JAPAN TODAY



 

When you’re looking for fun, there’s no better place to find it than at an amusement park. The thrilling rides! The cute costumed characters! The…welding?

OK, so that last one isn’t what you’ll find at most theme parks. But if the joy of superheating and fusing slabs of metal is what’s keeping you from fully enjoying your day at Disneyland or Universal Studios, you’ll be happy to know that multiple “welding theme parks,” as their owners are calling them, are set to open in Japan.

 

Iron Planet first opened in Fukui Prefecture as an offshoot of metalworking plant Osada Industry, which started offering beginner-level classes and workshops inside its factory. As of this month, Iron Planet is becoming a franchise chain, with its first dedicated facility set to open in Shizuoka Prefecture in partnership with Kageyama Ironworks.

Inside you’ll find an airy, stylish lobby and planning spaces, where your fellow smiths-for-a-day and the Iron Planet staff can discuss ideas and plan your welding and metalworking projects.

 

Once you’ve got all that sorted out, it’s time to strap on your protective gear, which Iron Planet provides. Kids’ sizes are available too, of course, because kids are allowed to participate in Iron Planet’s activities.

 

While welding is often thought of as industrial labor, it’s also an art, and Iron Planet wants to help visitors create something they can take home and enjoy for its form or function. Basic projects include creating stools, pencil holders, and decorative signs.

Iron Planet Shizuoka opened on September 7, with additional locations coming soon to Tochigi and Kanagawa Prefectures.

 

Location information

Iron Planet Base of Numazu / アイアンプラネット　ベースオブ沼津
Address: Shizuoka-ken, Numazu-shi, Nishimakado 28-3
静岡県沼津市西間門28-3
Open 9 a.m.-4 p.m. (reservations required)
Closed Saturday-Sunday