Marusan Toy and Models

Just a quick look at Marusan of Japan.
Other good links full of info.
• The history of MARUSAN...
• Lucy In The Sky With D...
www.marusan-usa...

[@mikeward8597]

The first plastic model I ever built was a Marusan 1/100 scale Ki-43 Oscar back in 1963. Bought it with pocket money when the family went on Xmas holidays. I remember it came with the little silver envelope of plastic cement that you had pierce with a pin,. that then went everywhere but on the model!

[@adrianaustralia9135]

Thank you for the memories Max! The Marusan 1/100 Corsair was my first ever kit in 1966 bought from a milk bar (soda shop). Last one I saw on eBay was over US$100... ☹️

[@maxsmodels]

wow

[@WAL_DC-6B]

Jeez, as a kid in the 1960s, I believe I built my share of these Marusan kits via UPC model boxings. There were a fair amount of UPC (Marusan) kits I could purchase at the local hobby shop with my then .50 cents weekly allowance (some kits as low as .19 cents!).

[@kenty2831]

As I think back to building models as a young boy, the process instilled a curiosity and positive outlook on construction and manufacturing. Thank you for illustrating the history of progress in the industry. Most of my current modeling is "repairs around the house", however I assume that curiosity and can do spirit came from modeling, maybe a stretch, but I like the premise.

[@sunguar]

Did anyone ever tell you, you have a great voice for narration. It's what we used to call a "radio" voice. Sometimes I think you make these videos just so you can add your own "music video". Keep up the great work.

[@maxsmodels]

I have been told I have a face for radio. I will admit the music fun is my guilty pleasure. 😜

[@calvingifford9442]

Never built any as a kid but have a handful of 1/100 UPC reboxings of theirs in the stash and one 1/50 P-51D Mustang! :-) Very cool vid!!

[@hertzair1186]

The first kit I ever built was a Marusan...the Eldon Matchkit version....a 1/100 E.E Lightning Jet.....back in 1968.

[@a.garland5003]

I’m not a model kit maker but restore old diecast toys , but find these videos fascinating. Thanks for getting us through lockdown

[@garfieldsmith332]

I remember seeing Marusan kits but can not remember if I built any. I did build some UPC kits which may have been made by Marusan. i worked in a huge discount store story while going thru high school and remember a lot of those "tin toys". Friction motors and battery operated. We sold them by the thousands at Christmas time and many were probably made by Marusan. Thanks for the Marusan story.

[@マルサンTV]

Thank you very much for making this video. I found this today, I really appreciate it however there are two things I have to inform here that one is MARUSAN’s Cadillac of 1953 was a tin toy car but not die-cast and my family name is Kaminaga but not Jinnaga, Thank you again!

[@johnd8892]

Max, my knowledge of Marusan going back to 1967 in Australia were of the higher quality slot cars they produced. These are not mentioned by your sources. My interest was the affordable Marusan higher end slot cars in 1/24th and 1/32nd scales as well as a highly regarded home track system, similar but in no way a copy of the Revell track system. The track system and home sets were suitable for 1/32nd and 1/24th cars. Unusual for polastic home track systems to be suitable for 1/24th. Recently bought a bunch at a local auction. The cars were fairly high spec with brass chassis and five pole motors running higher cost ball bearings for speed. The 1/32nd and 1/24th cars had ball bearings for the axles too as well as bronze machined bevel gears. Marusan trying to match Cox and Tamiya for speed. Like Tamiya and Hasegawa the slotcars found lots of sales resistance in the USA. So in the same way that Tamiya could only be sold by MRC taking a big cut by marketing Tamiya slot cars as MRC, Marusan found a US partner in Atlas. Atlas sold the 1/32nd and 1/24th cars in their boxes under some sort of marketing agreement to get around the Japanese issue. The so called H0 sets by all maker had scales all over the place but almost never as small as true H0 at 1/87th. Always regarded here, even by 12 year olds in the 60s, as the junk end of the slot car ranges with cheap and nasty mechanical designs. Never seen any in Australia. I expect the unmentioned 1968 Marusan financial upheaval was the bust of the high end slot car market with so much mechanical tooling costs. Slot cars were such a huge boom but the a big bust. Burnt so many companies who were too removed from the scene to be flexible. With you and your audience being mainly plastic kit oriented I do not expect there would be much interest in the slot car side of things. So send all the unwanted slot cars from Tamiya, Hasegawa, Nichimo, Tokyo Plamo and Marusan among others to me where they are wanted. Regards John D

[@maxsmodels]

My main sources were their official histories and the only slot they mentioned were the HO scale that I touched on. Sorry if I missed others. So I take it you liked them.

