- TOP
- Interests
- Activities
- Amusement parks
- Kaiyodo Hobby Museum and the Kappa Museum
Kaiyodo Hobby Museum and the Kappa Museum
Must-see museum for fans of Kaiyodo’s Japanese figurines
- Closest station
Yosan Line, Utsuigawa Station
*The Hobby Museum is about 6 km from Utsuigawa Station
- Access
JR Kochi Station → JR Kubokawa Station (about 1 h) → JR Utsuigawa Station (about 20 mins)
JR Matsuyama Station → JR Uwajima Station (about 1 h 15 mins) → JR Utsuigawa Station (about 1 h 50 mins)
(On Sundays and holidays only, a bus is operated from Taisho Station to Utsuigawa Station to the Hobby Museum by Hokuban Kanko.
- Location
Kaiyodo Hobby Museum Shimanto
1458-1 Utsuigawa, Shimanto-cho, Takaoka-gun, Kochi PrefectureKaiyodo Kappa Museum
685-1 Utsuigawa, Shimanto-cho, Takaoka-gun, Kochi Prefecture
- Opening hours
Closed: Every Tuesday, New Year’s holiday period (Dec. 28 – Jan. 1)
*Golden Week: Open every day
*Summer vacation period: Open every day between the 4th week of July to the end of August10：00-18:00 (last entry 17:30)
*Winter hours: Open from 10:00-17:00 from Nov. 1 – Feb. 29 (last entry 16:30)
Great Stuff to See and Do!
See the prized collection of Kaiyodo
The Kaiyodo Hobby Museum exhibits the history and collection of the international figurine manufacturer Kaiyodo.
The museum was built in 2008 by reconstructing the Utsuigawa Elementary School that had closed. It was made with the local residents at heart, aiming to spur new gatherings of people and prosperity in the depopulated region.
Novelty toys, vending machine capsule figurines, and a miniature garden-making experience
There are many different objects on display at the Kaiyodo Hobby Museum.
In the galleries with replicas of Catalonian ships, you’ll also find displays of novelty toys sold with food items and capsule figurines.
The Diorama-making Classroom offers the opportunity to make your own miniature garden. Exhibitions are created based on various themes three times per year in the Scheduled Exhibitions Room. The Museum Shop offers the newest Kaiyodo products, mascots featuring the local Tosa-ben dialect, and Kochi souvenirs. There is also a section with “gashapon” capsule vending machines with Kaiyodo products.
Meet a horde of kappa, the curious creatures of Japanese legends
The Kaiyodo Kappa Museum is a museum dedicated to kappa, the water goblins from Japanese folklore. Located just five minutes by car from the Kaiyodo Hobby Museum, it displays over 500 works submitted for the Kappa Modeling Grand Prize and also features a kappa experience corner. You can also enjoy riverside activities at Utsui-gawa river nearby.
