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The huge robot that saved a city

June 2, 2019 | Michael Turtle | 19 Comments

STREET ART

Tetsujin 28-go statue, Kobe, Japan

If you were around in the 1960s – or if you’re a fan of vintage comics – you might know the story of Gigantor, a huge flying robot controlled by a 12-year-old boy with a remote control. Gigantor was the international version of a Japanese anime called Tetsujin 28-go (not as catchy, right?).

The Japanese character was created by artist Mitsuteru Yokoyama, who was born in the city of Kobe.

Unfortunately the character, being fictional, was unable to help when Kobe was hit by a devastating earthquake in 1995. More than 6,000 people lost their lives in the quake and there was about $100 billion dollars worth of damage.

Tetsujin 28-go statue gigantor, large manga statue, Kobe, Japan

But Gigantor (or Tetsujin 28-go, to be technically correct) has helped the city in other ways.

A huge statue of the character was built in Kobe after the earthquake as part of an expansive project to rebuild and rejuvenate the area. The idea was to bring life to a damaged heart and bring visitors to damaged city.

Tetsujin 28-go statue gigantor, large manga statue, Kobe, Japan

The statue in the Nagata Ward stands 18 metres high. It dwarves everything around it and makes even grand buildings seem insignificant in comparison.

It cost about 1.4 million dollars to build and weighs about 50 tons. Unveiled in 2009, it brings hundreds of visitors and tourists to Kobe every day.

Tetsujin 28-go statue gigantor, large manga statue, Kobe, Japan

It’s no surprise that it’s a comic character that was chosen as the subject for this statue. Aside from representing strength and hope, it reflects a national obsession with comics in Japan.

They’re called ‘manga’ here – a word that has spread across the world as a definition for the particular style of Japanese comics.

The stories aren’t just for kids. In fact, the majority of these manga books are read by adults and there are characters and styles to cater to almost every possible taste.

Tetsujin 28-go statue gigantor, large manga statue, Kobe, Japan

It is a huge industry in Japan and is worth about 6 billion dollars a year. Yes, you read that right, 6 billion. That’s not even taking into account the animated comics called ‘anime’ which are worth even more!

In Kobe, a small museum to the life of Gigantor’s creator, Mitsuteru Yokoyama, is just a short stroll away down the city’s main mall. It’s really only there because of the statue and gives visitors a bit more information about the character and the man behind it.

Tetsujin 28-go statue gigantor, large manga statue, Kobe, Japan

Tetsujin 28-go statue gigantor, large manga statue, Kobe, Japan

Throughout Japan, though, there are plenty of museums and exhibitions dedicated to manga generally and specific topics within the genres.

As a foreign tourist, you may not appreciate the nuances of some of the displays but it is an excellent way to learn more about an aspect of Japanese society that really captures the passions of the people more than almost anything else.

Reader Interactions

    Comments Cancel reply

  1. zoomingjapan |

    September 11, 2013 at 11:39 pm

    Reply

    Haha, I always see it when I pass by in the train.
    You got some really nice shots of the statue! 🙂

    • Michael Turtle |

      September 13, 2013 at 3:34 am

      Reply

      I didn’t realise you could see it from the train as well. That’s actually quite cool – it would make the trip to work each day a little bit more enjoyable!! 🙂

  2. Lauren Meshkin @BonVoyageLauren |

    September 12, 2013 at 5:46 am

    Reply

    Ha, that statue is awesome! A bit mental but awesome. Also, $6 billion?! Great post, thanks for sharing.

    Happy travels 🙂

    • Michael Turtle |

      September 13, 2013 at 3:31 am

      Reply

      I know! 6 billion really shocked me. But it’s such a huge industry in Japan and everyone is always reading manga books.

  3. Laura @Travelocafe |

    September 13, 2013 at 4:53 am

    Reply

    I have been last year to Kobe, Japan and I loved to see the robot and the market around it.

    • Michael Turtle |

      September 17, 2013 at 5:54 am

      Reply

      If you’re not expecting it, it’s a bit of a shock, isn’t it? I went there looking for it but I was still surprised at how big it was!

  4. Andrew |

    September 14, 2013 at 10:09 pm

    Reply

    Neat. I am a big fan of Anime, which is actually one of my reasons to want to see Japan. I was so surprised to see a Gundam statue in Rotterdam last spring, but it was small, only 2 m compared to this guy’s 18m. Eesh. Japan would be great for that.
    I wish the manga and anime prices in the west were not so expensive. I would read more if they were more reasonable.

    • Michael Turtle |

      September 17, 2013 at 5:59 am

      Reply

      You can stock up when you go to Japan! (Although you may need to be able to read Japanese to make the most of your purchases. There is probably somewhere that sells English ones.)

  5. Mary @ Green Global Travel |

    September 14, 2013 at 10:10 pm

    Reply

    There is something incredibly heart warming about your story and it’s heroic central figure! I love that a culture so passionately obsessed with Manga found a genuine comic book hero to lift their spirits and help them overcome such a devastating natural disaster. Brilliant post! 🙂

    • Michael Turtle |

      September 17, 2013 at 6:00 am

      Reply

      It is nice, isn’t it? I think Japanese people see manga characters almost as part of their society. The comics are so ingrained in their culture that it probably doesn’t seem quite as weird to have an enormous statue of one in the middle of a city.

  6. nicole |

    September 15, 2013 at 1:30 am

    Reply

    Oh wow! I would go there to see that robot. All while eating some kobe beef.

    • Michael Turtle |

      September 17, 2013 at 6:00 am

      Reply

      Ha ha – oh, of course, the Kobe beef. Yum yum yum… 🙂

  7. Jennifer |

    September 15, 2013 at 7:39 pm

    Reply

    I would totally go to see the giant robot, so I guess their plan is working! 😉

    • Michael Turtle |

      September 17, 2013 at 6:01 am

      Reply

      Kobe is looking pretty good these days so I guess it is! 🙂

  8. T.W. Anderson @ Marginal Boundaries |

    September 16, 2013 at 7:10 am

    Reply

    Amazing! I had an inkling of the type of money it brought in every year, but didn’t know it was that much. People love their anime!

    • Michael Turtle |

      September 17, 2013 at 6:03 am

      Reply

      It’s incredible, isn’t it? Although everything in Japan seems to have these ridiculous numbers associated with them. They’re so big on their fads and their oddities that everyone gets involved… it’s never just a niche. (I’m thinking of things like pachinko or video games or phone accessories!)

  9. TammyOnTheMove |

    September 17, 2013 at 7:43 pm

    Reply

    There should be more robot statues in the world I think. Awesome!

  10. Victoria Osgood |

    April 1, 2015 at 2:02 pm

    Reply

    We came across your article whilst in our hotel in Kobe and just had to visit! Your heartwarming story and brilliant pictures forced us off our asses and out exploring. What a great find! We loved the statue (took a million photos) and it was blessedly quiet when we visited! Thank you for sharing this piece! It’s made our trip to Kobe (we’re honeymooning in Japan atm) complete!

    • Michael Turtle |

      April 12, 2015 at 1:24 pm

      Reply

      Ha – fantastic! It’s quite a cool statue, isn’t it? I’m so glad you went and saw it. I love that you dropped by the blog to let me know – so thanks so much for that!

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This is the website of travel writer, Michael Turtle. After working in broadcast journalism for a decade in Australia, Michael left Sydney to travel the world indefinitely and write about the places, people and experiences he discovers. This isn't a diary - these are real stories from the world.

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