This clock reflects the whimsical part of the Japanese character. This is the largest animated clock in the world. It is designed by Hayao Miyazaki who is famous in Japan as an artist of manga (Japanese comics), and as a film director and animator of many popular anime feature films. He co-founded Studio Ghibli which produces and animates films. The clock has a steampunk theme. Steampunk is a sub-genre of science fiction, alternate history and speculative fiction and is characterized by worlds using different types of steam-powered machines, such as trains, airplanes and computers.
The clock was built by sculptor Shachimaru Kunio and completed in December 2006. This huge clock weighs 28 tons and is 10 meters high and 18 meters wide. The clock animations are extensive and are coordinated with music. Miyazaki said that he wanted to make something that would be loved by future generations that would last beyond his animated characters. The animations of the clock occur at the beginning of some hours.
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