“Toys are children’s words and play is their language.”

– Garry L. Landreth, Play Therapy: The Art Of The Relationship

Gundam and me.

I did write blogs of my trips in the past. However, I became so busy (and lazy, lol!) to continue writing. As this blog will hopefully be my only and permanent travel online diary, I will just import some of those write-ups as throwback trips. One of them was my trip to the Bandai Museum during my internship in Dokkyo Medical University in July 2011.

Date: July 24, 2011.

Bandai Museum is just located few blocks away from the university dormitory. From the Omochano-machi station, one can reach the Bandai Museum by 15 mins walk.

Bandai Museum

Bandai is a Japanese toy and video game company founded in 1950 and is the world’s 3rd largest toy producer. They first put up their museum in Matsudo, Chiba on July 19, 2003, then closed on August 31, 2006. Eight months later on April 28, 2007, they reopened the museum in a new location, Omochano-machi in Mibu, Tochigi. The word “Omochano-machi” means “Toy’s Town” making Bandai Museum really belonging to the place.

Some superheroes from Japanese tokusatsu series.

The Bandai Museum is divided into four sections: the Japanese Toys, the World Toys, the Hobby Museum and the Thomas Edison Exhibit. There is also a large play area for the kids where the 5.6 meter bust statue of Gundam can also be seen.

Ultraman collection.

A torso model of a robot from a mecha anime series.

Gettai robots.

A statue of Thomas Alva Edison at the Bandai Museum.