An Initial Glimpse of the New Factory and Museum! A BANDAI HOBBY CENTER PLAMO DESIGN INDUSTRIAL INSTITUTE Photo Report
BANDAI SPIRITS, one of Japan's largest plastic model manufacturers, especially famous for releasing GUNPLA and other kits, is opening BHCPDII (BANDAI HOBBY CENTER PLAMO DESIGN INDUSTRIAL INSTITUTE), a new factory combined with a museum on September 2nd. Visitors will be able to see and learn about the design and production process of their products. A preview for the press was held on August 20th at Naganuma in Shizuoka prefecture.
To our surprise, the preview began inside the manufacturing area within the new factory, which was already in operation.
We could hear the whir of injection machines, which make the parts of plastic models.
A presentation for the press began at 1 PM, starting with a greeting from BANDAI SPIRITS President and Chief Executive Officer Hiroshi Sakakibara. He explained that the new factory focuses on strengthening production capabilities while also creating an environment where employees can enjoy their work and deliver high-quality products across the world. He described BHCPDII as a hands-on facility where both adults and children can enjoy learning about the excitement of manufacturing.
BANDAI SPIRITS Hobby Products Division Hobby Marketing Department General Manager Yoshinao Takahashi took the stage, and explained that the number of multi-color molding machines has increased by 1.5 times, and overall productivity has increased by 35%.
The presentation ended with the appearance of LINKL PLANET, Bandai Hobby's official idol group. They created a theme song for BHCPDII using actual sounds sampled in the factory.
A brief Q&A session was also held. Sakakibara and Takahashi were asked what they hoped to achieve through BHCPDII, to which they responded: “We’ve been making plastic models for about half a century, and hope to continue spreading plastic model culture from Shizuoka to the world.”
They also explained that the improvements in automation and labor-saving measures help boost and increase the scale of production, and may even help combat the current GUNPLA scalping situation.
Bags of plastic pellets, the raw materials of plastic model kits placed in designated areas throughout the factory floor.
It was almost a surreal experience to see how the kits start out as tiny pellets stuffed in bags. They are melted at around 200-240°C, and injected into molds and cooled in about 10 seconds.
Each molding machine can produce one runner (the frames that the parts are stuck to) in 20 seconds. Their custom-made molding machines can create runners with up to four colors. These multi-colored runners enable the kits to be shipped out in compact packages, make the kits easy to make, and help reduce environmental waste.
After getting a glimpse of the factory area, the tour of the museum began. This is where the BHCPDII experience begins for visitors.
A BANDAI SPIRITS, BANDAI NAMCO logo, and a statue of the parts of a 1/1 scale Gundam head can be seen from the entrance. The design of the parts is based on the MG Gundam Ver.2.0. There were also shutter doors with runner-like designs.
Anyone who has built plastic models will immediately recognize that they even recreated the gates attached to the parts.
The first thing you see when you enter the museum is the lobby. Its walls are decorated with molds and runner decorations that reach the ceiling.
I was absolutely overwhelmed by the walls covered with design sketches and drafts. Can you tell which kits they’re from?
At the end of the hallway is an area with machines to scan Designer ID cards, which tour participants will receive.
From this point on, visitors become plastic model designers, and you choose one out of the three kits:
・Gundam
・Plannosaurus
・30MS Rishetta
Once you decide on a kit, you get to experience the process of designing, packaging, and manufacturing models. The designs and colors you choose are saved to your ID card, and you get to bring home a souvenir runner plate and a sticker featuring the package you designed!
We were then led to the Study Room and Study Road, areas with displays explaining how the kits are made.
I found it fascinating that all of these steps are being executed 24/7 in this very factory (and the other factories right beside it), even during the tour.
One of the corners of the room had a breathtaking display of 4,000 GUNPLA, representing the 4,000 runners that can be produced in a day by a single injection molding machine.
Finally, we headed to the Laboratory Area, where the experience truly begins!
The experience begins at the MODELING DESIGN area, where you adjust and fine-tune a 3D model. You will receive points based on the proportions of your 3D model.
The next room is the COLORING DESIGN area, where you decide the colors and patterns of the kit using the simulation machines.
Some of the areas have windows, giving visitors a glimpse into the factory in operation! Aside from the designing experience, I felt that this view of the factory was the most exciting part of the tour.
The next room is the MOLD DESIGN area, where you get to try out an injection molding simulation.
The next room was the INJECTION area.
A counter was built around an injection molding machine, and a crane to move or exchange the molds was built above it.
The experience ends at the PACKAGE DESIGN area, where you can design your own package art. It can be printed out as a sticker, which you can apply to a box.
You can check out your final score based on the points you earned in each area, which will also be available as a sticker.
Once you've finished the hands-on tour, you will be led to the PLAMO GALLERY.
You can see that they have experimented with various concepts. Are there any kits that you've built?
Other items are exclusive to visitors and can only be purchased online after visiting the museum.
Although tours were also held in the previous factory, this new factory offered a unique opportunity to see the actual industrial production line up close, with a complete hands-on experience.
If you have even the slightest interest in GUNPLA, other plastic models, or manufacturing in general, you should definitely stop by when you visit Japan!
[BHCPDII Overview]
Grand opening on September 2nd, 2025
Muesum hours
9:00 AM ~ 5:30 PM
Closed Sundays, Mondays, National Holidays, End of Year and New Year Period, Other designated company holidays
Be sure to check out the “Before you Visit” page before heading to the museum:
[Official Websites]
BHC PDII MUSEUM Official Website: https://bhcpdii.bandai-hobby.net/en/
BANDAI HOBBY CENTER Official Website (Japanese): https://www.bandaispirits.co.jp/hobbycenter/
BANDAI HOBBY SITE: https://global.bandai-hobby.net/en-us/
BANDAI SPIRITS Official Website: https://www.bandaispirits.co.jp/e/
©SOTSU・SUNRISE
©BANDAI SPIRITS
©BANDAI SPIRITS 2021
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