How far can plastic models go to become an easy hobby?　We asked Fujimi Mokei, which produces a wide range of products from Kumamon to Gunkanjima! Hobby Industry Inside Vol. 37

Fujimi Mokei, a model manufacturer with a history of nearly 70 years, was founded in Shizuoka Prefecture, the sacred land of plastic models. Fujimi Mokei, which once maintained a conservative image as a long-established company, has been releasing a series of soft plastic models in the past two to three years. The company has made a plastic model of Kumamon, the mascot character of Kumamoto Prefecture, as a handy kit that does not require tools or glue. This summer, the company released beetles and Kyoryu as part of its "Jiyu Kenkyu" (free study) series to attract a lighter audience, and suddenly added "Gunkanjima" to its "Collectible Warships" series, which has been geared toward enthusiasts in the 1/3000 scale. The "Ship NEXT" series, which requires no gluing or painting, and the "Car NEXT" series are also doing well, and are heading in all directions.
Where is Fujimi Models headed?　Why are they so energetic?　We interviewed Satoshi Inoue, managing director of the company.

The complicated story of how the plastic model of Gunkanjima came to be

───Fujimi Mokei has recently released many plastic models that are a mixture of hard and soft models, haven't they?

Inoue: We have two main lines of products: so-called traditional scale models and character models such as "Kumamon" and "Chibi Godzilla," which are aimed at a lighter demographic and could easily be found at Tokyu Hands, Loft, and Village Vanguard. The much-discussed 1/3000 scale "Gunkanjima" is a plastic model that is a mixture of the two halves. We received feedback from diorama artists, trade publications such as the Nikkan Tekkou Shimbun, and the local city of Nagasaki.


─ I heard that you yourself are a fanatic of ruins?

Inoue: I like ruins, suspension bridges, and dams, and I like all kinds of military installations, land, sea, and air. If I may talk about the Gunkanjima project, recently there has been a lot of attention paid to infrastructure such as factories in "Adult Social Studies" tours and the like. How about a plastic model of a dam?" I suggested plastic models of Atsugi Keishin Hospital and Maya Kanko Hotel, which are famous among ruin enthusiasts. However, the staff in the company did not understand what I was talking about (laugh). From the perspective of those who love ruins, Gunkanjima is too royal, and in terms of ships, it is like the Battleship Yamato. However, it is highly recognized by the public, and it has been registered as a World Heritage site, so we decided to give it a try.

───Why did you decide on 1/3000 scale?

Inoue The actual Gunkanjima is about 400 to 500 meters long. I considered what size would be appropriate for a model, and I thought, "This is about the right size. I decided on a scale of 1/3000, which just happened to be the right size. It fits perfectly with the "1/3000 Warship Series. We also have a "Building Series" line. Recently, we have released the "Toro Ruins" and "Oura Tenshudo". Therefore, we could have included Gunkanjima in the Building Series lineup. However, the problem in such a case was the concept of "series. Are we going to launch a new series for Gunkanjima?　But what do you do with a highly speculative item like this as the first in a new series, and what do you do with the second if it doesn't sell?　In the past, I would have seriously made it the "No. 1 Ruins Series. But this time, I decided to put it in the "Collecting Warships Series" because the scale is the same. But I numbered it No. 99 and made it a pun, just for the sake of puns, and judging from the reactions on Twitter, it seems to have been well received by users, who said, "It's not a warship, but it's 'Gunkanjima' so it's a warship series, huh? It seems to have been well accepted by users. Fujimi Models is always friendly to our users (laughs).