CREATIVE KIDS TOP KMD Visit to Tamiya

KMD

2026.08.25
Visit to Tamiya

Shizuoka City × Keio University “STEAM Education Project Using Models.”

After Aoshima, on to Tamiya!

I discussed future plans with President Tamiya and the rest of the Tamiya team.

Learn about the history of TAMIYA’s global expansion by exploring its past product displays.

However, it is said that the late Shunsaku Tamiya “didn’t like looking back on the past.”

I was really struck by the story of how he was always looking ahead to the next product and the next challenge.

And what surprised me was “1/35.”

The 1/35 scale has now become the global standard for military models, such as tanks.

In fact, it seems this design originated from Tamiya's efforts to fit a motor and battery inside a model, and it later became the global standard.

Furthermore, “If you don’t know the real thing, you can’t make a realistic model.”

To build a precise model, I actually bought a real Porsche 911!

What's more, it seems he didn't just buy it—he took it apart and studied it thoroughly.

And what impressed me most of all was the employees’ “love for Tamiya.”

I could sense their love for the products, their love for craftsmanship, and their love for the company coming through from all sides.

A model isn't just a finished "object."

Observe the real thing, understand its structure, build it, make it work, test it, and then improve it.

The STEAM learning experience is embedded in the process itself.

Bringing the “craftsmanship expertise” cultivated by TAMIYA worldwide to the education of the next generation.


　

Profile


  • Digital Picture Book Author

    Professor, Keio University; Ph.D. (Policy and Media)
    Director, B Lab
    Chairperson, Learning of Tomorrow (General Incorporated Association)
    Chairperson, CANVAS

    After graduating from the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Tokyo, he served as a visiting researcher at the MIT Media Lab before founding the NPO CANVAS and the Learning of Tomorrow Association, a General Incorporated Association, and assuming the role of representative. He serves as an outside director for Matsuya Co., Ltd., Fuji Media Holdings, Inc., and Digital Garage, Inc.
    He has served on various government committees, including the Information and Communications Council of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, as well as the NHK Central Broadcasting Program Council. He also serves as a director of the Digital Signage Consortium, among other roles. He holds a Ph.D. in Policy and Media.
    His publications include *Turning On Children’s Creativity!*, *What Are Smart Kids Doing on Their Smartphones?*, *The Forefront of Online Education in Japan: Considering Learning in the Post-COVID Era*,“What Is Programming Education? 45 Questions Parents Want to Know,” and “Declaration on Digital Education.” He has also provided supervision for numerous works, including “Ah, I See! Programming Education for Parents and Children Through Manga.”