Lost in Translation Diorama

[SL-san]

I entered a small diorama in the (Australian) National N Scale Convention 2024 and was pleased to be voted and awarded the "Peoples Choice".

In one corner of the diorama I placed a figure of myself and my wife by our silver Honda Jazz (Fit) lost and arguing about directions that must have got LOST IN TRANSLATION.

 

It was constructed on foam board using hand painted kit built buildings, proprietary figures, cars and accessories supplemented with scratch built market stalls, roads, paving, overhead street wiring, rail corridor and landscaping. The street lights, buildings and cars are fitted with battery powered LEDs which can be turned on using switches mounted on the base.

 

I enjoyed creating this mini scene but became aware of how much I didn't know about small town Japan (Google maps photos helped).

Graeme

 

[SL-san]

Some more photos

[SL-san]

And here is the depiction of two travellers lost after instructions that were lost in translation!  The eagle eyed might note that the silver Honda Jazz has my local number plate 😀

[maihama eki]

We have a similar blue Fit nicknamed "Badger". It is somewhat close (not quite the right vintage) to this Tomytec car https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/image/10495992/20/8 

[DenshaTen]

Fantastic diorama! I love the atmosphere that the power lines add 

[SL-san]

3 hours ago, maihama eki said:

We have a similar blue Fit

Interesting how the models name is "Fit" in some countries and "Jazz" in others.  I can only assume that they were scared of using "Fit" in Australia because some smart alec would say "I wouldn't use that car in a FIT".  The remarkable feature of the car is how much you can load in it with the clever fold down back seats.  I drove myself, my wife, a friend, our luggage, my layout "Wakasa no Sakura" and rolling stock to Canberra (600km round trip) in our Jazz!!

Graeme😀

[SL-san]

3 hours ago, DenshaTen said:

Fantastic diorama! I love the atmosphere that the power lines add 

Thank you DenshaTen.  One of the thing that did strike me about Japanese streets was the mass of overhead wiring, not as scary as other places in Asia, but pretty full on.  I used recycled fine copper relay wire strung between plastic poles...not something that I would do again as any tension in the wires bent the plastic poles a bit more than real life!  I would probably scratch build metal poles...but then again life is too short!!

Graeme😁

[maihama eki]

17 minutes ago, SL-san said:

Interesting how the models name is "Fit" in some countries and "Jazz" in others.  I can only assume that they were scared of using "Fit" in Australia because some smart alec would say "I wouldn't use that car in a FIT".  The remarkable feature of the car is how much you can load in it with the clever fold down back seats.  I drove myself, my wife, a friend, our luggage, my layout "Wakasa no Sakura" and rolling stock to Canberra (600km round trip) in our Jazz!!

Graeme😀

 

My wife originally bought our Fit when she was working in Maryland and we had a second house there. We sold that house in 2020 and during the dark pandemic days of November 2020, we drove the Fit from Maryland to Colorado via a long route through the southern U.S. - around 2500 miles (4000 km) in 6 days. We took the longer route through the south to avoid any chance of winter weather. I thought it would be a horrible drive, but it wasn't really that bad.