The BHC PDII MUSEUM will open on September 2nd inside the new Bandai Hobby Center factory (Shizuoka City), a plastic model production facility of BANDAI SPIRITS. Prior to the museum's opening, a preview of the new factory and museum was held for members of the press. The new factory was built on a site of approximately 14,724 square meters adjacent to the main building of the Bandai Hobby Center with the aim of ensuring a more stable production system. The museum unveiled on this day has the theme of "Designing the Value of Plastic Models," and visitors can tour the new factory and enjoy the "Be Your Own Plastic Model Designer Experience."
Bandai Spirits has been strengthening its plastic model production functions since the opening of the new Bandai Hobby Center in December 2020. The new factory will begin operations on July 24th, and when it is fully operational in fiscal 2026, it is expected to be able to increase production by approximately 35% compared to fiscal 2023. In addition to increasing the number of the company's unique multi-color molding machines by 1.5 times, the company will also promote labor-saving measures and streamline its production and shipping systems.
Popular Gundam plastic model kits from the hit anime series "Gundam" can sometimes be difficult to obtain. Many fans are hoping for increased production, and the company's president, Hiroshi Sakakibara, said, "We want to deliver more products to plastic model fans around the world."
At the museum entrance, a Gunpla monument the size of a life-size Gundam will be on display. It will introduce the know-how and attention to detail the company has cultivated over more than 50 years of plastic model manufacturing, as well as the latest technology that supports the quality of its products, and allow visitors to learn about manufacturing. In the laboratory area, visitors can pretend to be plastic model designers and design the shape, color, and packaging of plastic models. The emphasis seems to be on the "experience," and Makoto Takahashi, general manager of the company's Hobby Division, appealed, "We hope that everyone, from children to adults, will be able to experience the fun of manufacturing."
