This afternoon, I was
this close to staying home - dry and warm and out of the cold, wet weather. I had read a blurb on the Amapro site about a Marusan photography exhibit in Harajuku. Hmm, sounded intriguing, but not much to go on. So I visited the gallery's site. Limited info there as well.
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Not the best weather conditions for cruising Takeshita Street |
So, on a whim, at 3:00 PM, I kicked myself in the butt and hot footed it to Harajuku. And am I glad I did! There was indeed outstanding photography by Kaminaga-san (Marusan's president), but that was just one component of this phenomenal exhibit. There were walls of vintage and recent toys cataloging Marusan's rich history; there were toys and books for sale; and to top it off, there was a three-man panel discussion about Ultraman and other toys! Luckily I had my camera in tow, and pics were allowed, so this fantastic event could be recorded and shared by all.
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Panel discussion with three toy gurus. |
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A crowd was on hand, despite the weather. |
Marusan toy exhibit:
More after the jump:
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The Marusan crystal series is one of my favorite sofubi lines. |
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How awesome is this figure! |
Marusan mini motorcycle exhibit:
Vintage exhibit:
Non-sofubi vintage treasures:
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Diorama and book written by Kaminaga-san: |
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Visual history of Marusan over the decades. |
Outstanding toy photography by Kaminaga-san:
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Needs to be a poster!! |
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I love this one! |
Marusan toys for sale:
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I bought this book (released some years ago) featuring Kaminaga-san's photography. |
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The paper and printing quality are superb! |
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He was kind enough to sign it for me. :o) |
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