Launched in 2021, "Gunpla Academy" is an educational outreach initiative from BANDAI SPIRITS, the company behind countless toys and model kits. The program offers an online model-building curriculum for upper-elementary students in Japan, framed as a social studies field trip experience.
Now in its fifth year, the program has reached a cumulative total of over one million students. At a time when Japanese education faces challenges like disparities in student motivation and heavy workloads for teachers, "Gunpla Academy" is gaining popularity as a potential solution. Oricon News recently sat down with Miyuki Nakagiri and Haruka Ide from Bandai's Hobby Model Toy Business Division to get the inside story.
"Gunpla Academy" is a free, comprehensive curriculum package that lets students build their own Gundam model kits (Gunpla). Through videos showcasing the manufacturing process and recycling efforts, students learn about the fun and depth of manufacturing work, as well as corporate sustainability initiatives. The course is primarily recommended for students in the upper grades of elementary school.
From its start in October 2021 to September 2026, a total of 1,040,169 students from 15,375 schools have participated. Using model kits as a teaching tool, students learn about factory production processes and technological development ("Japanese manufacturing"), understand the dedication of the people involved in production ("career education"), and learn about plastic waste recycling and other "Sustainable Development Goals" (SDGs).
Furthermore, frontline educators have found the program to be a perfect fit for the "Period for Integrated Studies" mandated by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. This class time is designed to break down traditional subject barriers, allowing students to tackle issues in a cross-disciplinary, comprehensive way and develop the ability to identify problems, think proactively, and find solutions on their own, earning high praise from many teachers.
When asked what inspired the launch of "Gunpla Academy," Ms. Miyuki Nakagiri of the Hobby Model Toy Business Division explained:
It all started in 2019 with an internal company proposal called "Pioneer's Spirit," where we pitched the idea of "on-demand classes × model kits." Since the Bandai Hobby Center moved to Naganuma, Shizuoka, in 2006, we've hosted many school factory tours. However, we always felt it was a shame that it was difficult for schools far away to visit in person.
We often received letters from children saying things like, "I can't visit, but I still have questions." This made us want to bring the "joy of making things" to more kids, which became the main driver for this project. We also knew that a tour of the Hobby Center was highly relevant to the "Industry" unit in elementary social studies, which further solidified the idea of developing it into an educational curriculum.
The rollout went much smoother than expected. Around the time the proposal was made in 2019, schools in Japan were implementing the "GIGA School Program," which equipped every student with a tablet or device. Then the pandemic hit in 2020, forcing a halt to field trips and factory tours, which in turn accelerated the adoption of online classes.
Since classrooms were already equipped with screens and other devices, introducing the program was a seamless process. Current educational guidelines call for "active, interactive, and deep learning," and inquiry-based, group-oriented classes using active learning methods are becoming more common. However, schools also face issues like "gaps in student motivation" and "interpersonal friction." While "Gunpla Academy" is seen as a way to help with these problems, could the "Gunpla building" itself become a barrier?
Addressing the concern that issues like "gaps in student motivation" and "interpersonal friction" might be exacerbated by the task of building a model kit, Ms. Nakagiri responded:
We weren't particularly worried about that. From our experience hosting school tours at the Hobby Center, we saw that elementary students were always very interested in the models and had a great time.
After implementing the course, we found that kids who are good at building models naturally help their classmates who are struggling. Kids who are quick with their hands might even become the class "aces." It turned into a time where children with all different kinds of talents could shine and work together.
Beyond just assembling the kit, what else does the program hope to teach children?
Ms. Nakagiri stated:
The course videos feature employees from planning, design, molding, production, and quality control, each sharing "the passion and mindset they bring to their work."
In the Japanese manufacturing industry, the shrinking workforce is a serious social issue. That's why we place great importance on the "career education" aspect of the curriculum. We hope this project makes kids feel that "a job making things seems really fun!"
What has been the reaction from the children and teachers who have participated?
Ms. Nakagiri shared:
We've received a lot of wonderful feedback through surveys, like "I want to work at BANDAI SPIRITS someday," and many enthusiastic letters. One teacher told us that a normally quiet child showed amazing talent during the model building and became a "hero in the classroom." The teachers' reviews have been excellent because the kids look forward to the class so much.
Ms. Ide added:
Some have even taken the lesson beyond just building the model, with kids developing their own ways to play. Also, when the actual model kit arrives and they feel that "snap" as the parts fit together, they gain a deeper appreciation for why the factory staff fine-tunes molds to a precision of 1 micron and why they are so particular about the plastic materials used.
Finally, what is the ultimate goal for this project?
Ms. Nakagiri concluded:
We will continue working to get this program into more elementary schools nationwide, but I think the most important thing is to "keep it going steadily for the long haul." Every year, a new group of kids enters the 5th grade, and we want to keep passing on the fun of model kits and the depth and appeal of the manufacturing world to them.
Just recently, a middle school student visiting the "Bandai Hobby Center Model Design Industrial Research Institute Museum" told us, "I took the Gunpla class in elementary school!" Hearing that was truly moving.
In the future, we dream of the day when a job applicant in an interview at BANDAI SPIRITS tells us, "I took a Gunpla class in elementary school." With that dream in mind, we will continue this initiative with unwavering determination for years to come.
Bandai's optimism for the "Gunpla Academy" is clear, as it successfully brings model building into the classroom as a unique educational tool. After five years of growth, the program's reach continues to expand, demonstrating a powerful new way to teach children knowledge that can't be found in textbooks.
via： Oricon news ガンプラアカデミア