The Roving Ronin Report

Giant Gundam Gathers Gawking Geeks in Tokyo 59-Foot Tall Model of Iconic Japanese Anime Character Unveiled   1:1 scale model of Japanese Anime Icon - Gundam A giant cultural icon has come to roost in Tokyo this summer. It's not Godzilla nor UltraMan. It's the mobile suit known as Gundam, the model RX-78 to be precise. To mark the 30th Anniversary of the popular anime series Gundam, a 1:1 scale model of the iconic mobile suit has been constructed and set up on the island of Odaiba in Tokyo Bay. The model has 50 points of lights, mist emitting from several places, and a head which revolves left and right and upward. Periodically sound-effects and the theme song to the old animated series plays from the structure itself. The life-size model is composed of fiberglass-reinforced plastic on a steel frame. The Gundam mobile suit stands at 18 meters/59 feet tall. Gundam is a giant piloted mobile suit; not a robot The animated show debuted in 1979 and has spawned a number of spin-offs, ...

In Japan, forget about the mystical metaphysical mess of Transubstantiation of transforming bread and wine into the Body of Jesus. You can have Jesus Body in easy to take tablets. WARNING! Pregnant women, those with demonic possession, vampires, and others of the unholy undead should seek medical and mystical advice before using. I like the poetic nonsense on the front: "New Discovery to be kept secret from others. This discovery is a secret. I can lay it down because I am correct. We will not make you sorry. Pleasure to have the real thing. I really longed for this." It's like something out of the DaVinci Code except not as lame. -

Tokyo Design Festa May 2008 The Tokyo Design Festa is a semi-annual event where artists, craftsmen, performers, musicians, film-makers, and what-not gather from all over the world to exhibit their creations. It's a weekend of artistic chaos! Ghostly Lady from Tokyo Design Festa Here's a little avant-garde weirdness from Tokyo Design Festa. She's from Taiwan and was one of the performers at the Design Festa Drumming Rabbits - Usagi Taiko Group This footage is from the Tokyo Design Festa of the female Taiko Drum Group known as Usagi. Usagi means rabbit in Japanese. http://usagi-8.com Crazy Angel Company Here's a bit of a big band I caught at Tokyo Design Festa called Crazy Angel Company. They have a lot of energy and it shows in their performance. http://www.crazy-angel.com Scenes from Three Bands from Tokyo Design Festa Here's a small slice of the music scene in Tokyo. This vid is brief snippets of three bands I caught at Tokyo Design Festa. Mimi-Unagi http://mimiuna...

This is a quick shout-out to all Tokyo dwellers and visitors to check out the Tokyo Design Festa this coming weekend: May 16-17 from 11:00-19:00. The Design Festa is a weekend of artistic chaos - wild performances, musicians, painters, sculptors, etc... Design Festa For those who can't make it you can follow the madness semi-live on the blog at: Design Festa Blog Thru-out the weekend, photos, videos, and interviews will be uploaded within minutes more or less of all the craziness. Tokyo Design Festa May 2008 Check out my vids from last year's event at this playlist: Design Festa Vids For artists out there if you feel like coming to Japan and exhibiting your work check out the site and watch the fun!

Artistic Chaos!!! The Tokyo Design Festa – a chaotic ensemble of art The Tokyo Design Festa Anime fan wearing an all handmade costume As I entered the futuristic-looking Tokyo Big Site building on Odaiba Island, I was greeted by a person with the head of fish. Beyond him/her/it and all about the place wandered a colorful assortment of strange characters which appeared to have been born in fertile imaginations bred on Japanese Anime, Gothic Horror, and Salvador Dali. It was then that I knew I had reached my destination: the Tokyo Design Festa. F ishhead man advertising Getting a leg up or two at Tokyo Design Festa Usagi – Drumming Rabbits – Female Taiko Group Design Festa is a chaotic showcase of artists, musicians, craftsmen, designers, dancers, and performers – the sublime mixed with the avant garde. The Design Festa takes place twice a year in Tokyo and has been going on for 14 years. A Wild Wall Artists come from all over the world to participate. Booths are set up to showcase their...