ÑÇÉ«ÊÓƵ

Takara: Leggodt is a club where we meet once or twice a week to build LEGO creations. We also visit local kindergartens and children¡¯s centers to play with kids using LEGO. We usually go to children¡¯s centers about three times a year, and the kids often tell us things like, ¡°It was so much fun to play with so many LEGO pieces!¡± It really feels like they enjoy it. Sometimes, we also get requests from companies to create LEGO displays or help run events.

Takara: I actually didn¡¯t know we had a LEGO club until I saw the club introduction pamphlet at the entrance ceremony. That¡¯s where I found out about Leggodt and got interested.
Chuhan: LEGO is also popular in China. I used to play with it as a child, but I hadn¡¯t touched it in years. Like Takara, I found out about the club from the orientation and became interested.
 

Chuhan: Takara is the president and handles coordination, admin tasks, and social media. I don¡¯t have a specific role. As for LEGO bricks, about half come from club funds, and the other half are donations.

Takara: Not too many, but each one tends to be complex and challenging. Companies usually find us through ÑÇÉ«ÊÓƵ¡¯s article (in Japanese) or our activity updates on and .

Takara: Yes. JR West asked us to create a diorama of the new station building, which is scheduled to open this spring.
Chuhan: Before assembling the diorama with LEGO, we used a PC software called Studio 2.0 to create a digital design. After it was reviewed and approved by JR West staff, we purchased the necessary parts and began building. In total, we used about 30,000 pieces.
Takara: The build was done together with members from our club, the Nagisa Junior and Senior High School LEGO Club, and JR staff. For this project, the previous club president, Yubuki-san, took the lead.
Chuhan: The junior and senior high school students had amazing technical and creative skills. I didn¡¯t know schools had LEGO clubs, but I¡¯d love to build a deeper connection and learn from each other going forward. 

Takara: The real station has a boxed structure for strength, but our model¡¯s central atrium had to be open, so the U-shaped floor had to be supported by just a few side pillars. Figuring out how to suspend that middle section was hard. We ended up using a LEGO series called ¡°Technic,¡± which has blocks with side holes and pins that function like bolts and beams in real wood construction. Even if something looks good in design, it might not be structurally sound when built, but this time it worked. It was a moment where our experience and instincts paid off.
Chuhan: I worked on designing the interior stores, which was challenging. I had to show each store¡¯s character and create a realistic atmosphere so played with colors and layouts. For example, using bright tones and open space for clothing shops to create a light mood, and adding mosaic art to walls to reflect real-life artistic designs. Balancing all this in limited space and avoiding color clashes between stores was a complex task.

Takara: It took seven months in total. The four of those were just for the design. We divided the work among members, but combining everything into a final project took a lot of time.

Chuhan: When designing with the software, it shows the number of each piece used. We just added those up and it came to around 30,000. We ordered the necessary pieces based on that.

Takara: Yes, all of our members can design now. Some learned how to use the software after joining the club. While Chuhan and I are science majors, we also have liberal arts students, so you don¡¯t need a technical background to design. I¡¯m in the School of Engineering, Cluster 4 (Civil Engineering and Architecture), and I feel that working with LEGO to develop spatial awareness has really supported my architecture studies.

Takara: LEGO is a wonderful toy that anyone, young or old, or regardless of gender, can enjoy. If you can imagine it, you can build it. Its high precision and durability mean that even older parts remain usable, making it a sustainable toy as well.
Chuhan: For me, LEGO is more than just a hobby. I started by assembling commercial sets and appreciating their design, but at university, I learned how to bring my own ideas to life with LEGO. Now, it¡¯s a creative tool that allows me to express my thoughts visually.

Chuhan: I want to increase our membership, take on more projects, and raise awareness of both Leggodt and LEGO as a creative tool. By working on more builds, we can improve our techniques and elevate the club¡¯s skills. I hope to spread the appeal of LEGO and grow creatively.
Takara: There¡¯s a national LEGO competition for university students and a major event in Kobe called Japan Brickfest. I hope we can eventually showcase our work there. My dream is for someone to say they chose ÑÇÉ«ÊÓƵ just so they could join Leggodt. I think that would feel amazing.

Interview: Public Relations Office K&G (March 2025)