Wood or Zamac – only the very best for Hideo Shibahara


Hideaki Tanaka is an enthusiastic model car collector and manages the Mini Auto Club of Japan (MACJ).  In a series of blog posts he will tell us more about models made in Japan, the Club and its members.  Read them all here.

 

Hideo Shibahara, a collector of vintage mini-auto-models and a craftsman of tin toy robots. Shibahara has been collecting antique and vintage mini-auto-models for over 60 years  – since he was a boy. In addition, since around 1990, he has been making handmade wooden model cars. All the works are nostalgic for Japanese people. His models just make you happy!

 

1958 Morinaga Milk Industry’s dry milk promotion car “Rocket Ginsei-go”, total length 60 cm
Handmade model by Shibahara

 

1957 House Foods “House Curry” tricycle delivery car, total length 23 cm
Handmade model by Shibahara

 

 1955 “Oriental Curry” promotion car, total length 45 cm
Handmade model by Shibahara

 

1955 “Zeriko Confectionery” promotion car, total length 35 cm.
Handmade model by Shibahara

 

Dinky Toys No. 29c double-decker bus Saint Joe Valley, a version from before World War II

 

Italy’s Mercury No.12 Lancia Aurelia from 1950

 

Fire Engine by Taylor & Barrett, UK, a lead-based miniature car manufactured in the 1930s

 

Streamline Fire Engine by Taylor & Barrett (left side) and Dinky Toys No. 25h (right side)

 

Dinky Toys No. 30a Chrysler Airflow 1934 in the most attractive and unusual orange color

 

After that, since around 2000, he is the world’s number one tin robot toy craftsman in Japan known as the Shibakin Factory.

Tin Toy Robots crafted by Shibahara

 

This poster marketing a special exhibition of Shibahara’s work shows 30 of his Robots

 

And don’t forget, there is another blog post coming next week Wednesday!

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Hideaki Tanaka
Hideaki Tanaka
1 year ago
Reply to  Joschik

Thank you for your compliment message. Yes, I think Mr. Shibahara’s works have the delicacy and passion unique to Japanese people.

Karl
Karl
1 year ago

Those skyscraper robots are great!

Hideaki Tanaka
Hideaki Tanaka
1 year ago
Reply to  Karl

That’s right! I also think that the robots in those skyscrapers are wonderful works.

Isaac Nelson
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Isaac Nelson
1 year ago

Such fantastic work! I’d have thought those wood models were factory produced diecast if I didn’t know. I love the tin toy robots, too!

Hideaki Tanaka
Hideaki Tanaka
1 year ago
Reply to  Isaac Nelson

Thank you for your compliment.
Sure, you wouldn’t notice that they were wood unless you marked them as wood.
And the tin toy robots are made up of individual handmade parts. I think it’s a great handmade too.

ModelCarFreak
ModelCarFreak
1 year ago

Love the Taylor & Barrett and trying to find more of them (not easy on a budget) but absolutely adore the one-offs. Can we please see more of those?

Hideaki Tanaka
Hideaki Tanaka
1 year ago
Reply to  ModelCarFreak

Mr. Shibahara and I would like to introduce the British vintage items “Taylor & Barrett” in the future.

Manfred Schweiger
Manfred Schweiger
1 year ago

Big fan of these weekly reports from a country so far away. Please keep it up as it has become part of my Wednesday routine!

Hideaki Tanaka
Hideaki Tanaka
1 year ago

This post from Japan is a nice comment for you to say “Wednesday routine!”! Many thanks! from Tokyo, Japan.

Myles Sherman
Myles Sherman
1 year ago

Now these are nice. Would like to see more of this collection (including those robots).

Hideaki Tanaka
Hideaki Tanaka
1 year ago
Reply to  Myles Sherman

thank you! I will convey your message to Mr. Shibahara.

Tom Stone
Tom Stone
1 year ago

Really like the Milk Rocket. Does it have an interior? More photos would be awesome!

Hideaki Tanaka
Hideaki Tanaka
1 year ago
Reply to  Tom Stone

I also think his “Milk Rocket” work is wonderful.
I will tell Mr. Shibahara about those images.

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