Tamiya Corporation
Japanese manufacturer of plastic models and RC cars.
Tamiya Incorporated, a Japanese company based in Shizuoka, was founded in 1946 by Yoshio Tamiya. It manufactures plastic model kits, radio-controlled cars, battery and solar-powered educational models, sailboat models, military vehicle models, acrylic and enamel paints, and various modeling tools and supplies. Hobbyists regard Tamiya models as exceptionally high-quality and accurate in scale detail, a standard captured in the company’s motto: “First in quality around the world.” Tamiya’s metal molds are designed from plans with the goal of being “easy to understand and build, even for beginners,” and its box art follows the same principle. The company has won the Modell des Jahres (Model of the Year) award from the German magazine *ModellFan*. Current products include scale plastic model cars, aircraft, military vehicles, motorcycles, figurines, radio-controlled cars and trucks, and 1/16 scale tanks, as well as materials and tools such as enamel and acrylic paints, airbrushes, aerosol paint, and marker pens.
**History**
The company began in 1946 as Tamiya Shoji & Co., a sawmill and lumber supplier in Oshika, Shizuoka City. In 1947, its wood products division started making wooden ship and airplane models, which eventually became the main business. By 1953, the company had stopped selling architectural lumber and focused entirely on model making. During the mid-1950s, sales of wooden models declined as foreign plastic models entered the market. This prompted Tamiya to produce plastic models, starting in 1959 with the Japanese battleship *Yamato*. Competitors sold similar models for 350 yen, forcing Tamiya to match that price. At such a low price, however, the company could not recover the cost of producing metal molds, so it returned to wooden models.
In the 1960s, technological advances made metal molds unnecessary for producing plastic toys, allowing Tamiya to release a racecar mini-kit. Its success financed the next plastic model. The company chose the Panther tank as its second plastic model because its linear shape made molds simple to produce. Illustrator Shigeru Komatsuzaki was commissioned for the box art. The Panther model gained a strong reputation for being motorized, having good moving performance, and including a clear instruction manual that made assembly easy. It was made in 1:35 scale, which later became the standard for military modeling.
- Founded
- 1946
- Founder
- Yoshio Tamiya
- Location
- Shizuoka, Japan
- First plastic model
- 1:800 battleship Yamato (1960)
- First tank model
- 1:35 Panther tank (1961)
- Motto
- First in quality around the world
- Trademark introduced
- 1960 (current form)
Lore & Background
The company was founded in 1946 as Tamiya Shoji & Co., initially a sawmill and lumber supply. In 1947, its wood products division began producing wooden models of ships and airplanes. By 1953, the company stopped selling architectural lumber and focused solely on model making. In the mid-1950s, wooden model sales declined due to imported plastic models, leading Tamiya to manufacture plastic models starting in 1959. Their first plastic model was the Japanese battleship Yamato, but poor sales forced a return to wooden models. In the 1960s, technological advances allowed Tamiya to release a racecar mini-kit, which became a hit and financed further plastic models. Their second plastic model, the Panther tank, was motorized, had good moving performance, and came with a clear instruction manual. It was made in 1:35 scale, which later became the standard for military modelling. Tamiya established its own Metal Molds division in 1964 after problems with outside contractors. The company's models became renowned for high mold accuracy, such as representing bolts as hexagonal posts rather than hemispheric protuberances. Box art initially featured scenic illustrations by outsourced artists like Shigeru Komatsuzaki, but from 1968 onward Tamiya switched to white background packaging for most products. In the 1970s, some tank box art included items not in the box, causing issues with false advertising laws when exporting; Tamiya retouched the backgrounds to remove those items.
Reader's Guide
Tamiya's significance lies in its pioneering role in plastic model kits and radio-controlled cars, establishing standards such as the 1:35 scale for military models. The company's early adoption of in-house metal mold production in 1964 allowed for exceptional detail and accuracy, setting it apart from competitors. The success of the RC car version of the 1:12 Porsche 934 Turbo RSR in 1976, despite poor sales of the plastic model, marked a major milestone; Tamiya later chose this model to commemorate the 30th anniversary of its RC car series in 2006. Tamiya also introduced programmable logic controllers for moving models in the 1980s, using a 4-bit microcontroller. The company's trademark, the 'Star Mark' designed by Masao Tamiya, features a left red star for creativity and passion and a right blue star for youth and sincerity. Tamiya has been awarded the Modell des Jahres (Model of the Year) award by the German magazine ModellFan. Its publication Tamiya News, started in 1967, is a monthly informational publication about the company's models.
Did You Know?
- Tamiya's first plastic model was the 1:800 battleship Yamato, released in 1960.
- The 1:35 scale for military models originated from the size of the motorized Panther tank model, which used two C batteries.
- Tamiya purchased a real Porsche 911 Turbo, dismantled it, and rebuilt it to better understand the car for the 1:12 Porsche 934 Turbo RSR model.
- Between 1984 and 1989, Tamiya had a mascot called Plastic Model Moko-chan, with a rabbit sidekick named Rabbi-kun.
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