[@buzzawuzza3743]

That 53 Cadillac looks amazing! What a cool thing to build. Thanks Max

[@kenshores9900]

Max; You continue to amaze and entertain. Good hearing the history. Goes back to the same theme of a family owned business that eventually dies off. Enjoyed the trailer song. Funny how the Japanese don’t have plurals. (Lucy in the sky with diamond!)

[@trappenweisseguy27]

Never bought a Marusan kit but do remember them on swap meet tables back in the 80’s. Even back then they were probably only sought out by collectors as there were much better and newer alternatives.

[@mbryson2899]

Mr. Max, thank you for covering a crossover company. (BTW, if you ever branch out I'd love to see what you can find about the Thunderjet 500 racing sets. Not exactly kit models, but I spent many pleasurable hours fixing and modifying mine. My kit skills stood me in good stead.) And you find the most AWESOME music!

[@maxsmodels]

thanks

[@chrissakal532]

Actually there was an American t.v. show dedicated to building plastic scale models. It was called, "Adventures in Scale Modeling" and ran on public television in the 1980s. Host Mike Lech would invite master modelers onto the show where they would build a model for their museum (if there actually was one) and demonstrate scale modeling techniques. They covered a wide range of subjects and were here on KZbin. I haven't searched for them in a while. Some of them were pretty interesting.

[@kennethkwilinski4899]

I have some of their shows on DVD-R.

[@kennethkwilinski4899]

Sponsored by Testors.

[@chrissakal532]

@@kennethkwilinski4899 Yeah, I forgot about that!

[@maxsmodels]

found it, thanks

[@chrissakal532]

@@maxsmodels You're welcome! It brings back good memories watching that show. After I mentioned it, I looked it up and watched a couple.

[@chrispacer4231]

I’ve seen some of these at TOY FAIRS, I think. Trying to see all of these. I enjoy this site. Very informative. Japan loves their monsters. May 26 2020

[@maxsmodels]

yes they do

[@豊原邦雄]

"Maru" in Japanese means "circle, hence the "SAN in circle" logo. Marusan held the trademark for "Puramoderu (Plamodel)" and "Puramo (plamo)" so other kit manufacturers had to call their products by names such as "Purakitto (Plakit)" till the end of Marusan in Japan. Marusan also marketed a line of lacquer based model paints, which I think formed the basis for Gunze (GSI Creos)'s Mr. Color series. I remember building their 1/50 kit of JASDF F-86D back in 1968. Though it was a fine kit, I was shocked to find marks of sabotage , like spikes on the inner face of gear doors. Someone had deliberately damaged the molds with a chisel.

[@ЗнаменосецВечности]

Wow! Domo arigato! I never knew they registred the name for plastic kit as a trademark. I understand Marusan model paints were the first available in Japan?

[@maxsmodels]

incredible info. I new about the Marusan basically meaning Circle of 3, referencing the three people who started the company but I was so afraid of misinterpretation that I left it out.

[@maxsmodels]

@@ЗнаменосецВечности That actually makes sense. I will bet they got the nautilus from Revell.

[@豊原邦雄]

@@ЗнаменосецВечности I don't know if they were the first available, but certainly the first to appear in the kind of shops I visited, and taught me that kits needed to be painted! "High end" shops selling imported kits carried brands such as Humbrol before that, I believe. Marusan paints stank to high heaven and caused headache and nausea quickly.

[@ЗнаменосецВечности]

@@豊原邦雄 Thank you very much! Great information. Could you please recommend any web resources about the history of plastic models hobby in Japan? It is very interesting.

