'Akira' Bike Taking A Road Trip Across Japan

If there's one thing that can be universally agreed in geekdom, it's that the bike from Akira is pretty damn cool. There have been various real life replicas of the bike built across the years, but only one has been officially recognized by Akira creator Katsuhiro Otomo. It was built by Shinji Tejima at the Showa Studio repair shop, taking him seven years, and at an overall cost of ¥10 million (~$121,310).

The bike is being driven across Japan in order to raise money for charity, the proceeds going to the Bokura Company, a support group for children with autism. The bike started out at Fukuoka, and so far has been driven to various cities, including Osaka and Nagoya.

The bike's final destination is Tokyo, where it will be displayed as part of the Katsuhiro Otomo GENGA Exhibition. The event will be held between April 9th and May 30th, with visitors able to sit on the bike and have their picture taken. The exhibition itself is raising money to help victims of the earthquakes last year, while also going towards reconstruction efforts.

The exhibition has a YouTube channel where short videos of the bike in action have been posted. While it looks like a faithful recreation of the iconic bike, we're a little disappointed to see that it doesn't leave any light trails behind as it cruises down the highways.

[via Kotaku]