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Remember the awesome, super-expensive R2­-D2™ Moving Refrigerator we reported on last month? Well, we recently went to see an actual model on display!

That’s right, when we found out that the refrigerator was being displayed at the Tsutaya Daikanyama store, we just had to go see it out ourselves! How could we not, when it’s a moving, life-size fridge in the shape of everyone’s favorite droid, plus it keeps your beer cold!

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The R2­-D2™ Moving Refrigerator was on show at the books/media rental/lifestyle chain store Tsutaya in the fashionable Daikanyama district for three days this past week, and as you can guess, we were pretty excited to see the gadget in the metallic flesh.

▼ The refrigerator is quite an accurate recreation of the droid, and yes, it was just as adorable as we’d imagined.

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▼ As the sign here indicates, the refrigerator was on display from November 20 to 22, and they were taking orders for it on-site as well.

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While we were there, the staff kindly gave us some details about the fridge. The refrigerator itself is a peltier-type cooler, which uses the movement of heat from one side of the device to the other to cool a specific part of the machine.  It takes eight hours to fully charge R2’s internal battery, on which it can move for approximately two hours. That’s just the battery for the machine to move, though, and you do need to cool the refrigerating compartment with a separate cord in order for the machine to function as a fridge. You can, however, enjoy simply moving the droid-shaped refrigerator around without cooling it, if you’re not using it as a cooler.

▼ The  front of the machine opens up to reveal the cooling compartment.

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▼ The refrigerator is large enough to hold six 350 milliliter (11.8 ounce) cans.

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Next, we got to see the machine move — well, it is the R2-D2™ Moving Refrigerator, after all, so we had to see it in action!

▼ You can see how it moves in the video below!

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▼ Here we see the refrigerator making its way down a short hallway in the Tsutaya shop. You can make it move forward and back, left and right as well as rotate it to change directions all by simply pressing the button on the remote controller.

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▼ We decided to take R2 outside onto a patio-like area.

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▼ The droid-shaped fridge certainly looked magnificent out in the light.

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▼ We even took another closer look at the inside of the cooler.

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▼ The fridge is one heck of a shiny, handsome-looking fella, wouldn’t you agree?

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▼ The detail you can see from the side is amazing too.

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The fridge is programmed with about 10 distinct moves, again all remote control activated, which are a specific combination of head movements, lights and sounds that are a faithful recreation of the droid’s actions in the movie. He really does look like the real thing!

After that brief venture outside, we brought R2 back into the shop to get a look at the refrigerator’s projector capabilities. (Yes, it’s a cooler, but it comes with a built-in projector — how neat is that?)

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▼ You can project images from your Miracast device, which you plug in here.

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▼ We got to see the commercial for the refrigerator projected onto a small screen.

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▼ Yes, that’s the product you’re seeing on the screen!

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▼ We also got a good look at the device from behind.

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▼ You can see the details on the legs are amazing too!

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Alas, our time with the one-of-a-kind refrigerator passed all too quickly, and before we knew it, it was time to beep goodbye.

The made-to-order R2-D2™ Moving Refrigerator is currently available for pre-order from Haier Asia group’s AQUA brand through our friends over at Tokyo Otaku Mode, for the considerable price of  1,077,840 yen (US$8,921) including tax. The item is scheduled to start shipping in mid-December, but unfortunately, they’re not able to ship the product overseas, so you’ll need a contact here in Japan to order one.

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Well, we have to say that certainly was the most adorable piece of cooling machinery we’ve ever seen (heck, it’s got to be the best-looking refrigerator in the galaxy)! And with Star Wars: The Force Awakens scheduled for release next month, such an amazing gadget just adds to all the excitement. Whether you’re a collector of valuable Star Wars items or not, we hope you enjoyed getting up-close and personal with the R2-D2™ Moving Refrigerator!

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