[@modelermark172]

I've heard of Marusan, but to the best of my knowledge, I haven't built any of their kits. I had once heard that Marusan had a (not very good) model kit of the "Lost in Space" Jupiter 2, but could not find any additional information. For a future project, I'd like to suggest Huma Modell of Germany, and their line of "Luft '46" kits, when you have the time. Thanks for posting this!

[@PlasticImaginationWorkshop]

I know I'm a little late watching these but, thank you. Very interesting and educational. Have a great day. -David

[@kennyswonger5227]

Thanks max.I some metal cars.in my collection also.but id have to dig them out to see where they were made at.thanks again max.

[@rooseveltbrentwood9654]

one of these days we need a compilation album of all of the awesomely weird covers max finds.

[@kennethkwilinski4899]

Built a Baragon and the giant lobster (name escapes me) both Godzilla villains. These were small scale models. Also had a Bullmark Gigan kit that came with a Bullmark tee shirt. This kit had some mechanics included. More of a toy then a model.

[@Wild-Dad]

I've never built or "temporarily owned" models under their name but the Nautilus sure looks like the one I have, right down to the box art. The one I have had the launch platform but not the missile. I can't remember if it was a Revell or an Aurora model. When I built it, I couldn't figure out why they'd have a large cylinder on the back of a sub. Of course now I know it was most likely the transport case for that missile.

[@dalecomer5951]

I think it was a direct copy of the Revell kit but I do also remember a kit of a USN sub with the missile cannister.

[@ЗнаменосецВечности]

I am not much of Marusan otaku, but domo arigato for the video Max san! The music part was great as always, although I was pretty sure it will be Koi-no bakansu (Love vacation) - arguably the most well-known Japanese song of all time.

[@maxsmodels]

Thanks, I almost went with his cover if Paint it Black.

[@donvanduzen8944]

Had the UPS 1/100 B-29 in 1970. The 1/48 F4U-4 ,now Hasegawa, is still the only accurate dash4 Corsair to this day.

[@geraldstephens8791]

Yay! Great music today! Keep them coming Max.

[@maxsmodels]

thanks

[@luislealsantos]

Great as always. Tks Max

[@stachelsamurai]

Regarding the Plastic model TV shows. There was another very famous one in Japan called: プラモつくろう "PURAMOTSUKUROU" . There are a few episodes on youtube. Some of them are even subbed. Check them out. They do nearly everything: Cars, Planes, Ships, Sci Fi, Creatures, Figues.....

[@maxsmodels]

thank you, I must check that out

[@johnmacnabb7562]

I GOT THE VINTAGE SLOT CAR SET. THE ONE IN 1/24TH SCALE WITH THE FORMULA 1 FERRARI

[@billrodgers3786]

I still have my Marusan 1/24 track and cars still working. I have collected a few sets and added to my track including controllers and universal switch boxes.

[@johnmacnabb7562]

@@billrodgers3786 Yeah. I got 4 cars from 2 sets, and these and the controllers are great. I use them on Scalextric track and transformers.

[@johnmacnabb7562]

@@billrodgers3786 Do you have your set on the floor or table ?

[@JMChladek]

I seem to recall that Entex imported and reboxed at least one Marusan model into the states. That was the 1/50 F-86D Sabredog. I have two tiny Marusan boxed kits (issued probably in the early 2000s as Gashopon) of the F-86D in what appears to be 1/144 scale. One is pre-painted, the other in bare plastic. They seem to be styled like the original kit and include a separate engine on an engine stand. Even the original instructions sheet is scaled down (with instructions for the simplified kit on the back). Quite a nice little kit honestly for its size.

[@heidihobear]

There are a few shows I have seen on you tube that were from Japanese tv and they showed all kinds of kits. A lot of American ones. And the stuff the model builder did was down right amazing

[@heidihobear]

The name of the show is called plamo tsukurou

[@1014kerry]

REALLY LIKED THE 1/100 WW2 SERIES , THEFW 190A 5 IS NEAT, THEY ALL HAD RASED MARKINGS , CROSSES AND SWASTIKAS, ,I HAVE 5 OF THESE UNBUILT, ONE HAS THE SWASTIKA REVERSED! , THE OTHER 4 ARE CORRECT! THERES A RARE ONE!, ALL ARE UPC BOXED! NICHIMO LATER ISSUED THESE IN A SERIES WITH A PAINTING OF A PILOT NEXT TO THE PLANE BUT THE DECALS WERE THE SAME.

