Anyone get a chance to see 1:1 scale Gundam in Tokyo?

legacyb4 · 08-26-2009, 06:46 AM

This looks like an amazing photo op...

http://shibuya246.com/2009/07/20/gundam-odaiba/

k100d · 08-26-2009, 07:55 AM

yes, my friends told me i had to go see it.
it's impressive, but because i have no attachment to Gundam, i didn't really care.

edit: those pictures are way better than the ones i took :P

legacyb4 · 08-26-2009, 09:21 AM

Attachment or not, the scale of that thing begs for some pretty awesome shots to be taken! Especially since normally shots of this stuff are done with a macro on models, it must be a helluva lot of fun trying to get the shot you want with a wide!

gokenin · 08-26-2009, 10:42 AM

That is awesome would have loved to see that thing in real life huge fan of the whole Gumdam series of anime

pbo · 08-26-2009, 11:39 AM

Wow, nice! All those details, "warnings" and "cautions" etc etc. That WB plate looks like a good place to set white balance on

(yep, I have no idea about Gundam...

)

Mike Cash · 08-26-2009, 02:22 PM

I'm down within easy walking distance of it pretty much every day. No, I don't care a damned thing about it and will not be taking photos of it.

The best look I've had at it was from the Shinagawa Wharf, just across the bay a bit. My reaction was to roll my eyes.

At least now I know what has traffic in the area so effed up lately. Nothing but a damned nuisance as far as I'm concerned.

jct us101 · 08-27-2009, 10:53 PM

I want to see it!

KungPOW · 08-27-2009, 11:16 PM

Originally posted by Mike Cash

I'm down within easy walking distance of it pretty much every day. No, I don't care a damned thing about it and will not be taking photos of it.

The best look I've had at it was from the Shinagawa Wharf, just across the bay a bit. My reaction was to roll my eyes.

At least now I know what has traffic in the area so effed up lately. Nothing but a damned nuisance as far as I'm concerned.

Just curious, but alot of your photo work captures life and culture in Japan. Is that giant robot thing not part of Japanese culture? It certainly is like nothing here in North America.

Why so bitter?

fearview · 08-28-2009, 03:02 AM

master grade...

..

Mike Cash · 08-28-2009, 04:13 AM

Originally posted by KungPOW

Just curious, but alot of your photo work captures life and culture in Japan. Is that giant robot thing not part of Japanese culture? It certainly is like nothing here in North America.

Why so bitter?

I'm not bitter. I just reserve the right to choose what I do and do not care to photograph. I do not care to photograph pop culture as produced by corporations for the most part. And due to having years of exposure to the anime/manga "enthusiasts" (straining to find a nice word there) on various Japan-related forums I really don't care to photograph something like this.

Also, I mostly don't care to photograph "touristy" items/scenes and things that a zillion other people have already photographed to death. This is why you will find very little in the way of cherry blossoms (Japan's most trite and overdone photographic subject) or festivals (second most trite and overdone) among my stuff. If I ever find myself wanting to see that crap I'll hunt up photos from somebody else to admire. There are things among my photos that may make the previous two sentences look like a lie (temples, etc) but my standard for those is to try to take the photos in places not on the tourist trail and in some different/interesting way that provides some modicum of merit to the photo.

That leaves out the Gundam statue.

And whatever brain-dead asswipe they hired to do urban planning in Tokyo put an area extraordinarily popular with tourists (who seemingly all come by car to an area with inadequate roads/parking) immediately adjacent to a busy port facility. Trying to maneuver a tractor-trailer through a swarm of automobiles all lining up in the road and creating total gridlock while they wait to get into 100% packed parking lots so they can all toddle over and gawk at some statue from a goddamned comic book or cartoon or whatever the hell Gundam came from doesn't exactly endear the thing to me either. Imagine if they had put it up right next to where you work or go to school. Even if you found the statue itself cool it wouldn't be long before you'd be sick and tired of the incredible traffic jams blocking your way every damned day.

legacyb4 · 08-28-2009, 06:24 AM

Hey Mike,

Out of curiosity, how long have you been in Tokyo? I spent nearly 12 years there before coming to Vancouver and it sounds like you are hitting one of those periods of time where living in Japan really starts to grate on the nerves. Over the time I was there, I think I hit those points at roughly the 4, 9, and finally last year I was there.

