Photos: Giant robot leads Tokyo's Olympic dreams
Domo arigato, Mr roboto
In London, work is already ongoing on the technology that will lay the foundations for the 2012 Olympics. In Toyko, the city bidding to host the 2016 Games, technology of a very different stripe is taking centre stage.
Cheerleading the bid is this robot - a towering 18-metre-tall creature designed to draw attention to the city's Olympic aspirations.
The Gundam robot is already proving popular and has attracted more than one million visitors in the last three weeks.
Photo credit: C SOTSU, SUNRISE and Photo Kishimoto
The robot's home is Shiokaze Park, where the city will stage the beach volleyball competition if it wins the bid.
The robot also stands next to a clock counting down the time until the winning host city for the 2016 Olympics is announced.
Photo credit: C SOTSU, SUNRISE and Photo Kishimoto
The robot, made famous in the Japanese Gundam anime series, was made earlier this year by toy maker Bandai but has recently been given an Olympics-themed makeover with the addition of the bid's logo on its shoulder.
Photo credit: C SOTSU, SUNRISE and Photo Kishimoto
The robot is part of the Green Tokyo Gundam Project, which aims to raise funds for new green spaces throughout the city.
Photo credit: C SOTSU, SUNRISE and Photo Kishimoto