[@kennethkwilinski4899]

The only other model commercials on television were the Testors on Adventures in Scale Modeling and the more recent Monarch commercials run during Star Trek reruns. Check out Monster Model Review on KZbin about that. Aurora did a few also on their Skittlebowl game.

[@borderlands6606]

The toy binoculars and submarines made it to the UK. The monsters too. I recall cheap Japanese plane kits that may have well been Marusan.

[@maxsmodels]

I would guess the export market was probably the bulk of their trade.

[@theCreature22]

Great video; you covered a lot of ground! The current CEO is a great guy and Godzilla vinyls are pretty much their primary focus now, especially ones that glow in the dark. It’s cool to see the company is still going strong!

[@doctordirk6316]

Here in the UK 'unusual circumstances' usually means someone had they're hand in the till!.

[@marks.6480]

ditto for "face saving" Japan.

[@maxsmodels]

Yeah, that is what I suspected

[@maxsmodels]

yup

[@damianstellabott1952]

The stamped metal Cadillacs were repoped in the early to mid 80s.

[@moronicpest]

I don't know about their model kits, but in their HO slot car line they did virtual copies of several Atlas and Eldon cars. Doing such may have eventually led to 'unusual circumstances', but that's just a possibility, I don't know that for sure.

[@maxsmodels]

Yeah, there is a lot of, shall we call it 'crossover' of this kind of stuff.

[@amraceway]

I think you meant tinplate not die cast for the Cadillac.

[@flyswryan]

Ref: 2:12. Is that an orange V1, along with its launch ramp and storage canister, on the aft deck? I’d never heard of that before. In the early 20’s, the US Navy tried a fold-up scout biplane on twin floats, one built by Martin, another by Klemm, kept in a big canister similar to this one. The sailors got really good at pulling her out, assembling and getting her in the water, and flying her, as well as retrieving, hauling in, disassembling, and stuffing her back in the canister in very little time, but the Navy soon gave up on the idea. Japan tried their fighter version toward the end of WWII, with intentions of harassing the western US coast, but that didn’t get far. So is this Marusan’s “improvement” on the first nuke sub, or were they just unaware of vertical launch missile tubes?

[@dalecomer5951]

The orange thing is a Loon, a U.S. Navy copy of the V-1. Don't believe it was ever operational. There were two generations of Regulus missiles which may have had limited deployment. That was years before the first Polaris subs. The IJN did successfully bomb a small town in Oregon in WWIi using a floatplane launched and recovered by the I25. Perversely, the Japanese pilot is kind of a local hero in that town. Guess he put the town on the map.

[@phillip5245]

Here's an interesting video on the history kzbin.info/www/bejne/rXm4dImVeqmCfKs

[@marks.6480]

+1 for the Casio remix of Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds. LOL

[@markfrench8892]

A little tidbit about the name... Maru means circle in Japanese. San means Mister, so it translates to Mister Circle.

[@ecidaho]

Great video! I had not heard of Marusan. Are you planning a history of Bandai? I would argue Banadi produces the best engineered kits out there today. Take and glad you are doing well from your surgery!! Take and thanks again!

[@maxsmodels]

I did Bandai, here is it kzbin.info/www/bejne/r56nhommm6uCoMk

[@ecidaho]

I am blind! Awsome thanks!

[@SCSuperheavy114]

Well done Maxi San!

[@maxsmodels]

Arigato

[@SCSuperheavy114]

maxsmodels Doitashimate!

[@mrains100]

Thank you!

[@randyherbrechtsmeier4796]

The 58 Cadillac ya showed. The fellow I bought my 97 ElDarado from has one!!!! A Real one with the Stainless Steel Roof. Sweet Huge Car

[@dalecomer5951]

1. Big M, you da Man! 2. Big G, you da Monster! 3. A 1:600 B-47? That's smaller than a cereal premium plane (approx. 2.3 in. wingspan). 4. Remember that cigar shaped sheetmetal sub where toys were sold. It wasn't that cheap iirc. I didn't trust any windup toys. The spring motors never lasted long. Even the cool little Schuco race cars broke quickly and those were definitely not cheap. 5. I believe the ocean liner toy is supposed to represent the S.S. United States not RMS Titanic.

