with Leo saying bye.
Japan Travel Tips
- Getting to Odaiba: Take the Yurikamome Line, a driverless automated monorail that connects from Shimbashi Station. It offers scenic views across Tokyo Bay.
- Best time to visit: Sundays are busy with families, but the atmosphere is lively. Weekdays may offer fewer crowds for photos.
- Bicycle access: Odaiba is accessible by bicycle from mainland Tokyo. John mentions a 15-minute ride from his home area.
- Gundam viewing: The Unicorn Gundam stands in front of Diver City Tokyo Plaza. A fence now surrounds it, but you can still get quite close for photos.
- Food court options: Diver City has a large food court with various options including takoyaki stands.
- Nearby attractions: Check out the rooftop futsal courts on Diver City. The Tokyo Statue photo spot is nearby.
- Contrast experience: Odaiba offers a different Tokyo experience with more open spaces compared to the dense city center—a nice break from typical Tokyo sightseeing.
- Budget for snacks: Takoyaki runs around a few hundred yen. Ice cream and cotton candy are additional affordable treats.
Japanese Language & Culture Notes
- Takoyaki (たこ焼き): Octopus balls—a popular street food made of wheat flour batter cooked in a distinctive pan, topped with bonito flakes, sauce, and various fillings. Teriyaki tamago (teriyaki egg) is a popular variation with sweet glaze and egg.
- Gundam (ガンダム): A massively popular Japanese anime franchise that began in 1979. The mobile suits (mechanical weapons) have become cultural icons. "Unicorn Gundam" refers to a specific design featuring a horn that transforms.
- Matane (またね): A casual way to say goodbye, literally meaning "again" or "see you again."
- Oishi (おいしい): Delicious—Leo enthusiastically declares the takoyaki "oishi."
- Atsui (あつい): Hot—John uses this before offering Leo more takoyaki.
- Gachapon (ガチャポン): Capsule toy machines found throughout Japan. Leo spots these in the mall.
- Robot culture in Japan: John reflects on how robots have permeated daily life—robot restaurants, robot hotels, robot baristas—yet the Gundam stands unique as a protector.
- Sunday family culture: The packed food court reflects Japanese family culture where parents take children out on weekends to shopping malls and entertainment districts like Odaiba.
- Anniversary culture: John and Kanae's 2018 wedding anniversary being acknowledged on stream shows how live streaming creates community moments with viewers.
Food & Drink Guide
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Takoyaki (たこ焼き) — Octopus balls from Diver City food court
- Teriyaki tamago (teriyaki egg) variation with cheese
- ~10 minute wait in line
- John and Leo share a six-pack
- Leo declares it "oishi" (delicious)
- 06:16
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Cotton Candy (わたあめ) — Found inside Diver City near gachapon machines
- Colorful treat Leo spots after takoyaki
- 17:42
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Ice Cream — Available inside Diver City
People
- John Daub: Host and longtime Japan resident (30+ years). Provides cultural context, guides viewers through Odaiba, and shares a family outing with his son. Warm, conversational style that engages both Leo and the live chat.
- Leo: John's young son who joins the stream. Patient and well-behaved during the takoyaki wait, gets excited about ice cream and cotton candy, and even takes control of the gimbal to film the Gundam—his "first YouTuber" moment.
- Kanae Daub: John's Japanese wife, mentioned briefly as the couple celebrates their 2018 wedding anniversary. John hopes she doesn't watch a certain moment in the stream.
- Michael Sassano / Michael: Super Chat sender who also sent an anniversary gift. Funds Leo's snacks and ice cream through multiple donations.
- Brandy: Super Chat sender who contributed to Leo's cotton candy fund.
- Rainer: Super Chat sender appearing in the live chat.
- Raymond: Super Chat sender appearing at the end of the stream.
Key Takeaways
- The Unicorn Gundam at Diver City Tokyo in Odaiba remains the only accessible giant Gundam statue in the Greater Tokyo Area after the Yokohama location closed.
