Tamiya's head office in Suruga-ku, Shizuoka, opens its second floor to visitors on weekdays, free, by advance application. Three things wait up the stairs: the Archive Room, which walks the company's history from the early wooden models through the plastic kits and RC cars that made the twin star logo famous; a showroom where real vehicles stand beside the products, including the full size version of the Monster Beetle RC kit; and the official Tamiya Shop, the source for twin star goods.
It is a pilgrimage for anyone who built a Tamiya kit as a kid, and it behaves like a company rather than a museum. Every visitor applies through the web form at least two working days ahead, groups are capped at five with no tour companies accepted, children under 12 need an adult, and there is no eating, drinking or noise inside. Hours are 9am to 4:30pm Monday to Friday, closed on national and company holidays, with school holiday periods subject to the published calendar.
Shizuoka is the model city, so pair it with the other plastic model makers' presences in town. From JR Shizuoka station south exit it is about 10 minutes by taxi, or bus 18 from stop 21 to the Oshika Eigyosho stop; from JR Higashi Shizuoka about 5 minutes by taxi.
