Small Japanese shops (1/300) - Page 4

**Viator** · #31 08-27-2021, 03:03 AM

As for the figures in 1/300 scale, I gave up an idea to made them from scratch as paper models. Of course, I tried to do so and found it to be possible (the smallest figures I tried to cut from paper were 1/500) however they are nice in front view but flat in the side view and this flatness is unavoidable, so finally I decided to buy few hundreds of Chinese ready 1/300 plastic figurines and paint them as needed. The only set available on market comprise of some 10 poses so far from being impressive, but these figures can be converted to a certain degree by cutting them in halves or cutting arms and gluing them to the another figure or in a different position. The painter on the last image has even his left arm removed at all and painted on the top of his vest.

And they can be supplemented with some gadgets, and this makes a field day for the paper modeller. The (slightly oversized) mobiles, laptops, newspapers, files of papers, suitcases, simple furniture pieces and so on could be easily achieved with the scissors and a drop of glue.

**Viator** · #32 08-30-2021, 01:20 PM

The natural disasters, especially connected with the tectonic movements - earthquakes and tsunami waves, and their indirect effects like the Fukushima Daiichi radioactive leak - require specialized equipment to provide humanitarian aid to the victims. One of the especially useful inventions are the field hospitals. Here you have a Clinic-In-A-Can medical units, in a form of a standarised 20 feet sea containers. Each of them is equipped with a set of very efficient sun batteries (0,5 kW) on the roof, a drinking water tank and an air conditioner plus other back-end devices on the internal side of the door and all the medical equipment necessary to provide the aid, even in no media nor external resources are available and they can be delivered by air (by helicopters). The single container can be used (depending on the equipment) as a first aid stand, dentist or vet clinic or a pharmacy, but a set of at least six or seven containers with a tent roof between them could make a fully operational field hospital with operating rooms, intensive care unit, plaster room, drug warehouse, staff premises and offices.

**Don Boose** · #33 08-30-2021, 01:37 PM

Most interesting info on 1/300 humans and the Clinic-in-a-Can concept, about which I knew nothing (although I am familiar with the concepts of field and pop-up hospitals).

This thread is endlessly fascinating - Semper aliquid novi Viator adferre.

Don

**Viator** · #34 08-30-2021, 02:28 PM

The pleasure is all mine!
ありがとうございました！

**Viator** · #35 08-31-2021, 03:59 PM

There is few more little things, hardly noticeable in this scale, however necessary on the diorama, because they are hallmarks or the Japanese streets. For example: vending machines, selling not only sparkling drinks, toys, batteries, cigarettes or sandwiches (like in other countries, however more numerous) but many other sorts of products (which is unique and popular in Japan only), like sake, umbrellas, toilet paper, utensils, glasses, underdress, t-shirts, ties and many more, including, for example, pets (yes, living animals: kittys or puppies). I will need huge quantities of different vending machines on my diorama!

**Viator** · #36 09-02-2021, 06:48 AM

One of these ubiquitous and influencing the appearance of the city but rarely being noticed (except the biggest towers) things are numerous antennae and the structures necessary as their stands and supports: masts or platforms. They are mostly openwork steel structures so they are not easy to built as significantly downsized models with the cellulose-derived materials only, that's why the dense trusses are often designed as full elements with no cutouts, but for me it is one of the most annoying things.

This little tower with an octogonal platform ready to install 4G and radio antennae on the top will be located on the roof of one of the tallest buildings in the very center of Nekomura, preferably the city hall (work in progress).On the last photo it was temporary put on the rooftop of a hotel building without gluing, just to show how it will go.

**Don Boose** · #37 09-02-2021, 07:18 AM

Wonderful attention to detail, Andrew.

Don

**asettico** · #38 09-03-2021, 09:13 AM

That's incredible! So small, but so detailed.

**Viator** · #39 10-04-2021, 02:35 PM

Being busy with other models I neglected my Nekomura project for a month, but today I finished another Sanda Sakamoto-san 1/150 model scaled down to 1/300, i.e. the rural house with a small shed. Perhaps the original house was built somewhere in the half-wild satoyama landscape but I hope it will perfect fit for the Nekomura suburbs.

**Viator** · #40 10-06-2021, 10:44 AM

And one more small shop for my old town street. This time it is a Yamada store, selling knives & cutlery. The nobori (banner) with "Yamada" kanji was made of a strip of paper, glued to the copper wire, which was painted gold and fixed in a big drop of a soldering tin (painted gold as well) to make it standing stable.