New Bandai Hobby Center factory exterior in Shizuoka with mirrored glass façade and BHCPDII signage under a clear sky.

Bandai opens BHC PDII plamodel-design museum in Shizuoka

By Juan Carlos Orellana | Artrovo Gundam | Sept. 2, 2025

SANTA CLARITA, Calif. — Bandai opened the BHC PDII MUSEUM inside its new Bandai Hobby Center factory in Shizuoka on Tuesday, offering a mix of factory-floor viewing and hands-on “plamodel designer” experiences. The facility launches with timed-entry reservations only and a focus on how kits move from concept to production.

For the hobby world, this is more than a destination. It’s a brand-infrastructure play that pairs public education with long-term investments in capacity and quality control. Expect official channels to lean into behind-the-scenes coverage; the museum’s site is already posting operational updates and notices about on-premise sales.

BHCPDII MUSEUM lobby with illuminated logo and molding-machine exhibit while guests check in at the reception counter.
Lobby and check-in space sets the tone for behind-the-scenes, brand-infrastructure coverage.

Visitors rotate through design-to-manufacturing touchpoints. The program includes a modeling and package-design lab, a live molding demonstration, and a guided view of the new factory’s production route. The museum’s through-line is simple: let guests think like product designers, then watch parts become reality on the floor.

Row of multi-color injection molding machines on the factory floor, illustrating the live molding demonstration route.
Factory-floor injection molding is part of the program’s live demonstration.
Interactive design lab where visitors choose concept, parts and colors during the Plastic Model Designer Test.
Modeling & coloring design lab enables the hands-on “plamodel designer” experience.

Exhibits also break down the manufacturing flow and the engineering choices behind Bandai’s consistent fit and finish. Materials trace more than 50 years of techniques into the latest QA practices, with content pitched to both kids and experienced builders.

Auditorium with seated visitors watching a wide projection that introduces the BHCPDII design-to-production experience.
PLAMO THEATER frames the manufacturing-flow and QA story before the exhibits.

Tickets are advance-reservation only. Adult admission is ¥2,860; children (ages six to twelve) are ¥1,100; preschoolers are free with a guardian. The museum lists hours of 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (JST), and the operator is running monthly ticket lotteries alongside limited first-come windows as demand ramps.

U.S. fans should view today’s opening as a signal, too. A modernized factory plus a public-facing museum tends to stabilize supply over time and creates a pipeline of official content and occasional on-site tie-ins. If Artrovo Gundam expands travel coverage, this is an obvious culture piece with reader appeal.

Booking continues to roll forward in monthly cycles. If you’re planning a visit, set an alert for the next lottery window and build in extra time around Shizuoka’s broader hobby circuit.

Fact box:

  • Facility: BANDAI HOBBY CENTER PLAMO DESIGN INDUSTRIAL INSTITUTE (BHC PDII MUSEUM)

  • Location: 500-15 Naganuma, Aoi-ku, Shizuoka City, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan

  • Hours: 9:00 a.m.–5:30 p.m. (JST)

  • Admission (tax-in): adults ¥2,860; children (6–12) ¥1,100; preschoolers free (with guardian)

  • Access model: timed-entry; advance reservation/lottery; limited first-come dates

  • Core experiences: modeling & package-design lab; live molding demo; factory-floor viewing; manufacturing/QA exhibits

  • Opening date: Sept. 2, 2025 (JST)

  • Operator: Bandai Spirits; inside the new Bandai Hobby Center factory

Sources (accessed Sept. 2, 2025):

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