Ｈａｋａｔａ Ｃｕｌｔｕｒｅ vol.181

Kyushu’s First Gundam Statue

　The LaLaport Fukuoka shopping park, which will open in April, is LaLaport’s first large-scale commercial facility in Kyushu. It is located in Hakata Ward  on the former site of the Fukuoka City Wholesale Produce Market, which was relocated to Island City. The shopping park, which has been generating a buzz even before its opening, will have many facilities that are new to Kyushu, such as KidZania Fukuoka, where children can role-play various jobs, and the Fukuoka Toy Museum, where visitors can play with many toys.

　Another thing that has been attracting a lot of attention is the life-size Gundam statue in the central square. The huge Gundam, which seemingly appeared out of nowhere in the middle of the city can be seen from a distance, and even though it is still under construction, many people have come to check it out. The first life-size Gundam statue was erected in Odaiba in Tokyo in 2009. It was the talk of the town, and Gundam statues have since been erected in other places like Yokohama and Shanghai, China. The statue in Fukuoka is the first in western Japan.

　“Mobile Suit Gundam" started as an animated TV series in 1979, and many subsequent series have been produced since then. The popularity of Gundam is not limited to Japan, but has spread to other countries around the world where the anime was broadcast. "Gunpla," the plastic models of the mobile suits (robots) that appeared in the anime, are also very popular with Gundam fans of all ages.

　LaLaport Fukuoka will also feature an entertainment facility called Gundam Park Fukuoka where visitors can experience the world of Gundam. Carrying on the legacy of the wholesale produce market that once stood in the same place, there will also be a food market that emphasizes the connection to local production areas and producers. Other tenants include a sports facility with an athletic track and tennis courts and a cinema complex. People can hardly wait for this large-scale commercial facility filled with many firsts for Kyushu.

hakata Culture also appears in

(c) www.fukuoka-now.com All Right Reserved

九州に初めて出現したガンダム

　4月に開業するショッピングパーク「ららぽーと福岡」は、九州初進出となる大型商業施設。アイランドシティに移転した福岡市青果市場跡地である福岡市博多区にオープンします。施設内には、子どもたちが職業体験できる「キッザニア福岡」や、たくさんの玩具で遊べる「福岡おもちゃ美術館」など、九州では初めての施設が数多くあり、開業前から各方面で話題となっていました。

　オープン前から大きな注目を集めているのが中央広場に立つ実物大のガンダム像。街中に突如現れた巨大なガンダムは遠くからでも目を引き、まだ工事中から多くの人が見物に訪れています。初めて実物大のガンダム立像が登場したのは2009年の東京・お台場。これが話題となり、現在では横浜や中国・上海などにもガンダム像があります。西日本で設置されるのは福岡が初めてです。

　1979年にテレビアニメとしてスタートした「機動戦士ガンダム」は、現在にいたるまで数多くのシリーズが作られ続けています。その人気は日本だけに止まらず、アニメが放送された世界各国にも広がっています。また、作中に出てきたモビルスーツ（ロボット）をそのままプラモデルにした通称「ガンプラ」も大人気で、ガンダムファンは子どもから大人まで幅広い世代に広がっています。

　「ららぽーと福岡」にはガンダムの世界を体験できるエンターテインメント施設「ガンダムパーク福岡」もオープン予定。ほかにも青果市場跡という地域の歴史を引き継いだ産地や生産者とつながる食を意識したフードマルシェ、陸上トラックやテニスコートなどを備えたスポーツ施設、シネマ・コンプレックスなども入居します。九州初がいろいろ詰まった大型商業施設は楽しみですね。