- Odaiba is a man-made island connected to central Tokyo by the driverless Yurikamome monorail, offering a different atmosphere with more open space and waterfront views.
- John bikes approximately 15 minutes from his home to reach Odaiba, making it a convenient destination for Tokyo residents.
- The Gundam statue has been fenced off for safety but remains impressively close and detailed, with rocket blasters, structural bolts, and intricate mechanical details.
- Sunday outings to shopping malls with family food court meals represent quintessential Japanese family culture.
- The live stream format creates community engagement, with Super Chat donations funding Leo's treats and creating shared viewing moments.
- Robots have become deeply integrated into Japanese daily life, yet giant anime statues like Gundam hold a special cultural significance as protectors and icons.
Notable Quotes
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00:02 "There she is. Or he. That is the Gundam unicorn in front of Diver City. And I thought I would take you up close and personal with the robot, or should I say mobile suit?"
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00:39 "There are robots everywhere. There's a robot restaurant. There's a robot hotel. There's robot convenience stores. There's robot baristas as well. And this is the only one that's protecting humanity from itself."
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02:19 "We got a six pack. Actually, we got Teddy Tama, which is really good."
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03:54 "I like to have warning, hidden structural bolts. See? Maintenance manual. Like, it's the little things that make this kind of cool."
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05:07 "It looks very much like it could actually go somewhere, doesn't it? Like it could be powered to save the universe or whatever they do."
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14:56 "Odaiba is on an island. This is a man-made island. And you can take the Yurikamome line, which is like a driverless monorail."
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15:27 "It's a really big contrast. You can see between the skyscrapers of Tokyo and out here, there's a lot more open space."
Related Topics
- Only in Japan Go — Odaiba & Waterfront Tokyo
- Only in Japan Go — Robot Culture in Japan
- Only in Japan Go — Family Life in Japan
- Only in Japan Go — Yurikamome Monorail Tour
- Only in Japan Go — Tokyo Food Courts & Street Food
- Only in Japan Go — Gundam Theme Parks & Experiences
Search Tags
#only-in-japan-go #tokyo #gundam #odaiba #diver-city-tokyo #unicorn-gundam #robot-statue #mecha #anime-japan #family-vlog #takoyaki #yurikamome #man-made-island #tokyo-bay #tokyo-2024 #live-stream #japan-life #bicycle-tokyo #gachapon #cotton-candy #ice-cream-japan #japan-travel #tokyo-sightseeing #gundam-fan #mobile-suit
Full Transcript
00:02 John Daub: There she is. Or he. That is the Gundam unicorn in front of Diver City. And I thought I would take you up close and personal with the robot, or should I say mobile suit? Now, the one in Yokohama has closed down. This is the only one that I know of in Tokyo or in the area that you can go and see now.
00:39 John Daub: There are robots everywhere. There's a robot restaurant. There's a robot hotel. There's robot convenience stores. There's robot baristas as well. I've seen them working pretty hard. And this is the only one that's protecting humanity from itself.
01:11 John Daub: And they call it the unicorn because of that right there. How you doing, everybody? So I'm here today with Leo. Jump. He's ready to defend the world as well. Okay, come on now. Let's go see the robot up close. Kneel this way. Now we've also got with us takoyaki.
01:43 John Daub: Check it out. We went in and got a sixer. Leo, over here. This is gonna be fun. Leo and I are gonna eat this. We're kind of just waiting for it to cool down. But you can see inside there the food court is packed. I guess it's because it's a Sunday and there's a lot of families around.
02:19 John Daub: But we got a six pack. Actually, we got Teddy Tama, which is really good. This Leo, this way. Bye bye. He's picking up every single stick. Oh, here we go. Okay, come on over here. Let's take up the robot real close up. Check it out here.
02:50 John Daub: Now, you can't actually. I thought you could walk underneath it, but they put this fence around it so you can't actually go and touch it. But you can get pretty darn close. If you look at Leo and you compare it to the robot, the robot is just massive.
