Thursday, April 22, 2010

A Visit to Bandai Hobby Center

Gigazine has a very interesting photo report on a recent visit to Bandai Hobby Center, the birthplace of all Gunplas and models kits from Bandai. ^^

Bandai Hobby Center is situated in Aoi-ku, Shizuoka City, Shizuoka Prefecture.



Just a one-minute walk from Naganuma Station (静岡鉄道の長沼駅).


As the railway station is adjacent to Seitetsu Naganuma factory (静鉄長沼工場), you can always see the back-and-forth operation of the train near Bandai Hobby Center.


Large solar panels installed on the wall of Bandai Hobby Center and at the parking lot of the south building since they receive the most amount of sunlight.


Also has emblems of Anaheim Electronics and E.F.S.F. on the wall. The wallpaper of "Gundam Double O" Season 1 was there since the anime production team's visit to the place in April last year.


The entrance to the center.




Large scale Gundam RX-78-2 and Char's Zaku II welcoming the guests as they enter the center.
That Samurai Gundam is 1.8 meter tall. ^^



Dioramas from Gundam and "Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind" (bottom right picture).



Rows and rows of display cases showing all of Bandai's previous model kit releases.


Vintage plamos from past robot animes.


Gunpla series of the original Gundam, which started in 1980.


Johnny Ridden's Customized High Mobility Type Zaku II with Kunio Okawara-sensei's signature.



Gunplas from "Gundam F91" and its side stories.
The ones shown above are Gundam RXF91 "Silhouette Gundam" and RXF91 Kai.


Gold plated PG Gundam RX-78-2


Evangelion plamos.


Gundam Double O section, featuring HCM-Pro action figures as well.


"Gundam UC" section.



The "musha" section? ^^ Featuring MG Shin Musha Gundam 'Sengoku no Jin' and Keropla Keroro Dai Shogun.




A plated Yamato battle cruiser. Not sure if this is the limited 1/350 Yamato Space Magnetic Space Plated Ver. released December last year.


A plated Zaku II head that has lighting effect. Modified from UCHG 1/35 Ramba Ral's Commando Set I think.



Ecopla and 1/60 Hobby Center injection machine.


The "diorama" of Bandai Hobby Center and the area near it.

There's no coverage on the factory though, unfortunately. ^^;

Images are from Gigazine.