Bandai is opening a new museum dedicated to its Mobile Suit Gundam plastic model kits on September 2, 2025 in Shizuoka, Japan. The museum will not only allow visitors to learn about everything Gunpla, but they will also be able to watch them being made in the factory, and even try their hand at designing their very own Gunpla model kit to take home. Also — good news for non-Japanese speakers — museum displays and guidance will also be in English.
Bandai has been making Gundam plastic models, or Gunpla, since the 1980s. Gunplas are model kits of mecha from the long-running Gundam anime series. They are shipped in a grid of plastic runners that hold all the pieces together. Cutting away the excess plastic, the builder assembles their Gundam by snapping the parts together.
With the enduring popularity of Mobile Suit Gundam and its various anime series, the demand for Gunpla models has soared in recent years, with 50% of sales coming from outside Japan, according to The Nikkei. To address this increase, Bandai is opening a new Gunpla factory at Bandai Hobby Center in Shizuoka, Japan. The new museum will occupy the second and third floors of the factory.
The Bandai Hobby Center Plamo Design Industrial Institute Museum, or BHC PDII Museum for short, will have windows that let visitors look down onto the factory floor to see Gunpla kits being made and packaged. Then, visitors enter the interactive Laboratory Area. Here, they can experience the entire process of making their very own Gunpla, from choosing the colors and sizes for each piece of their Gundam on a screen, to laying out the pieces in the plastic runners and designing the packaging. Staff will do the injection molding of the plastic and visitors can take home the packing they designed and the runner plate. Not only that, but there’s a chance your creation could win an award, as Bandai Spirits’ employees will be selecting the best three customer-created Gunpla each month.
All visitors to the BHC PDII Museum will require advanced reservation. As demand is expected to be high when they open in September, the official website will start a ticket lottery on June 2. More information can be found on the museum’s official English website.
Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX is the latest Gundam anime series, but if you are not sure where to start or what to watch next in the sprawling franchise, check out our guide on how to watch Mobile Suit Gundam in order.
Verity Townsend is a Japan-based freelance writer who previously served as editor, contributor and translator for the game news site Automaton West. She has also written about Japanese culture and movies for various publications.
