*Kapinozuka’s Building Tour
Good evening, Kapinozuka here.
We will be continuing with the Hobby Show Report.
Sankei
Sankei is a company that’s been actively
releasing Laser cut Paper kit buildings. The characteristic of their paper craft is
that although it may be paper made, the clever structure plan and the use of
material really create a balanced harmony, to a point that once completed, it has
endurance and presence that is hard to believe is paper made.
I saw that they were at the Hobby Show this time, so I thought I would pay them a
visit to their booth, and found an amazing house!
And here it is.
At a glance, it’s just a house with tiled roof, something that could be found
all over Japan.
But if you look closely, there is a western style building with white walls and red
roof at the back, near the top right of the image.
What a characteristic house, don’t you think?
But this house looks awfully familiar... do you recognize it?
- Miniatuart Kit 1/150 Scale "The House of Mei
and Satsuki"
Would you believe it, it’s the house from "My Neighbor Totoro",
where Satsuki and Mei moved into!
And it’s been reproduced at a 1/150 scale (N-Scale) size.
Excluding the window parts, it’s completely made with paper.
Having a look on the other side.
It’s made so very well, don’t you think?
Kanta called it a haunted house, but really,
this is a fantastic house, I have to say.
The Western style structure part that stands out most.
This was used as the their father’s study, wasn’t it?
In the film, left pole was rotten at the base, and when Satsuki touched it in
excitement, it was shaky. However, this kit is made brand new, so you won’t
have to worry about that.
There is even the pump at the well had been reproduced.
Granny: "Pump it well! Until the water gets cold"
Satsuki: "Yes ma’am"
Doesn’t it remind you of the scene near the beginning, where they just moved
in?
The section with the red tin roof had the kitchen and bathroom.
The scene where the father and kids hopped into the bath, splashing water all over
the place just crossed my mind.
There is also the cart that’s subtly placed too, even the small parts have
been created realistically.
At the porch, the slide-door is closed, but the interior walls have also been
reproduced.
If I remember right, there were two Japanese style rooms here.
It’s the room that Satsuki and Mei put up the mosquito net to sleep under.
And the I have been going on about details, but if you look at the corner tile of
the roof, you might get what I mean. Even such small piece has engravings on it,
what skillful craftsmanship!
A photo taken directly from the top. I’m sure this angle wasn’t used in
the film.
The house looks pretty good for a family of 4 to live in.
Oh by the way, the shape of the base, it was shaped as a leaf for the sample.
Apparently it will just be a square for the actual product, but for those pursuing
realism, you may want to craft a nice land for the house too.
Placing the Mei and Satsuki’s house right in the middle of green scenery with
trees and fields, I would imagine that would just look superb as a diorama.
Now, if only a company that makes 1/150 scale figures could create the figures of
Kusakabe family and Totoro, as well as the Catbus etc. it would be perfect.
It would be great to display it along with the structures that has time setting of
Showa 30s (around 1955), and recreate the scenery of the good old days of Japan.
This is the product intro that was displayed.
If you just look at the picture and compare it with the kit, you can just see how
amazing the level of reproduction really is.
[Details]
- Miniatuart Kit
- House of Satsuki and Mei (Sample Display)
- Completion Size: W82 x D110 x H48mm
- Scale: 1/150 (Compatible with N-Scale)
- Proposed Price: 4578yen
According to the project supervisor,
This kit has been developed using the real size
"House of Satsuki and Mei" at the The 2005 World Exposition,
Aichi as reference.
I think this explains the realistic reproduction to some extent.
Compared to the existing [
Miniatuart Kit] series, it will have greater
amount of parts due to the structure of this Eastern/Western mixed style
building.
At present, it’s just announced as a sample product,
but they have already gotten permission by Studio Ghibli.
So although they haven’t decided on a release date yet,
I would think we will be getting more information on it sometime soon.
Now that’s something to look forward to.
Personaly, I’ve been quietly waiting for the famous buildings that appeared
in the world of anime to be turned into models like this.
These as projects filled with so many dreams, I hope they put their best into
it.
By Kapinozuka
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