The last straw for me was putting up with an incredibly brutal summer in the early 2000's having a 12 minute walk, one way, to the train station in the stinking heat & humidity only to have to endure a snuggle session with commuters on the Odakyu line for another 30 minutes to get to Shinjuku.

Cheers.

Nowhere Matt · 08-28-2009, 09:48 AM

But if a full sized Giant Robot made an appearance...

*runs to find his passport and quickly nails himself inside a crate addressed Acme - Tokyo*

Mike Cash · 08-28-2009, 11:45 AM

Originally posted by legacyb4

Hey Mike,

Out of curiosity, how long have you been in Tokyo? I spent nearly 12 years there before coming to Vancouver and it sounds like you are hitting one of those periods of time where living in Japan really starts to grate on the nerves. Over the time I was there, I think I hit those points at roughly the 4, 9, and finally last year I was there.

The last straw for me was putting up with an incredibly brutal summer in the early 2000's having a 12 minute walk, one way, to the train station in the stinking heat & humidity only to have to endure a snuggle session with commuters on the Odakyu line for another 30 minutes to get to Shinjuku.

Cheers.

I don't live in Tokyo; I just go there in the course of my work. I'm 44 years old and this is my 26th year here. I've not set foot outside Japan for over a decade. I'm somewhat accustomed to the place. This has nothing to do with those annoying points you mention (they do exist). It has to do with my right to be a curmudgeon.

KungPOW · 08-29-2009, 12:32 AM

Thanks for the answer Mike.

séamuis · 08-29-2009, 09:48 AM

Originally posted by Mike Cash

I don't live in Tokyo; I just go there in the course of my work. I'm 44 years old and this is my 26th year here. I've not set foot outside Japan for over a decade. I'm somewhat accustomed to the place. This has nothing to do with those annoying points you mention (they do exist). It has to do with my right to be a curmudgeon.

what I wouldnt give to spend the day with you Mike. that would be a real hoot.

08-26-2009, 06:46 AM	#1
legacyb4 Inactive Account Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Tri-Cities, British Columbia Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,784	Anyone get a chance to see 1:1 scale Gundam in Tokyo? This looks like an amazing photo op... http://shibuya246.com/2009/07/20/gundam-odaiba/

08-26-2009, 11:39 AM	#5
pbo Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 891	Wow, nice! All those details, "warnings" and "cautions" etc etc. That WB plate looks like a good place to set white balance on (yep, I have no idea about Gundam...)

08-28-2009, 04:13 AM	#10
Mike Cash Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Japan Photos: Gallery Posts: 6,950	Originally posted by KungPOW Just curious, but alot of your photo work captures life and culture in Japan. Is that giant robot thing not part of Japanese culture? It certainly is like nothing here in North America. Why so bitter? I'm not bitter. I just reserve the right to choose what I do and do not care to photograph. I do not care to photograph pop culture as produced by corporations for the most part. And due to having years of exposure to the anime/manga "enthusiasts" (straining to find a nice word there) on various Japan-related forums I really don't care to photograph something like this. Also, I mostly don't care to photograph "touristy" items/scenes and things that a zillion other people have already photographed to death. This is why you will find very little in the way of cherry blossoms (Japan's most trite and overdone photographic subject) or festivals (second most trite and overdone) among my stuff. If I ever find myself wanting to see that crap I'll hunt up photos from somebody else to admire. There are things among my photos that may make the previous two sentences look like a lie (temples, etc) but my standard for those is to try to take the photos in places not on the tourist trail and in some different/interesting way that provides some modicum of merit to the photo. That leaves out the Gundam statue. And whatever brain-dead asswipe they hired to do urban planning in Tokyo put an area extraordinarily popular with tourists (who seemingly all come by car to an area with inadequate roads/parking) immediately adjacent to a busy port facility. Trying to maneuver a tractor-trailer through a swarm of automobiles all lining up in the road and creating total gridlock while they wait to get into 100% packed parking lots so they can all toddle over and gawk at some statue from a goddamned comic book or cartoon or whatever the hell Gundam came from doesn't exactly endear the thing to me either. Imagine if they had put it up right next to where you work or go to school. Even if you found the statue itself cool it wouldn't be long before you'd be sick and tired of the incredible traffic jams blocking your way every damned day. Last edited by Mike Cash; 08-29-2009 at 04:40 AM. Reason: typos

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08-26-2009, 07:55 AM	#2
k100d Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Toronto Posts: 3,911	yes, my friends told me i had to go see it. it's impressive, but because i have no attachment to Gundam, i didn't really care. edit: those pictures are way better than the ones i took :P

08-26-2009, 09:21 AM	#3
legacyb4 Inactive Account Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Tri-Cities, British Columbia Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,784 Original Poster	Attachment or not, the scale of that thing begs for some pretty awesome shots to be taken! Especially since normally shots of this stuff are done with a macro on models, it must be a helluva lot of fun trying to get the shot you want with a wide!

