There are so many great Japanese model makers out there that it would be easy to overlook some great suppliers. This would be a pity, because if that were to happen you might miss out on some superb products.
Hasegawa is a case in point. Many people outside Japan will not have heard of them, but the company has a long history as well as a very wide array of products.
Based in Yaizu City, the firm was established in 1941 and as a plastic model manufacturer, it has specialised in models of ships, planes, cars and fictional character figures. If the year sounds familiar, there is something of an irony in the fact that Hasegawa’s model aircraft are on sale at the Pearl Harbour Aviation Museum.
A stated aim of the firm is to “recreate the real thing and its true history” right down to the small details and to be ever more advanced in doing so.
This may be music to the ears of anyone who wants their modelling supplies to be authentic right down to the most basic elements and it represents a commitment to diligence, good research and exceptional quality of design and manufacture.
Hasegawa’s range is there for all to see. If you like classic car models, robots and planes, they are all there.
There are new releases all the time. Among these are limited editions like the Ace Combat 7 Skies Unknown F-16, the third kit Toyota 92C-V 1992 le Man, the YF-19 Battroid Macross Plus robot and the Mini Crossover ‘Blackjack’.
The firm also does resales, including items such as the space pirate battleship Arcadia from the movie Galaxy Railway 999 and a SH-60J Sea Hawk helicopter.
Hasegawa even makes modelling clay, including paper clay and oil clay, to help you make your own models, as well as accessories such as edge nippers for plastic.
Whatever you are looking for, Hasegawa is likely to have it covered.
