Omochanomachi Bandai Museum

This museum opened in 2007, exhibiting collections inherited from the shuttered BANDAI Museum in Matsudo, Chiba Prefecture, and the World Toy Museum in Karuizawa of Kitasaku District in Nagano Prefecture. It consists of four themed museums: “Japan Toy”, “World Toy”, “Edison” (Inventions), and “Hobby” (Gundam). The collections range from classic toys made of chogokin die-cast metal to a 1:1 scale Gundam statue (upper body only). Speaking of a 1:1 scale Gundam, the one installed at Odaiba was a great hit, but in fact the very first 1:1 scale Gundam RX-78 was the one in the BANDAI Museum. Moreover, the “Town of Toys” was the birthplace of robot character toys with complicated mechanisms for shape transformation and integration, fascinating children all over Japan and still attracting many toy fans to visit. It is an appealing way to learn about a part of Japan and world cultural history through toys.