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The Star
26-07-2025
- Automotive
- The Star
Another legend calls it a day - Tamiya, the man who brought perfection to plastic race car models, dies at 90
Under the leadership of Shunsaku Tamiya, Tamiya Inc. gained worldwide popularity for producing kits that excelled in quality and historical accuracy. -- PHOTOS: TAMIYAUSA/FACEBOOK SHIZUOKA (Japan): Chairman of the Japanese plastic model kit maker Tamiya Inc., Shunsaku Tamiya, known for its radio-controlled cars and Mini 4WD models, has died, the company has announced. He was 90, Kyodo News reported. Tamiya, who died of undisclosed causes, was credited with raising the global profile of the Shizuoka-based toy maker. While the funeral was held privately by close relatives, the company plans to hold a memorial event. The Shizuoka native long served as the company's president, helping raise his hometown's standing in the plastic model industry through trade and hobby shows, according to the maker. After graduating from Waseda University in Tokyo in 1958, he joined Tamiya Shoji & Co., which was then operated by his father, Yoshio. Tamiya became president of the company in 1984 and was named chairman in 2008. For the record, Tamiya led the company that bore his family's name for more than four decades, turning it into one of the world's largest makers of build-it-yourself plastic model kits of race cars and military vehicles. Since producing its first such kit in 1960, of the Japanese World War II battleship Yamato, Tamiya Inc has become a globally known brand that also produces remote-controlled cars. Under the leadership of Tamiya, who replaced his father as the company's president, Tamiya Inc won popularity worldwide for making kits that excelled in quality and historical detail. In 1967, one of its miniature models so faithfully reproduced a Formula One racing car, down to the location of a starter battery beneath the driver's seat, that the maker of the original vehicle, Honda Motor, wondered if he had access to trade secrets but decided to let it pass. His pursuit of accuracy also once took him to the embassy of the Soviet Union in Tokyo, where he sought details about Warsaw Pact tanks. This drew the attention of Japan's public security bureau, which placed him under surveillance for a time. Tamiya was serving as the company's chair at the time of his death. According to the company, he still enjoyed standing at the entrance to an annual trade show near Tamiya's headquarters in Shizuoka, a city south of Tokyo, to watch the children come in. Although the company continues to produce model kits in Shizuoka, it also opened a factory in the Philippines in 1994. -- Agencies
Tokyo Weekender
23-07-2025
- Automotive
- Tokyo Weekender
Tamiya Chairman Shunsaku Tamiya Dies Aged 90
On Tuesday, Tamiya Inc. announced the passing of its chairman and former president, Shunsaku Tamiya. The man who helped turn the plastic model company into a globally recognized brand died on July 18, aged 90. A private funeral service has already been held in accordance with his wishes. The company added that it will release information about potential memorial events in the coming days. Tributes came pouring in from around the world following the announcement. Among those to pay their respects was Takashi Namba, the mayor of Shizuoka city, where Tamiya was born. 'I would like to express my deepest sadness and heartfelt condolences,' said Namba. 'He developed the company into a global brand for plastic models and was the driving force behind making Shizuoka city a 'city of models.' I truly respect him.' Remembering Shunsaku Tamiya Born in 1934, Tamiya started making model cars at a young age and was instantly hooked. 'You can't understand how excited I was to see the model I made running. I was in the fifth grade of elementary school when the war ended. I made the motor myself using dry batteries and I was so satisfied when I hooked it up and started swinging it,' said Tamiya at a Shizuoka hobby show last year. Tamiya joined the family-run business, then known as Tamiya Shoji LLC, in 1958 after graduating from Waseda University. Appointed head of the product planning division two years later, he initially focused on wooden designs, before Tamiya shifted to plastic model manufacturing. The company started to attract global attention in 1968, when it participated in the Nuremberg Toy Fair in Germany for the first time. Taking over from his father as company president in 1978, Tamiya helped turn the family business into one of the world's most well-known model kit companies. Some of Tamiya's most famous products include its first electric-powered radio control led (RC) car, the Porsche 934 Turbo model, released two years before he became president, and the and the fast Mini 4WD racers, introduced in 1982. Nobuo Tamiya, the husband of Shunsaku's granddaughter, took over as president last year. Discover Tokyo, Every Week Get the city's best stories, under-the-radar spots and exclusive invites delivered straight to your inbox. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy . Related Posts Dragon Ball Creator Akira Toriyama Passes Away at Age 68 Noriko Ohara, Voice of Doraemon's Nobita Nobi, Passes Away at 88 Princess Yuriko Dies Aged 101
Barnama
23-07-2025
- Automotive
- Barnama
Chairman Of Japanese Toy Model Maker Tamiya Dies At 90
SHIZUOKA (Japan), July 23 (Bernama-Kyodo) -- Chairman of the Japanese plastic model kit maker Tamiya Inc., Shunsaku Tamiya, known for its radio-controlled cars and Mini 4WD models, has died, the company said Tuesday. He was 90, Kyodo News reported. Tamiya, who died Friday of undisclosed causes, was credited with raising the global profile of the Shizuoka-based toy maker. While the funeral was held privately by close relatives, the company plans to hold a memorial event. bootstrap slideshow The Shizuoka native long served as the company's president, helping raise his hometown's standing in the plastic model industry through trade and hobby shows, according to the maker. After graduating from Waseda University in Tokyo in 1958, he joined Tamiya Shoji & Co., which was then operated by his father, Yoshio. Tamiya became president of the company in 1984 and was named chairman in 2008. -- BERNAMA-KYODO
Yomiuri Shimbun
23-07-2025
- Automotive
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Tamiya Chairman Shunsaku Tamiya Passes Away at 90; Helped Company Transition to Making World-Class Plastic Models
Shunsaku Tamiya, the Chairman of Tamiya, Inc., died on Friday at age 90, it has been learned. A funeral was held for close relatives only. A farewell party will be held at a later date. He joined Tamiya (then called Tamiya Shoji) in 1958, and became its president, the second since its founding, in 1984. He helped to make the company a world-class model manufacturer through his involvement in shifting it from making wooden models to plastic ones, as well as in the development of its Mini 4WD model cars.
The Mainichi
23-07-2025
- Automotive
- The Mainichi
Chairman of Japanese toy model maker Tamiya dies at 90
SHIZUOKA (Kyodo) -- Shunsaku Tamiya, chairman of Japanese plastic model kit maker Tamiya Inc., known for its radio-controlled cars and Mini 4WD models, has died, the company said Tuesday. He was 90. Tamiya, who died Friday of undisclosed causes, was credited with raising the global profile of the Shizuoka-based toy maker. While the funeral was held privately by close relatives, the company plans to hold a memorial event. The Shizuoka native long served as the company's president, helping raise his hometown's standing in the plastic model industry through trade and hobby shows, according to the maker. After graduating from Waseda University in Tokyo in 1958, he joined Tamiya Shoji & Co., which was then operated by his father, Yoshio. Tamiya became president of the company in 1984 and was named chairman in 2008.
