NEARCHUS: Japan : A Giant 'Gundam' ..[ 1913 ]

The Hellenic Navy (HN) (Greek: Πολεμικό Ναυτικό, Polemikó Naftikó, abbreviated ΠΝ) is the naval force of Greece, part of the Greek Armed Forces. The modern Greek navy has its roots in the naval forces of various Aegean Islands, which fought in the Greek War of Independence. During the periods of monarchy (1833–1924 and 1936–1973) it was known as the Royal Navy (Βασιλικόν Ναυτικόν, Vasilikón Naftikón, abbreviated ΒΝ).The total displacement of all the navy's vessels is approximately 150,000 tons.The motto of the Hellenic Navy is "Μέγα το της Θαλάσσης Κράτος" from Thucydides' account of Pericles' oration on the eve of the Peloponnesian War. This has been roughly translated as "Great is the country that controls the sea". The Hellenic Navy's emblem consists of an anchor in front of a crossed Christian cross and trident, with the cross symbolizing Greek Orthodoxy, and the trident symbolizing Poseidon, the god of the sea in Greek mythology. Pericles' words are written across the top of the emblem. "The navy, as it represents a necessary weapon for Greece, should only be created for war and aim to victory."...............The Hellenic Merchant Marine refers to the Merchant Marine of Greece, engaged in commerce and transportation of goods and services universally. It consists of the merchant vessels owned by Greek civilians, flying either the Greek flag or a flag of convenience. Greece is a maritime nation by tradition, as shipping is arguably the oldest form of occupation of the Greeks and a key element of Greek economic activity since the ancient times. Nowadays, Greece has the largest merchant fleet in the world, which is the second largest contributor to the national economy after tourism and forms the backbone of world shipping. The Greek fleet flies a variety of flags, however some Greek shipowners gradually return to Greece following the changes to the legislative framework governing their operations and the improvement of infrastructure.

Blogger Tips and Tricks

This is a bilingual blog in English and / or Greek and you can translate any post to any language by pressing on the appropriate flag....Note that there is provided below a scrolling text with the 30 recent posts...Αυτό είναι ένα δίγλωσσο blog στα Αγγλικά η/και στα Ελληνικά και μπορείτε να μεταφράσετε οποιοδήποτε ποστ σε οποιαδήποτε γλώσσα κάνοντας κλικ στη σχετική σημαία. Σημειωτέον ότι παρακάτω παρέχεται και ένα κινούμενο κείμενο με τα 30 πρόσφατα ποστς....This is a bilingual blog in English and / or Greek and you can translate any post to any language by pressing on the appropriate flag....Note that there is provided below a scrolling text with the 30 recent posts...Αυτό είναι ένα δίγλωσσο blog στα Αγγλικά η/και στα Ελληνικά και μπορείτε να μεταφράσετε οποιοδήποτε ποστ σε οποιαδήποτε γλώσσα κάνοντας κλικ στη σχετική σημαία. Σημειωτέον ότι παρακάτω παρέχεται και ένα κινούμενο κείμενο με τα 30 πρόσφατα ποστς.........

Friday, October 22, 2010

Japan : A Giant 'Gundam' ..[ 1913 ]

Giant 'Gundam' adds to surprising popularity of Shizuoka Hobby Fair

A life-size replica of the robot

A life-size replica of the robot "Gundam" stands tall at the "Shizuoka Hobby Fair" in Shizuoka on July 24. (Mainichi)

(Mainichi Japan) 22,10, 2010

SHIZUOKA -- The Shizuoka Hobby Fair, a plastic-model event being held by the city, has surpassed its goal of 900,000 visitors five-months early, the city announced on Oct. 19.

"We've had more traffic than we expected," said a surprised event organizer. The 900,000th visitor is said to have arrived on Oct. 16.

The success may be largely due to the presence of an 18-meter-tall life-size replica of the popular robot "Gundam" from the science-fiction anime "Mobile Suit Gundam," which attracted an estimated 4.15 million visitors when it was first unveiled in Odaiba in Tokyo last summer. The replica's fame led the city to make its goal of 900,000 visitors, which is greater than the city's population.

In addition to the Gundam replica, another draw of the event is the sale of limited-edition plastic models not purchasable anywhere else. Plastic-model fans from all over the country are said to be visiting.

The fair is being held just north of JR Higashi-Shizuoka station. It opened on July 24 of this year and will continue until March 27 of next year.

"We're aiming to break 1 million visitors by mid-November," said a spokesperson for the city.

Click here for the original Japanese story

No comments:

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)