Inagi City Started A New Project Related To Old Kids' TV Shows

Recently, Inagi city Tokyo started an interesting project called "Okawara Kunio Project". It's not well-known but "Kunio Okawara" is an animation mechanic designer who is living in Inagi city. Although his name wouldn't be very famous in general most Japanese probably know some of robot characters he designed. 

One of the TV animation programs he designed robots for is "Mobile Suits Gundam", a Kids' TV show which was broadcasted around 1980. The show was super popular in those days so that everybody in schoolchild age knew at least the title and famous characters' names. Many kids vied to get plastic models of the robots (mobile suites) in the show which designed by Kunio Okawara and absorbed in assembling them.

As the start of "Okawara Kunio Project", Inagi city started displaying two big robot statues which are the most famous mobile suites in "Mobile Suits Gundam" under elevated railroad near Inagi-Naganuma station as shown in the photos above. The white robot is "Gundam" and the red one is "Char's Zaku". Behind the two robots, there are a cafe and a shop selling local items inside the window.

Today, the kids who were big fans of the show when it was on TV are all adults, but they would have good nostalgic feeling by seeing these two robot statues. Moreover, the TV show is not limited to one generation. Since it became so famous and popular in 80's, it became movies and also many TV shows were made as continuations of it in later days. So even in these days some kids would know the recent "Gundam".  Then, maybe some parents and kids can enjoy having drinks in the cafe and talking about Gundam, and have a fun time together.

By the way, interestingly, according to a newspaper article introducing this project, the designer, Kunio Okawara, got an idea for the Gundam design from Samurai hair style. It sounds funny, but please compare the two small square photos in the lower right hand corner, the shape of the robot's head is in fact similar to typical Samurai hair style. I never thought of it but the design of Gundam robot was actually very Japanese.