Master Modeler: Creating the Tamiya Style [Hardcover]

Shunsaku Tamiya (Author), Giles Murray (Translator)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 2002

The blue and red star logo of Tamiya is now recognized internationally as the mark of model kits of unrivalled quality and precision. It was not always so. In the 1950s Shunsaku Tamiya joined the family firm-a debt-ridden lumber business in an air-raid flattened city. He started manufacturing wooden models-only to have that business wiped out by the arrival of plastic model kits imported from America. This autobiography shows how he responded to that challenge, successfully switching from wood to plastic before producing a series of hit products-1/12 formula one cars, slot racing cars, military miniature tanks, warships, radio control and 4-wheel-drive cars-that continues uninterrupted to this day.
Model maker, craftsman, photographer, machinist and accidental businessman-this book is the self-portrait of a man whose energy, curiosity and love of perfection created a new standard in modelling and gave pleasure to millions of fans the world over.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"... a classic Japanese business success story that can be summed up in three words: imitate, innovate, annihilate." -- Graham Dwyer, The Daily Yomiuri

From the Publisher

PREFACE

This autobiography was first published in Japan in 1997. No one was more surprised than I at its success: All it does is recount in a down-to-earth manner the story of how one particular Japanese wooden-model manufacturer evolved into the maker of plastic models that it is today. When I first joined Tamiya forty years ago I was just a junior member of staff; I went on to become the president of the company, but one thing has never changed: My passion for model-making. That is the subject of this book. So anyone looking for an over-heated, self-congratulatory business success story had best look elsewhere! Looking back over my career, I have much to be grateful for. I have been especially fortunate in the people I have worked with; my father who indulgently allowed me to pursue business and research in Europe, America and Southeast Asia; David Binger and all the other overseas distributors who worked in such close partnership with us and whose passion sustains the extended "Tamiya Family" to this day; finally there are the employees of Tamiya, both past and present, whose numbers have grown from less than fifty when I joined the firm to the current several hundred. Inspired by the commitment "First in Quality Around the World," we have worked together to build Tamiya into the world-famous company that it is today. I extend my sincerest thanks to all of you.

Shunsaku Tamiya Shizuoka, September 2001

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Kodansha International (March 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 4770028512
• ISBN-13: 978-4770028518
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,524,018 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Inspiring, July 4, 2002

By 

Ong Tso Sheng (Singapore) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Master Modeler: Creating the Tamiya Style (Hardcover)

This provides a very interesting insight to one of the gaints of the plastic hobby kit scene. Its context may be about toys but it provides insight on how the company and the person behind it grew over the years, so its more for those seeking "inspiration in business".
Being a fan of plastic model kits myself, it put a face to the brand and company which I have become very familiar with over the years.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Master Reveals, January 29, 2005

By 

Aero Nut (Denver, CO USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Master Modeler: Creating the Tamiya Style (Hardcover)

This book was recommended at a meeting of my International Plastic Modelers Society chapter. As a result, it was loaned out to many members who read it and raved about it. When I finally got my turn, I was initially not that interested in it since I don't build many Tamiya models. I don't usually build tanks and their aircraft kits are very expensive. I have since changed my attitude towards Tamiya after reading this excellent story.

This book is not a comprehensive history of the company and its model kits, but a very personal oral history by The Master himself, Shunsaku Tamiya. The story begins with the origins of the company in the immediate postwar years when Tamiya struggled to keep his business alive. Tamiya originally produced wood models of ships and the book details the difficult transition to plastic kits. The story contains fascinating information about how the 1/35 scale for tanks came about (so batteries would fit inside the model to run the electric motor), how Tamiya, Fujimi, Hasegawa, and Aoshima began a cooperative venture to produce the 1/700 naval ship series, how the life-like poses of the armor figures were influenced by a Japanese animation artist, and many other tidbits of modeling trivia. The story also covers Tamiya's venture into motorized models such as their RC cars and 4WD cars.

As interesting as this information is, the real gem in this book is Mr. Tamiya's PASSION for modeling. He tells of his enthusiasm for modeling and the battles with his staff to convince them that Tamiya should make a model of a certain car or that a new manufacturing technology should be used. His relentless efforts in researching his model subjects eventually led an English military museum to open an exhibit hall named after Tamiya. Mr. Tamiya's business decisions are also detailed and make for fascinating reading. It gives a revealing look at the commercial forces that drive the model kit industry.

I highly recommend this book to all model builders. It will inspire you and probably change the way you think about the hobby of model building.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Inside the mind of Tamiya-san!, May 5, 2003

By 

Mark Shanks (Portland, OR) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Master Modeler: Creating the Tamiya Style (Hardcover)

Ever wonder why the scale of most armor kits is 1/35th? What was the *first* plastic model from Tamiya? How and why did he get into the plastic model business in the first place?

Scale modelers of all persuasions are familiar with the Tamiya name, and this book is an invaluable insight into the origins of the company whose influence on the industry has been phenomenal. It's an inspiring story, really "rags to riches" through hard work, perseverance, and no small amount of fanaticism (although we modelers think of it as "love of your hobby"). My only complaint is the amount of space dedicated to the 4-wheel drive racers at the end of the book, but since that has been a BIG money-maker for them I shouldn't take it too personally. Highly recommended for anyone interested in modelling or the Japanese way of doing business.