At the TAMIYA PLAMODEL FACTORY TOKYO, which reopened this year as Tamiya’s Tokyo base, in Minato Ward, Tokyo (Photo by Ikue Mio)

In mid-November, I was able to report live on a race in which children raced their models at the Tamiya Fair held at Twin Messe Shizuoka in Suruga Ward, Shizuoka City. The event was organized by the Moving Model Enthusiasts Club, which I belong to, and many families participated.

“Oh no, he went off course.” The audience was excited by the professional commentary. Tamiya is a world-famous plastic model manufacturer with its headquarters in Shizuoka City.

I retired last year, and in March of this year I started working at Tamiya as a “model history research consultant.” I was born in Inami-cho, Toyama Prefecture (now Nanto City), which is known for its sculptures. When I wrote to Tamiya about a problem with a plastic model I bought as an elementary school student, I received a polite reply that did not treat me like a child, and I became a big fan. From that time on, I started collecting products so that I could carefully preserve them rather than making them when they were discontinued, and this spurred on when I became a working adult. Even now, 50 years later, I still subscribe to the monthly newsletter “Tamiya News,” and I carefully store all the volumes.

“My love for Tamiya goes beyond just a hobby”

In the early days of the Internet, I personally set up a Tamiya history research homepage, posting information such as the fact that for a short period of time, Tamiya’s 1/35 Tiger I model was released with dark yellow parts instead of gray, and quickly attracted a strong group of friends. These were the founding members of the “Moving Model Enthusiasts Club” mentioned above. Every day, when I got home, I would spend four or five hours updating the homepage. It seems that Tamiya employees also looked at the homepage.

“I also developed a bond with Tamiya.”

I was deeply involved in the publication of “The Complete Works of Tamiya Models Visual Edition” by Bungeishunju. To my surprise, Tamiya recommended me to Bungeishunju. I shared all of my treasure collection and knowledge with them and cooperated.

“His love for plastic models also came into play in his work.”

During the Great East Japan Earthquake, he found blueprints for the reactor building of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Unit 1 on the Internet, and spent over two weeks building an accurate model from scratch at home, which was used on the show many times. He also built disaster dioramas of North Korea’s Man Gyong Bong and the collapse of the Kinugawa River levee, which appeared on the show.

“When you reach your 50s, you start thinking about life after retirement”

When I graduated from university, I was planning to find a job in my hometown of Toyama, and my parents had high expectations of me. However, I got a job offer from TV Asahi, the first major station I applied to as a test of courage, and when I called my mother to tell her, she was disappointed and said, “You’re not coming back?” I had planned to return to my beloved Toyama after retirement.

“Tamiya also contacted us”

Chairman Shunsaku Tamiya told me, “Please help us after you retire.” Naturally, I thought it was just a polite gesture, but it turned out to be true… My most recent mission is to renovate the showroom called the Tamiya History Museum in the head office. Currently, Tamiya does not have a specialized department that compiles the history. As a Tamiya fanatic, I have been researching the history since the company’s founding, and I have even written the official Tamiya guidebook.

To celebrate the 90th birthday of Chairman Shunsaku Tamiya (third from the right in the front row), Yasumasa Matsui (third from the right) and other volunteers created a logo using 80 Tamiya “Ground Self-Defense Force Type 90 Tanks” (November, Suruga Ward, Shizuoka City)

I had a ton of special experiences at TV Asahi. On the other hand, there were things I couldn’t do as a news staff member, such as supporting certain private companies like Tamiya, so I didn’t choose to be rehired. From now on, I want to do what I want to do and also do something that will benefit others.

“There’s a mountain of things I want to do”

First of all, I want to revitalize Nanto City, Toyama Prefecture. There are many elements that will make people become fans if they visit once, but the city is not yet well known. My role is to disseminate information. I also work as an announcer. For the last 12 years, I have mainly been a disaster reporter. It was rewarding, but I still like my work as an announcer. And my work at Tamiya. I want to help rebuild “Japan’s manufacturing industry” through plastic models.

Yasumasa Matsui
Yasumasa Matsui was born in Toyama Prefecture in 1963. After graduating from the Tokyo Institute of Technology (now Tokyo University of Science), he joined TV Asahi in 1986. He worked as an announcer and reporter for news programs and live sports commentary. He retired in 2023 and became an advisor for Tamiya Model History Research in 2024. He also serves as an ambassador for Nanto City, Toyama Prefecture.

Source in Japanese language: The Sankei Shimbun