Thanks to the recent opening of Gundam statute in Shizuoka, thousands of hobbyists fans were gathered in heart of the city to experience the great galore of plastic model kits and toys. Said to be (unofficial) new home of world’s largest hobby confab in Japan. The unveiling of the statute along with its giant production plant that makes these plastic toys gave the staff of Shizuoka Hobby Museum to praise about. So says this source.
The Shizuoka Hobby Museum was set up as part of the hobby fair to showcase the half-century history of plastic model kit production in Japan.
Its exhibits are presented in 23 segments, covering various production periods. Each one shows the plastic models that best represent the period.
Among the rarer items are a replica of a 1958 model of the U.S. submarine Nautilus, the first injection-molded plastic kit produced in Japan, and a model of the I-series submarine, used by the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II.
The exhibit showcases a number of other items coveted by plastic model enthusiasts, such as the Tetsujin 28-go robot, considered a trailblazer for the numerous character models that followed, and a 1:12 scale Honda Formula One racing car, which was highly praised for its detailed perfection.
Other booths are dedicated to proud originals offered by local manufacturers.
Tamiya Inc., headquartered in Shizuoka, has put on display the Gun Blaster, which is 32 times larger than its popular Mini4WD radio-controlled car kits.
Aoshima Bunka Kyozai Co., also based in Shizuoka, is featuring its Lamborghini Countach model. The Italian sports car once fueled a wave of supercar popularity.
Hasegawa Corp., based in Yaizu, Shizuoka Prefecture, brought out the big guns with its 1:350 scale model of the Japanese battleship Nagato.
Other exhibits include the Honda Super Cub and the Subaru 360, produced by die-cast model car maker MMP Co. (EBBRO), headquartered in Shizuoka, and a replica of the five-story pagoda of the Horyuji temple produced by Woody JOE Co., a wood model maker based in Shizuoka.
Here again, the most eye-catching attractions are related to Gundam.
Using a model of a Core Fighter plane, Bandai Co., the maker of Gunpla plastic models, has reproduced the scene in the final episode of the popular “Mobile Suit Gundam” anime series where Amuro Ray, the central character, makes his escape from the falling space fortress A Baoa Qu.
The Core Fighter, as well as the giant Gundam statue that stands guard in front of Higashi-Shizuoka Station, has become a must-see for Gundam fans.
The statue, which now holds a “beam saber” in its right hand, is the full 18 meters in height as written in the series. It was built to commemorate the 30th anniversary of Bandai’s Gunpla plastic model series.
Over six weeks last summer, the behemoth attracted 4.15 million visitors to its display in Tokyo’s Odaiba district, and it wasn’t even holding the beam saber.
Moving the statue to Shizuoka, where Bandai’s factory for the Gunpla series is located, was considered a “homecoming” for Gundam.
Source: Asahi.com
The Shizuaka hobby fair will run till March next year. Admission is free, but not for the museum. It’s 600 yen for junior high school student and 200 for elementary school student.
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