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Huge Gundam Head on Display at New Plastic Model Museum, Visitors Can Try Designing Models Themselves

The Yomiuri Shimbun

13:19 JST, September 7, 2025

SHIZUOKA — A new plastic model museum, featuring large Gundam model head parts on a runner, has opened inside the new Bandai Spirits Co. factory in Shizuoka.

The runner, measuring about 3.6 meters in height and 14 meters in width, is a striking monument at the museum’s entrance. The facility officially opened to the public on Tuesday.

Inside the museum, visitors can join a tour to observe the plastic model manufacturing process. The museum also showcases more than 4,300 completed plastic models.

The Yomiuri Shimbun
Visitors take photos in a room decorated with over 4,000 Gundam plastic models.

Visitors to the museum’s hands-on manufacturing corner have an opportunity to become “plastic model designers” and create their own unique models using a touch screen.

The museum, situated on the second and third floors of the factory, offers visitors a view of the manufacturing floor through its windows.

After learning about the plastic model manufacturing process, visitors can choose one of three types of models and customize the color of the head, arms and other parts using a touch screen.

Visitors are evaluated on their skills as plastic model designers. They arrange parts on a plastic frame, known as a runner, and design the packaging.

“I had more hands-on experience than I was expecting, and it really was fun. It gave me a taste of the difficulty of planning specifications and the joy of making things,” said a 33-year-old company employee from Itabashi Ward, Tokyo, who visited the museum.

This new facility has already proven to be a popular destination. Since its opening, reservations have been consistently booked, particularly on Saturdays.

The museum’s opening hours are from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. It is closed on Sundays, Mondays, national holidays and other designated days. All visitors are required to make a reservation through the official website before visiting. Admission is ¥2,860 for those 13 years and older, ¥1,100 for children aged 6-12 and free for preschool children.