Hasegawa

1962 changed everything for Hasegawa. Its 1/450 Yamato battleship kit sold 150,000 units that year, tipping the Yaizu manufacturer fully into plastic modelling. Over sixty years on, Rivals Corner stocks the character-driven side of that catalogue: Macross variable fighters, Maschinen Krieger sci-fi mecha and the chibi-styled Egg Plane range. Build a licensed VF-31J Siegfried or a 1/72 VF-11B Thunderbolt Rocket, or knock out an Egg Plane P-51 Mustang in an evening. Free UK tracked shipping on orders over £99.

From wooden teaching aids to a sixty-year modelling brand

1941 marked the actual start of Hasegawa, not as a model maker but as a manufacturer of wooden teaching aids in Yaizu City. Plastic didn't arrive until 1961, with a glider kit that barely hinted at what came next. A year later, the 1/450 Yamato battleship became the turning point, selling 150,000 units and pushing Hasegawa fully into plastic just as Tamiya, its neighbour and long-time rival, was doing the same. Hasegawa Corporation still lists that Yaizu, Shizuoka address on its site today.

Building a Hasegawa kit feels different to snapping together a High Grade Gunpla. You'll usually need glue and your own paint, since Hasegawa's instructions point toward Gunze Sangyo's GSI Creos range rather than a house brand. Less convenient, sure, but it rewards you with sharper panel lines and detail that holds up under a wash or a weathering pass. Fancy something quicker instead? The Egg Plane range strips things back to a handful of parts, built around a chibi-style T-4 Blue Impulse or P-51 Mustang.

Rivals Corner's Hasegawa shelf leans hard into the character side of the catalogue rather than the realistic military range. Pick up the VF-31J Siegfried Hayate Custom from Macross Delta or the VF-19EF-A Isamu Special from Macross Frontier, and you're building a licensed variable fighter, not a generic sci-fi jet. Prefer something stranger? Kow Yokoyama's Maschinen Krieger universe turns up too, in kits like the Luna Tactical Reconnaissance LUM-168 "Camel" Operation Dynamo. Where else in the UK are you finding Ma.K kits stocked next to Gunpla?

Building your first Macross valkyrie? Browse the Gunpla collection next, or check Tools & Accessories for the paint and glue these kits call for. Want a specific Hasegawa kit we don't stock yet? Get in touch.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Are Hasegawa model kits any good?

Yes. Hasegawa has been building plastic kits since 1961 and is generally regarded as producing highly accurate, detailed models, though without quite the snap-together ease of Tamiya, its long-time rival. Expect glue and paint to be part of the process rather than an optional extra.

Do I need Gunpla experience to build a Hasegawa kit?

No, but the two aren't the same process. Gunpla is largely snap-fit and pre-coloured. Hasegawa's kits generally need glue and your own paintwork, using Gunze Sangyo's GSI Creos range as the reference standard. If you've built a few Gunpla already, the jump is manageable.

What is Maschinen Krieger?

Maschinen Krieger, often shortened to Ma.K, is a science-fiction model kit and illustration universe created by Kow Yokoyama, built around retro-futuristic armoured suits and vehicles. Hasegawa produces the official kit range under license, and Rivals Corner stocks pieces from it, including the Luna Tactical Reconnaissance LUM-168 "Camel" Operation Dynamo.

Are Hasegawa's Macross kits official Bandai products?

No. Hasegawa's Macross variable fighter kits, including the VF-31J Siegfried and VF-19EF-A Isamu Special, are produced and licensed separately from Bandai's Gunpla line. Both are officially licensed, but they come from different manufacturers.

What do I need to build an Egg Plane kit?

Egg Plane kits use a simplified, chibi-style airframe with fewer parts than Hasegawa's scale ranges, aimed at a quicker build.

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