03:21 John Daub: Thank you, Michael. Michael sent us a anniversary gift. Today is Kanai and John's anniversary, 2018. I can't believe the time has flown by that fast. Leo came three years later. There he is, kind of enjoying the fence. Let's look at the back side of this here, Leo.
03:54 John Daub: Let's look at the backside. Come on. I like to have warning, hidden structural bolts. See? Maintenance manual. Like, it's the little things that make this kind of cool. Like, I wonder, like, if something were to happen, could somebody get in this and start to fly it around to protect the country?
04:34 John Daub: If so, it could be Leo. Boy, the details are incredible on it, though. This is thought that they had, like, steam and it sort of moved, but didn't. I was waiting at 12 o'clock noon for it to see if there was any kind of movement, and there wasn't anything there.
05:07 John Daub: But this is as close as you're going to get to the Unicorn Mobile seat Gundam in Odaiba's Diver City here. There are the rocket blasters in the back. But it looks very much like it could actually go somewhere, doesn't it? Like it could be powered to save the universe or whatever they do.
05:42 John Daub: All right, Leo, let's go over here and eat some of this takoyaki. It's teritama, so it's teriyaki egg. This is the. There's actually a Gandham store right here. I think this is a cafe. Used to be lines, but now it's. It's kind of old now, so it's not as popular, perhaps.
06:16 John Daub: Yeah. All right, let's have a seat here, Leo. And we're gonna eat some takoyaki. Boom. This is how we do it now. I was gonna. I was gonna do go to Tokyo. An airplane. Wow. That could be you guys. Anybody visiting Japan watching on the airplane right now.
06:48 John Daub: Where's he going? That's kind of far away, Leo. Takoyaki. Here he comes. Yosh, that's our view. Yeah. Here I get some takoyaki. Oh, okay. It's cooled down a lot. You want to eat some? There's, like, some Disney event going on over there too, so check it out.
07:20 John Daub: This is the takoyaki we have for lunch. It's just a snack. It's. You see the egg there? This is a teriyaki tamago. Tamago means egg, so there's also cheese on it, so it should be really good. Here's your chopsticks, Leah. Hey, why don't you eat it here?
07:52 John Daub: And I'm gonna put the plastic there in case you drop it. Don't touch, Neil. No, no. It's gonna break. Say hello. Hi. What's your name? What's your name? How old are you? Interview is over. It's also near nap time, so usually he gets. Okay, here, You want to say something?
08:26 John Daub: Oh, don't. He's, like, timing people out. All right, here you go, Leo. Here, you wanna. Okay, You ready to eat? All right. Michael. Michael Sassano. Did you say Michael? Here you go. This is cheese. Too big. Okay. Oh, here you go. Good. Oh, this one has shrimp.
08:59 John Daub: You want some egg? Okay. Neil's like, take it easy. It's really good. This one has cheese. Oh, this is two. And. Power up. We got a long ride home. We do. Here we go. What are you doing? You gonna be a YouTuber? Leo, something you want to say?
09:29 John Daub: He's looking at the. He's looking at the chat. That's why he's so close. Wait, what are you doing? What's so funny? Michael? Here's Leo's first super chat to get him more snacks to eat. Michael. Actually, I'm gonna go get him some ice cream with that.
10:00 John Daub: There's a place he's like. He was looking at it in cotton candy and Brandonia's here. Jumped in just in time to see Leo's face. I give him enough for. All right, this is for Leo's drink and cotton candy fund. Thanks, guys. Mahalo. Okay. Okay.
10:31 John Daub: Thank you. Oishi. What's that? Boy, the line was really long for the takoyaki here. I think it was about what do. We went 10 minutes for this and then we saw the ice cream later, so we got to go take Leo in to get the ice cream and the cotton candy.
11:02 John Daub: Atsui, You want some taco? I hear some Chakotama here. Yeah. You feel powered up. So from where I live, it's about a. So where I live, it's about a 10 minute, 10 minute ride. No, it's about 15 minute bicycle ride to get here. That's pretty nice.