[@Grayfox988]

2:26 What about the relatively recent Plamo Tsukurou?

[@maxsmodels]

looking into it, may be related

[@Grayfox988]

@@maxsmodels KZbin has quite a few episodes of the show, it's maybe from the late 00's.

[@Eatherbreather]

If the "little airplane" on the rear deck of the Nautilus looks like a V1 flying bomb it's because it is! America was given/captured a crashed example, reverse engineered it and called a "Loon"! America's first Loon was airborne just two weeks after the first German examples were crashing into London. It's an interesting story, I think there's something on Wikipedia about the Loons.

[@garfieldsmith332]

It is an offspring of the Republic JB2- Loon, the Regulus I missile. The USN had a few submarines modified or built to launch the Regulus I with a nuclear warhead. Aurora made several submarine models in the late 1950s early 1960s and the USS Nautilus and USS Seawolf were two of them. Both were inaccurate and contains parts for the missile and the large fuel tank. This was probably a bit off fore thinking by the model design team. Nuclear submarines would carry and launch nuclear missiles. Marusan built their kit to the same information Aurora had at the time which envision the two nuclear submarines being armed with these missiles.

[@maxsmodels]

Correct my good man.

[@garfieldsmith332]

@@maxsmodels Thanks. In those days kits were the beginning of a history lesson. Once I saw the Aurora kits I had to have them. Atomic submarines and atomic missiles were "Really Neat" to a kid. I knew diddly squat about either but after building the kits I had to go to the library and find out about them. Thus the second part of the history lesson. In fact did that for just about every kit I bought, had to find out the information on the real thing.

[@dalecomer5951]

Don't believe the Nautilus ever had a missile cannister. The subs which had those were some of the modernized WWII fleet subs which had a sail which resembled the early nuclear subs.

[@Eatherbreather]

You may well be entirely correct. Perhaps the missile shown is one of (many?) inaccuracies present within this kit?

[@jorgel.fernandeziii8278]

Boy you sure know how to pick the weird ones don’t you !!! And you’re right I built a UPC model so I did build one of theirs ! Hope you’re doing all right will talk at you later ! Is it UPC or IPC ?????? I’ve completely forgotten ! I remember doing 2 bugs The Dodge/tilt-hood with the flatbed !!! Probably the others but can’t remember at the moment !!! 🌊🐺 🌊🐺

[@maxsmodels]

thanks man

[@jorgel.fernandeziii8278]

I’m like one of your biggest fans and fanatics because you explain it right down to the middleman ! With the knowledge that I have for Lionel as well as other companies in plastic models and knowledge that you have for these other companies,,, I would love to do a sit down live chat with you and talk about every manufacture of railroads supplies as far as in all different scales and see were it goes ??? And we could do a plastic model in 1/48 scale that would match with the train ???? What do you think ????? 🌊🐺

[@OlagGan]

0:53 - Is it just me or does the guy on the right look like a Bond Villain??

[@maxsmodels]

I was thinking the villain in a Godzilla movie 😜👍

[@donvanduzen8944]

PBS did the mid 80's TV show Adventures in Scale Modeling

[@guypoole3444]

Loved the Japanese version of Lucy in the Sky.......

[@vengeance1701]

Whenever I can get my new sink in downstairs, I'll be able to build models again. I got a bunch building up.

[@maxsmodels]

OK, I am trying to figure out the story behind that. 🤔

[@philliplozano7587]

Ultra STEVEN? D'oh!

[@andyroper1613]

Great profile Max. Hope you are better after the op. Andy (ex Halcyon) 🛩️ 🔫 😁

[@FastSports-ScaleCarGarage]

Great video! Thanks for the 'slot car' inclusion! Keep'em coming!

[@maxsmodels]

I was not that familiar with HO slot cars but it should have been a natural to go with trains.

[@daniellabra4186]

What's doing a V-1 and its platform on top of the Nautilus??

