Mr Tamiya dead. R.I.P.

[Bigends]

https://tamiyablog.com/2025/07/in-memoriam-mr-shun...

[blue_haddock]

Yeah I just read about it.

My first memory of Tamiya is making a diorama at Butlins Skegness in probably the mid to late 80s using two Tamiya car models and winning first prize in a competition!

[CT05 Nose Cone]

Tamiya are one of the few brands I would actually associate with being both good quality and good value, which feels like a good legacy to leave

[BunkMoreland]

Shunsaku wasnt the founder of Tamiya, he was the son of Yoshiro (founder) Shunsaku had retired last year at 89 years old!


Current President is the husband of Shunsaku's grand daughter. Typical Japanese idea to keep the family involved over multiple generations


I'm ashamed to say that when I visited Tokyo and went to the Tamiya Plamodel Factory shop in Shinbashi I didn't buy a thing! Should have bought a T shirt at least!

https://maps.app.goo.gl/adARN9yeyuzeXbQc6

[oddball1313]

After building the junk airfix churned in the early 1980’s building a Tamiya M48 Patton tank was virtually life changing - got to admire a man who totally raises the standards of an entire industry

[oddball1313]

After building the junk airfix churned in the early 1980’s building a Tamiya M48 Patton tank was virtually life changing - got to admire a man who totally raises the standards of an entire industry

[Eric Mc]

In the early 80s, Airfix was virtually bankrupt. It had gone under as an independent company in 1980 and was bought by the toy manufacturer Palitoy - who frankly, did not want to invest a penny in the brand. The kits AIrfix had been tooling from between 1972 to 1980 were actually pretty good for the era. However, after 1980 new issues were few and far between and in many cases, reissues of kits originally tooled by other manufacturers. They had, of course, an extensive back catalogue going back to the late 1950s so they continued reissuing those kits - which in many cases did a lot of damage to the brand.

When Palitoy sold Airfix to Humbrol, matters didn't improve much.

It's only since Hornby bought Airfix in 2006 that Airfix have started producing "modern" standard toolings.

What is interesting is that Tamiya have been at a high standard since the late 1960s. They didn;'t always get it right themselves though. Their limited 1/100 scale military aircraft are not that great. Even their impressive 1/48 Lancaster (which looks great when finsihed) has some shape errors. I remember seeing Mr Tamiya being interviewed once when he actually apologised for the getting the 1/48 Lancaster wrong.

[dontlookdown]

I haven't made a model kit in decades, but I do recall making my first Tamiya kit. Quite a big Tiger tank.

After a diet of Airfix, Revell and Monogram the quality was eye-opening. Crisp moulding, not much flash, amazing detail and fit and finish in another league.

Their acrylic paints were a similarly big improvement on Humbrol enamels too. Matt paint that was actually uniformly matt, and only water needed to clean the brushes. Witchcraft!

RiP Mr Tamiya.