11:32 John Daub: Pretty nice. You gotta power up the Gandham statue. You want one? Feed Gandham. Does he. Does he eat? No, he's not eating. Oh, wait. You want one more? Okay. Here. That's a big one. Where are you going? What is that? What are you doing? All right, let's go see one more time.
12:07 John Daub: This robot. You eat this one, Dada. Eat it. Okay, I'm finished. Thanks, guys. All right. Takoyaki. Always really good. Good snack for. For robot watching. All right. You gonna go show the robot? All right, you gotta say hello. Hi. You want to show the robot?
12:39 John Daub: Okay. You're gonna hold it? You hope. Are you sure? Don't drop it. Okay, Go show the robot. Leo has the gimbal. Now Leo has the gimbal. Leo, what are you doing? He's youtubing. No, no, no. Wait, wait. Look at this here. Hold it here and you can show the people.
13:12 John Daub: Show the people the robot. Look on the screen. Look on the screen. Show the robot here. Robot. Oh, yeah. Good. He's panning up. Oh, that was a good shot. All right, he's done. You want ice cream? All right. Michael and Brandy got you some. Yeah, no kidding.
13:44 John Daub: Don't drop the gimbal. Alright, come on, laughing boy. We can go get some ice cream inside of there. But I don't know if I want to go and livestream inside of the shopping mall. I think that's going to be a little bit too much more beyond what I want to do.
14:17 John Daub: But I think, you know, on a nice day like this, it's nice to get out with the family. And Odaiba is a really nice place. This is exactly where we are here. Let me show you on the map. So Odaiba is on an island. This is a man made island. And you can take the Yurikamome line, which is like a driverless monorail.
14:56 John Daub: And you can see Diver City. There's the unicorn Gangdam, which is so cool right there as we go around. I didn't even know. On the roof of the diversity, there's like futsal, like little soccer, mini soccer course. And you can see Gandham right there.
15:27 John Daub: Gundam. Gundam. Yeah, we're right in front. We're right behind it. I'm gonna pull out here. Hey, Rainer's here. You got it. I'm gonna go get Leo something to eat. Get him some ice cream, which is what he wants. Mama's gonna love that. I hope she doesn't watch this stream, but that's how close we are to the city.
16:06 John Daub: And it's a really big contrast. You can see between the skyscrapers of Tokyo and out here, there's a lot more open space. There's some playgrounds. I took Leo to this Tokyo statue, which is kind of cool. So we rode our bicycles out to here.
16:36 John Daub: And you can get a picture with the Tokyo statue. That's a good one. I thought it was a good shot. We're doing the Y in Tokyo. He's all ready to get some ice cream. All right, Leo. All right, I gotta throw. Let's go throw this away. Stay with daddy.
17:07 John Daub: And he's with me, guys. He's right on my heel. All right, let's. Let's throw this bag away. I'll show you the cotton candy, which is pretty cool. Right here. Leo, let's come over here. Had some gachapon over there in the corner. Wow. That's what I'm talking about right there.
17:42 John Daub: Yeah, you want that one? The cotton candy. Wow. Whoa. Did you see that? Wow. Okay, we gotta get the ice cream. Okay, we're gonna get some ice cream. So we're gonna get the ice cream here, Michael. They've got some good flavors. Wow. Actually, they got some good colors.
18:15 John Daub: Pick a color. So we're gonna get some ice cream here from Odaiba. Thanks, guys, for the super chats, but that cotton candy. Looks pretty cool. Wow. All right, let's get some ice cream. All right, Leo. All right. Say thank you. Bye Bye.
18:46 John Daub: Alright, thanks, guys. We'll see you in another live stream tomorrow. I think I'll take you to the Olympic Village where they have opened it up. There's some shopping malls. It's pretty interesting. New area in Tokyo. Not a lot of people have shown where the Olympic Village was.
19:21 John Daub: And with Paris Olympics opening up soon, it's kind of neat. Thank you, Raymond. Thanks a lot, Raymond. More sugar? Really, that's the last thing we need. All right, guys, see you later. Matane. Thank you, Rainer.