Why so many plastic model kit manufacturers in Shizuoka

[bikkuri bahn]

I have always wondered why so many plastic model kit makers were based in Shizuoka.  There are the big 4 of Tamiya, Hasegawa, Fujimi, and Aoshima, and toymaker Bandai as well has a plastic kit plant for Gunpla in Shizuoka. Apparently, it has to do with the abundant timber resources in the prefecture (then called Suruga), and the influence of the Tokugawa family.  The Tokugawa recruited woodworkers and craftsmen from all over the country to work on shrine building and in particular the intricate carvings used in such structures.  Such a concentration of talent in one spot led to intense competition and a resulting rise in level of technique.  In the twentieth century, the founder of Aoshima started using these techniques to manufacture wood airplane models.  After the end of the war, production of wood kits shifted to plastic, which led to the current situation today.  Apparently now plastic kits made in Shizuoka Prefecture account for a 90% share of the domestic kit market.

Edited September 25, 2015 by bikkuri bahn