Farewell Ceremony for Tamiya Chairman and CEO Shunsaku Tamiya
Held on November 14th
Venue: Tamiya Headquarters

A farewell ceremony for Shunsaku Tamiya, who served for many years as Tamiya’s Chairman and President and Chairman of the Shizuoka Model Teaching Materials Cooperative, and who passed away in July at the age of 90, was held on November 14th at Tamiya’s headquarters in Shizuoka City. The event is open to those involved from 10:00 AM to 2:30 PM today, and to the general public from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM.

Tamiya Headquarters

In accordance with Tamiya’s wishes, no ceremony or other formalities were held, only floral tributes. At the top center of the altar was a portrait of Tamiya, sporting the smile of a model-making boy, and a specially designed pure white Twin Star. At the back of the altar, Tamiya President and CEO Nobuo Tamiya and other family members could also be seen.

Wreath offerings began just before 10 a.m., and several hundred people attended in the morning alone. The Tamiya History Museum, showroom, and live-action exhibition corner were also open to the public on the day, and materials related to Mr. Tamiya were also on display in the corridors and lobby area, allowing visitors to remember his achievements.

Tamiya History Museum

Lobby area

The special exhibition “The Work of Tamiya Models – Tracing the Footsteps of Shunsaku Tamiya,” which will be held at the Tamiya Fair at Twin Messe Shizuoka from the following day, the 15th, was also previewed for attendees. Panels introduced famous episodes from the book, and related models, molds, and actual vehicles were on display. At the exit of the exhibition, there was also a corner where people could leave messages of condolence to Tamiya, and countless post-it notes with comments were affixed around a photo of Tamiya.

Tamiya Model Works Exhibition ~ Tracing the Path of Shunsaku Tamiya

Chairman Tamiya was a leading figure in the hobby industry, a living legend, yet surprisingly affable, even those of us in the media who were new to the industry were happy to hang out. When I mentioned his health during our greetings, he would typically reply, “I can’t die yet (laughs). I have ambitions I can’t talk about yet.” When I asked him about new vehicles or aircraft that might be suitable for scale modeling, he said, “I want to go and cover them with a tape measure,” demonstrating his lifelong determination to remain active. His tireless enthusiasm and overflowing passion for models were unparalleled, making him truly a great figure in the model world. His recent passing brings a great sense of loss for those involved in the hobby industry. I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude for his many achievements and offer my sincere condolences.

Source in Japanese language: Hobby Watch