[@phillip5245]

I think it was a representation of a test firing that was made of a US built copy of a captured V-1 from the USS Cusk submarine after WW2 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Cusk_(SS-348) There's an interesting bit of history on the German plans for launching rockets from submarines too:- kzbin.info/www/bejne/rXm4dImVeqmCfKs

[@daniellabra4186]

@@phillip5245 And there you have it. Something new being learnt today. Thanks!!

[@maxsmodels]

Navy Loon, post war re-engineered copy of the V-1

[@jimtaylor294]

Not a company I think I've encountered anything from, but has me intreiged. Fairly sure the character shown wasn't "Ultra Steven", but interesting none the less. A~and good god that Gorilla, and his multi coloured nipples XD.

[@maxsmodels]

this is how you avoid copyright issues. ALso there was apparently some 'concern' that Ultra Steven was too much like Ultraman. I got the image from Wiki. I make no declaration of certainty.

[@CaptRobertApril]

Was that Topo Gigio I saw?

[@maxsmodels]

yep

[@wkelly3053]

Ok...So, Marusan originated the Nautilus submarine model in the 1950's? This is almost certainly the identical kit that I bought in a Revell box only a few years ago as every detail in the picture matches, right down the stand. I also have one of these models built up from my brother's kit building days which dates back to at least the early '60's, or maybe the '50's, but I don't know whose box that one came in. The conflict is where you say near the end that you don't believe Revell ever used any Marusan kits, but rather that Marusan used Revell kits. If Marusan actually originated the Nautilus, then Revell must have used this Marusan kit at least??

[@maxsmodels]

I am fairly certain that, given the relationship between Marusan and Revell, that they either copied or re-boxed the second issue of the Revell kit.

[@wkelly3053]

Fair enough. Thanks!

[@kirgan1000]

@@maxsmodels Can you explaine re-boxing, way do you want your competitor sell your models? Or is it somthing I do not have a logisitc network in US, hence I can make money by have Revell sell my models in US under there brand, and Revell get a cut of the profit.

[@johnd8892]

Just a day or so ago the Marusan Atlas connection came up in Slotforum with photos of some of the Marusan Atlas 1/32nd cars and boxing used. Comparisons made with the Monogram alternatives for these mid sixties Formula 1 cars : www.slotforum.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=196543 General agreement from the racers with a history back to the sixties that the Marusan cars were a very high standard car on release. A reason for Atlas to re-box them under the Atlas brand for US consumption.

[@rapscallion3506]

Your middle name should have been “Obscure”.

[@johnd8892]

Max, the banana type guy with the "loved it" comment, under various different names, posts early for all types of new vids all around the world. Only conclusions I have seen is that it is a bot probably up to no good. Be interesting to find out what is behind it.

[@CheshireTomcat68]

@@akula9713 yes, i've just started uploading videos to youtube and most of my comments are this type!

[@johnd8892]

@@akula9713 Even the user name keeps changing in this vid. Currently Daloris. Very suspicious.

[@confuseatronica]

maru san = Mr. Circle? :P

[@mybluebelly]

So exactly how is CIRCLE aviation related again? I know the hinomaru is the red dot and i`ve heard of a magazine called maru mechanic but i still fail to grasp the full nature of this beast.

[@lancerevell5979]

That USS Nautilus kit is the old inaccurate Revell kit. I have the original Revell kit and the recent Japanese reissue, the little box shown with the number "50" on it. Of course, Nautilus never carried that deck mounted cruise missile and hanger pod. So far the worst kit ever of Nautilus. The Aurora and Lindberg kits are better. Only the recent Mir kit in 1/350 is accurate. I have them all, sitting together. Until Max's videos I had never heard of Marusan.

[@maxsmodels]

Since they had a relationship with Revell it would make sense that the first kit was a re-box or a domestic copy of it. Thanks for that info. According to Graham's book, either Lindberg or Aurora made a model Nautilus that was so accurate (by the standards of they day) that they got a visit from the government. They showed the magazine articles they used all was OK but it was the cold war.

[@adrianaustralia9135]

@@maxsmodels I'm fairly certain the Marusan Nautilus is a copy of the Revell kit, rather than a rebox.

[@frankryan2505]

I'm a little worried as to why king kongs nipples were worn to the base material.

[@JamesSavik]

Never saw any of this stuff but the monster kits and, I wasn't into it.