Enter the World of Tamagotchi
In celebration of Tamagotchi‘s 30th anniversary, the Dai Tamagotchi Exhibition will be hosted across Japan, with its first stop in Roppongi.
Tamagotchi, the digital pet toy, was released by Bandai in 1996 and instantly became a global phenomenon. Since its debut, 38 different models have been released, evolving with new technologies and designs including infrared communication, color LCDs, touch screens and Wi-Fi functions. The toy continues to be wildly popular — spreading to over 50 countries and surpassing 100 million units in sales. To commemorate, the exhibition looks over the brand’s history and evolution across various media. Limited edition merchandise will also be available, including an original Tamagotchi model in collaboration with designer Mitsuhiro Higuchi.
Tamagotchi is celebrating its 30th anniversary | Photo by Aya Sato
Exhibit
The Dai Tamagotchi Exhibition will be touring across the country. Tokyo is the first stop in the schedule, with a venue at Roppongi Museum from January 7 to February 2, 2026. From March 6 to April 5, the exhibition will be open in Aichi’s Nagoya Parco. From April 24 to May 6 it will be exhibiting at Ibaraki’s Mito Keisei department store, along with Osaka’s Daimaru Umeda store in August (exact dates to be announced). Other tour locations will be announced at a later date.
The exhibit looks back at 30 years of Tamagotchi’s development and contributions to pop culture: from the classic keychain toy to video games, merchandise, cartoons and beyond. The gallery will cover the toy’s various nostalgic charms and also feature artwork from various artists. Guests will have the opportunity to interact with their favorite characters at fun photo spots scattered throughout the venue, and play with the brand’s various models from the very first iteration to the modern color displays.
Photo by Aya Sato
Cafe
The exhibition’s collaboration cafe features a fun menu inspired by Tamagotchi. The cafe space is decorated with Tamagotchi faces at every corner and the theming continues with cutely decorated food and drinks to wrap up guests’ museum visit. The menu includes keema curry, omurice, pancakes and a parfait. The cafe also offers a takeout menu, offering hot lemonade and corn dogs. Guests who order from the cafe will receive a random Tamagotchi coaster.
The cafe will be open from 10:30 to 20:30 (last order 19:30) and the food truck will be open from 10:00 to 20:00 (last order 19:50). Numbered tickets may be issued when the cafe is crowded; tickets will be distributed until they run out each day. To allow as many customers as possible to experience the cafe, seating time is limited to a maximum of 60 minutes.
Photo by Aya Sato
Tickets
To reduce congestion and ensure safety, this exhibition will require designated dates and times for all gallery dates. A special admission ticket and merchandise bundle will also be available that includes an exclusive Tamagotchi “shaka shaka” drawstring bag. The advance lottery application will be open from November 19 to November 30. The general sales period will begin on December 10.
