News From The Other Side Of The Pond: Toru Furuya Edition!

Hey Moonies! For all you Tuxedo Kamen fans, we've got a couple news stories related to the Seiyuu this time around!

Toru Furuya's Character Inspires Bizarre Election Poster?

In Japan, the Upper House Elections recently took place, and there was an interesting tactic implored to get people to vote. Gundam Wing is hugely popular in Japan, especially the character Ray Amuro - who is voiced by Toru Furuya. In Yamagata Prefecture, the electoral commission has put out a poster with a regular guy dressed up as Ray Amuro to encourage people to vote. The characters say "Elections Will Go!" a parody of Ray Amuro's famous catch phrase, "Amuro Will Go!" No word on how this has influenced voters to vote, or how Toru feels about this poster. Having streaming videos online or other outlets to let people know to vote for a candidate just doesn't seem as popular in Japan as it is in North America.

Toru Furuya Walks Inside A Life-Sized Gundam!

Fuji-Q Highland Park is an amusement park in Fujiyoshihda, Japan. It is home to two of the world's fastest roller coasters, and hosts a children's area with a Thomas the Tank Engine theme. It is now the home to Gundam Crisis, a special attraction which opened just last week that features interactive displays and simulators. But wait, it is home to something much bigger and grandiose! The highlight is an 18-meter life-sized Gundam that was built just for the park. To commemorate the opening of this attraction, three special guests were invited to view the Gundam. They were Gundam Creator Yoshiyuki Tomino and Seiyuus Shuuichi Ikeda and Toru Furuya (left). Toru got the chance to sit inside the cockpit (where a short video can be seen) and the creator was quite pleased seeing how accurate the likeness was. He asked Toru to test the Gundam's Power while he was in the cockpit! The attraction costs ¥800 to get in. Fans can watch a video of Toru entering the cockpit here.