If you grew up wanting your Gundam to be made of actual metal, Bandai Spirits just built a whole event around that itch. The METAL BUILD EXPO is a single-brand showcase running at the Tamashii Nations Store Tokyo in Akihabara, and we dropped by to see every die-cast hero the line has to offer under one roof. Here’s our walkthrough — plus what it means for collectors back home in Singapore.
What is the METAL BUILD EXPO?
METAL BUILD is Bandai Spirits’ premium line of pre-painted, fully-articulated figures that mix die-cast metal with plastic for real heft and a satisfying clink. This is the first time the brand has been given its own dedicated event, and it pulls together the latest releases across Mobile Suit Gundam, Neon Genesis Evangelion, the EX PROJECT line and more.
The essentials:
- Where: Tamashii Nations Store Tokyo, 1-1 Kandahanaokacho, Chiyoda-ku — a one-minute walk from JR Akihabara Station (Electric Town Exit).
- When: 27 March – 6 July 2026, daily from 10:00 to 20:00.
- Admission: free — the storefront sign literally reads nyujo muryo (free entry).
Gundam SEED takes centre stage
The headline wall belongs to Gundam SEED. The Strike Freedom Gundam anchors the display in full die-cast glory, wings of light fanned out the way every SEED fan remembers it.
Bandai is using the expo to relaunch the figure: the METAL BUILD Strike Freedom Gundam <Revival Ver.> hits general retail in June 2026 with a refreshed package and an added support stand. Alongside it, the store is selling new store-limited Sword Striker and Launcher Striker packs that clip onto the Strike Gundam (Heliopolis Roll Out Ver.) to rebuild the Sword and Launcher loadouts.
A glass cabinet near the back lines up the SEED roster side by side — Strike, Strike Freedom, Destiny and friends — so you can see how the sculpts have evolved over the line’s run. If you want a sense of scale and finish, this shelf is the one to study.
Tucked into the exclusives corner are the Astray frames — the Gold Frame and Red Frame — wearing “ON SALE HERE NOW!” tags, the kind of store-only stock that makes the trip worth it for serious collectors.
The commemorative Hi-ν Gundam
Every Tamashii store event gets a commemorative piece, and this one is the METAL BUILD Hi-ν Gundam [METAL BUILD EXPO]. It’s based on the 2022 Hi-ν, but repainted from the novel’s purple-and-white into the official blue-and-white scheme, with a new fin funnel hanger so you can display the funnels stowed or deployed. It’s a Premium Bandai item that needs a CLUB TAMASHII MEMBERS registration to order.
00, Evangelion and a Toho surprise
The Gundam 00 corner shows off GN-001 Gundam Exia and the 00 Gundam, GN blades catching the spotlights. Staff had an Exia out of the case for a closer look — the inner-frame detail on these is genuinely absurd.
Beyond Gundam, EVANGELION Unit-01 represents the line’s wider reach, posed mid-lunge off its launch rail.
And the one that stopped us in our tracks — a fully die-cast Toho mecha from the Godzilla universe, all spines and silver plating, licensed TM & © Toho Co., Ltd. Not what you expect at a Gundam-heavy show, and all the better for it.
Hatsune Miku gets the METAL BUILD treatment
The most unexpected booth is a snow-globe diorama built for METAL BUILD Hatsune Miku — yes, the Vocaloid icon reimagined as a mecha-suited figure, posed across a starry, checkerboard stage. It’s a reminder that METAL BUILD isn’t only about war machines.
What this means for Singapore collectors
METAL BUILD figures don’t get a regular shelf presence in Singapore — they’re a Premium Bandai and Tamashii web-store world, so most SG collectors import via Bandai’s online stores or specialist hobby shops. The catch with an event like this: the store-limited Striker packs and the commemorative Hi-ν are tied to the Tokyo store and the Tamashii web store, so they’re not something you’ll casually find at a local mall.
If you’re heading to Tokyo before the expo wraps on 6 July 2026, the Akihabara store is a one-minute walk from the station and free to enter — easily worth an hour even if you’re only browsing. On the tags we spotted, figures ranged from the low ¥10,000s up past ¥40,000 (the Force Impulse Gundam was tagged ¥41,800), so factor that in if you plan to buy rather than just gawk. For more on-the-ground coverage, check our other events reports.
Full event details are on the official Tamashii Nations Store Tokyo page.