Shopping Guide
In 1982, when the word “otaku” wasn’t widely used, a certain model shop started selling garage kits to which they had formally obtained copyrights. The name of this shop is Kaiyodo. In the next 30 years, they came out with one high-quality product after another, and from one model shop, they have grown to be one of the top figure makers, one that’s name roars in the world like thunder. An event fully packed with such history, “Kaiyodo Figure World,” was held from May 2-7 at Tokyu Department Store’s Touyoko shop in Shibuya, Tokyo.
The first surprise in the exhibition hall was the overwhelming amount of items. There were nearly 2,000 goods on display! Attendees were mesmerized by a figure with every step, even if they wanted to proceed on the route, their legs wouldn’t move. Regarding genre, on top of all the regular anime characters, special effects heroes like Ultraman and Kamen Rider, machines such as tanks and planes, animals, and dinosaurs, there were even Buddha statues in the lineup. The whole exhibition hall was filled with people excitedly wondering, “What kind of figure will I see next?”
Also, the display method was more than just lining the works up, there were various schemes such as a reproduction of company president Miyawaki’s office, booths of modelers who sustain the quality of Kaiyodo, and a section that enhanced the charm of the figures by using dioramas.
The radiance in the guests’ eyes who were carefully gazing at the figures at the stands showed that they were highly interested in the event, and also the admiration of the endlessly passed on craftsmanship.
Kaiyodo cannot be left out when talking about the expansion of Japan’s figure culture. If this article was the slightest bit interesting to you, please check out the official home page. Even if you can’t speak Japanese, you will get excited just by clicking on the pictures of the fascinating figures displayed .
Kaiyodo’s Official Homepage:
http://www.kaiyodo.co.jp/
This is a Tokyo Otaku Mode original article.
