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Shunsaku Tamiya passed away: built Tamiya into world player with scale model kits

July 24, 2025

Tamiya

Yoshio Tamiya founded Tamiya in 1946 in Shizuoka, Japan, originally as a sawmill and carpentry company under the name Tamiya Shoji & Co. In the 1950s, the company switched to producing wooden model ships, later followed by plastic model kits, with which Tamiya became internationally famous. His son, Shunsaku Tamiya, later took over leadership of the company and played a crucial role in expanding the brand internationally, especially in the RC segment and in modeling competitions. Shunsaku passed away on July 18, 2025. Who will succeed him is not yet known. In response to the death, Tamiya released a statement.

Statement

“It is with great sadness that we share the passing of our dear chairman, Shunsaku Tamiya. He passed away on July 18, 2025 at the age of 90. Words fail to describe how deeply the loss of this inspiring leader touches us. At Tamiya America, it always felt like an honor when our chairman visited us in the United States, or when we met him in Japan during Tamiya hobby events, in which he was closely involved. Mr. S. Tamiya always showed his staff worldwide how much he appreciated their efforts in carrying forward the brand he had led as president since 1977.

If we had to sum up his life in two words, they are: passion and legend. Passion, because he was able to convey in every Tamiya employee what it means to work with heart and soul to create high-quality modeling experiences – with an eye for detail and a love for the process. Legend, because he – like other iconic brand leaders – changed an industry that was shaped in part because of him. There is almost no more striking example of a person whose name symbolizes pure craftsmanship. If you’ve ever heard the expression, “That’s Tamiya quality,” then you know exactly what we mean.

We close with a fond memory of Mr. Tamiya. He had a big heart for children. For many years, the Friday of the annual Shizuoka Hobby Show – near Tamiya’s headquarters – has been reserved exclusively as “Children’s Day. Schools from all over Shizuoka bus students of all ages to the show on that day, without adults. Just before the doors opened, Mr. Tamiya invariably took a seat at the entrance to see with his own eyes the excitement on the children’s faces. The smile on his face cannot be described with a pen; even the phrase “a smile from ear to ear” does not do justice to the moment. Those who had the privilege of knowing him knew: he remained a child at heart until the end. It is moments like these that remind us why it is important to continue his legacy.

Rest in peace, dear Shunsaku Tamiya.”

Brief biography of Shunsaku Tamiya