Saturday, May 13

TMN on Tour: Industry Day - Shizuoka Hobby Show 2023

Shizuoka Hobby show runs for five days every year, with only two days really open to he general public. The others are for school kids to visit and trade or industry days. Just before the public are allowed to come in, we have a walk around of some of the better known & anticipated models & companies in todays tour of the show...

TMN on Tour: Industry Day - Shizuoka Hobby Show 2023

Name: 61st Shizuoka Hobby Show
Organizer: Shizuoka Model Teaching Material Cooperative Association
Trade Days: May 10th, 11th: 9:30-16:30
Students’ Day: May 12th: 9:00-17:00
Public Days: May 13th: 9:00-17:00, May 14th: 9:00-16:00
Other Highlights at the Event
32nd Modelers’ Club Exhibition venue: Twin messe Shizuoka South Hall, West Hall 2nd floor, North Hall 3rd floor
Modelers’ Flea Market venue: Twinmesse Shizuoka North Hall 4th floor reception hall
Self-Defense Forces Corner venue: in front of the West Hall, Twin messe Shizuoka
RC Car Festival venue: Shizuoka City South Gym
The 61st annual Shizuoka Hobby Show was run this week from May 10-15th in Shizuoka, Japan. One of the biggest and most important model shows/ expos in the world,. Yesterday was the "industry only" day, with some distributors, press and a few other notaries going along, with no real access for the public to the main modellers Hall. We get a good look today at the forthcoming kits coming from the companies who attend.

The biggest kit on show - the Type-95 in front of the Finemolds stand sowing a comparison with their new kit.
Getting there from Shizuoka Station:
- A free shuttle bus is operated from JR Shizuoka Station South Exit. (15 mins)
- Alternatively, a Taxi from JR Shizuoka Station south exit takes about ten minutes (25 mins if you leave when everyone else does😄)
We look at some of the model companies kits they have brought in this preview...

AFV club is there as part of the GSI Distribution stand. They always being their newest and most impressive kits, this time was no different.
Part of the GSI Stand, Airfix had their recent 24th scale Spitfire and their other 2023 new releases in plastic & poster form.
Aoshima always has a great big stand just to your left when you enter the main hall from the centre of the show. The standout this year was the DeLorean from back to the future front and centre on the stand. In real and in 3D prototype form. This kit will be popular! Also are thunderbirds, bikes, sea and transport planes.
Artpla had their recently released dinosaur series, they weird but cool "Tower of the sun" kit,  and their excellent and much anticipated 1/35th scale MAK series with their Küster kits which will sell so very well.
Bandai had lots of Mechas as always, some other Japanese-centric releases. They are also developing their dinosaur series in many different kit - impressive releases, especially for the younger ones.
Border Model were at the show at a distributor's table. They had the news in poster form about their new 32nd scale Lancaster Dambusters kit. In the flesh were their new T-34, Nashorn, Japanese Tiger I and the Fw-190A4 kit in 1/35th scale
Finemolds is always at the show across from the Tamiya booth. They have many kits on display, mostly smaller scales, but with great detail. Their Type 95 kit was there, along with the real thing in the hall!
GSI Creos / Mr Color always has a big stand with their own paints, plus many others that they distribute in Japan, like Meng, MiniArt , MiniBase, AFV Club etc.
Hasegawa always has a great big stand at the show, and this year they did not fail to deliver, with plenty of new releases (plus no doubt many re-boxings). They distribute for other companies in Japan also, so they show other kits just off to the side of their stand.
New company Hobby Japan are at the show with tools, their recent Japanese MBT and a new Zero in 1/32nd scale!
Hong Kong Model's new A-20G Havoc over Europe was on show - all of the parts, as well as an extremely clean assembled kit make this an appealing choice.
ICM was there but as part of their distributor's stand. How can the massive Tarhe in 35th scale not dominate this stand?
Meng was there as part of the GSI stand, showing their resent Evangelion kits as well as recent releases.
Miniart were not able to make it in person, but their products were presented as past of the GSI stand as their distributors in Japan.
MiniBase has their excellent looking F-16 kit on show at the meet.
The Japanese Model Graphix was there with a stand full of books, tools & accessories, with signings and guest appearances throughout the show.
Revell was there, not in the flesh, but in the form of a few new kits of theirs. Notably the ICM re-boxing of the Dornier Do 217 J, but notably with a full 1/32nd scale release of an easy fit version of their Bf-109G6. What a great idea - and FINALLY a kit that kids can make that doesn't suck!
Rubicon Models often are overlooked use to their predominant scale of 1/56th scale - but check out the detail of these kits - quality is all there to see if you are a gaming modeller.
We love, love love to see the old couple from Sweet Models. If you go to the show you MUST pop in to say hello. So much love for the hobby and positive vibes will come from this one meeting alone. They are great people with lovely kits!
Moebius Models announced a new kit of the 2001 Space Station at the Shizuoka Hobby Show in Japan this week. The kit will be about 13.5 inches and includes a small Space Clipper.
X-PLUS model kit has a stand at the show, with several mostly sci-fi and space orientated kits. We love the retro feel and the up to date fit and look of these kits.
The Jurassic Park series of kits are on show, with the 1/35th scale Tyrannosaurus Rex (Scheduled to be released in July 2023) shown inside and out. 
Their new 1/35th scale Spinosaurus Scheduled to be released in November 2023 
Also a 1/35th scale  Indominus Rex Release date undecided
Vampirella and Marilyn Monroe kits were also present
Dragon kits were also represented at the Shizuoka Hobby Show 2023...
Zoukei-Mura had some new releases there. The Fw-190 A4 kit is on the release horizon, and it was in its full form here at the show...
Their recently released Bf-109G-14 has released in its second boxing already.
And Zoukei-Mura's new 3D printed prototypes continue to turn up to surprise us!
We will have more to show you from the main modelling hall along with photos of new items debuting at the Shizuoka Hobby Show, so keep checking back to see more of one of the most important shows on the modelling Calendar as it happens!