Kochi

Nov 25, 2015 - 1 min read

Anime-Lovers' Kaiyodo Hobby Museum

10,000 figures on display deep in the heart of Shikoku

By Sandra Isaka

Community writer

The museum is located down a lovely, narrow valley that is deep within the mountains of Kochi Prefecture.

Just outside, beside the parking lot, a handful of locals sell yakisoba noodles, kakigori (flavored shaved ice), and other seasonal snack foods.

The museum houses thousands of model kits and figurines.

Dinosaurs tower over the exhibits.

It is hard to tell that you are in a gymnasium - until you see the school stage, and the clock above it.

The company's most famous in-house sculptor, 'Bome', creates characters for Kaiyodo - including many like these.

Even visitors that are not interested in Japanese animation will find many of the displays interesting.

Admission to the museum is 800 yen for adults, 400 yen for elementary/Jr. high school students, and is free for children preschool age and younger.

The museum is open from 10am to 6pm, from March through October, and is open until 5pm from November through February.

The museum is closed on Tuesdays except when Tuesday falls on a national holiday (when it is closed the following day). It is also closed during the year-end and New Year holidays. The museum is open on Tuesdays during August.

There is a small library in the back of the museum where visitors can sit and read from a collection of Japanese manga.

The museum is a 30 minute drive from Shimantocho-Chuo Interchange on the Kochi Expressway. It is an hour walk from JR Utsuigawa Station on Shikoku's Yodo Line.

A collection of really cool wood-carved vehicles (airplanes, tanks, bicycles) sit in front of the museum and are free for kids to ride around in.

In July 2011, the famous Osaka-based company, Kaiyodo, remodeled the gymnasium of a recently-closed elementary school in the town of Shimanto and opened a museum there that showcases many of its collectable figurines and model kits. There are over 10,000 items on display - including a multitude of animation characters, giant dinosaurs, and much more. The museum is located in a remote area of Kochi Prefecture, not far from the famous Shimanto River. Also nearby, be sure to visit the fascinating Kaiyodo Kappa Museum, dedicated to Japan's most popular mythical creature.

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Sandra Isaka

By Sandra Isaka

Community writer

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