08-26-2009, 10:42 AM	#4
gokenin Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: lowell,ma Posts: 1,899	That is awesome would have loved to see that thing in real life huge fan of the whole Gumdam series of anime

08-26-2009, 02:22 PM	#6
Mike Cash Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Japan Photos: Gallery Posts: 6,950	I'm down within easy walking distance of it pretty much every day. No, I don't care a damned thing about it and will not be taking photos of it. The best look I've had at it was from the Shinagawa Wharf, just across the bay a bit. My reaction was to roll my eyes. At least now I know what has traffic in the area so effed up lately. Nothing but a damned nuisance as far as I'm concerned.

08-27-2009, 10:53 PM	#7
jct us101 Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Rohnert Park, CA Posts: 3,793	I want to see it!

08-27-2009, 11:16 PM	#8
KungPOW Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Vancouver, Canada Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,699	Originally posted by Mike Cash I'm down within easy walking distance of it pretty much every day. No, I don't care a damned thing about it and will not be taking photos of it. The best look I've had at it was from the Shinagawa Wharf, just across the bay a bit. My reaction was to roll my eyes. At least now I know what has traffic in the area so effed up lately. Nothing but a damned nuisance as far as I'm concerned. Just curious, but alot of your photo work captures life and culture in Japan. Is that giant robot thing not part of Japanese culture? It certainly is like nothing here in North America. Why so bitter?

08-28-2009, 03:02 AM	#9
fearview Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Jakarta Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,067	master grade... ..

08-28-2009, 06:24 AM	#11
legacyb4 Inactive Account Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Tri-Cities, British Columbia Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,784 Original Poster	Hey Mike, Out of curiosity, how long have you been in Tokyo? I spent nearly 12 years there before coming to Vancouver and it sounds like you are hitting one of those periods of time where living in Japan really starts to grate on the nerves. Over the time I was there, I think I hit those points at roughly the 4, 9, and finally last year I was there. The last straw for me was putting up with an incredibly brutal summer in the early 2000's having a 12 minute walk, one way, to the train station in the stinking heat & humidity only to have to endure a snuggle session with commuters on the Odakyu line for another 30 minutes to get to Shinjuku. Cheers.

08-28-2009, 09:48 AM	#12
Nowhere Matt Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Nowhere Land Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,362	But if a full sized Giant Robot made an appearance... runs to find his passport and quickly nails himself inside a crate addressed Acme - Tokyo

08-28-2009, 11:45 AM	#13
Mike Cash Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Japan Photos: Gallery Posts: 6,950	Originally posted by legacyb4 Hey Mike, Out of curiosity, how long have you been in Tokyo? I spent nearly 12 years there before coming to Vancouver and it sounds like you are hitting one of those periods of time where living in Japan really starts to grate on the nerves. Over the time I was there, I think I hit those points at roughly the 4, 9, and finally last year I was there. The last straw for me was putting up with an incredibly brutal summer in the early 2000's having a 12 minute walk, one way, to the train station in the stinking heat & humidity only to have to endure a snuggle session with commuters on the Odakyu line for another 30 minutes to get to Shinjuku. Cheers. I don't live in Tokyo; I just go there in the course of my work. I'm 44 years old and this is my 26th year here. I've not set foot outside Japan for over a decade. I'm somewhat accustomed to the place. This has nothing to do with those annoying points you mention (they do exist). It has to do with my right to be a curmudgeon.

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08-29-2009, 12:32 AM	#14
KungPOW Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Vancouver, Canada Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,699	Thanks for the answer Mike.

08-29-2009, 09:48 AM	#15
séamuis Banned Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Savannah, U.S./Baguio City, P.H. Posts: 5,979	Originally posted by Mike Cash I don't live in Tokyo; I just go there in the course of my work. I'm 44 years old and this is my 26th year here. I've not set foot outside Japan for over a decade. I'm somewhat accustomed to the place. This has nothing to do with those annoying points you mention (they do exist). It has to do with my right to be a curmudgeon. what I wouldnt give to spend the day with you Mike. that would be a real hoot.