Early 20th Century Japanese Cityscape

[carlos marighela]

In late 1945, finding winter kit to give to Japanese troops was probably even harder.

Fair point but pretty much every 28mm Japanese range is depicted in tropical kit rather than the temperate uniform. Now if someone was minded to do a range of Japanese troops in temperate gear it would be useable for everything from the Shanghai incident right through to the battles in the Kuriles in 1945.

[jon_1066]

Looking splendid!

Don't see why it wouldn't work for Okinawa if you wanted some WW2 action using it.

[Sakuragi Miniatures]

Looking splendid!

Don't see why it wouldn't work for Okinawa if you wanted some WW2 action using it.

Thats a good point, businesses like these would have been about the same on Okinawa or mainland. Sometimes I get too caught up in details being "right," so didn't consider that.  I'd like to make a proper Okinawan house but I'm not ready to commission a design for something so big yet.

[Sakuragi Miniatures]

Fair point but pretty much every 28mm Japanese range is depicted in tropical kit rather than the temperate uniform. Now if someone was minded to do a range of Japanese troops in temperate gear it would be useable for everything from the Shanghai incident right through to the battles in the Kuriles in 1945.

Studio Historia did that as a Kickstarter in 2023, but it's just STLs. You can get it below:
https://www.studiohistoria.us/collections/sons-of-yamato-ija-digital

[Wagstaff]

Amazing! I love the stories that inspired your build so far, and also good call to make it versatile across a range of time periods.
Look forward to seeing this develop!

[Freddy]

I've used it for Pulp Alley ("The Tail of the Snake is Long and Winding" in the Pulp section was played on it) and it can be a stand-in for any game that requires a city. I have more buildings not shown here, such as rowhouses and a shrine, so it's pretty versatile. I just re-arrange and swap out bits as needed.

Yes, I saw it, it is really cool!

[Sakuragi Miniatures]

Here's some new bits I've been working on.


Police officer standing at a sentry post; the post is based on a military one from Sasebo Naval District but its a stand-in until I can get a proper koban (police box) made.


The officers all carry police sabers attached to a belt worn under the tunic.




A modest girl in kimono with a bob cut


Trash bin, firefighting water basin with buckets, and a small box of sand bags


Pillar post box; this one is a touch shorter than it should be

Typically, these painted examples are prototypes that were damaged in shipping or redundant.


Water pump

[marianas_gamer]

I love to see your work but this is 1/35 right? Is there any chance that you would make some 28mm Japanese infantry for the 1920s BOB? I am painting up some Copplestone Chinese for some hypothetical Mentetsu "anti bandit companies"  but the only Japanese I have are Russo-Japanese War era.

[Sakuragi Miniatures]

These are all 28mm, I just shot them with a 100mm portrait lens. My current plans are a mix of WWII civilian militia and more pre-war civilians. I looked it up though, and found Wargames Atlantic has stl files for WWI-era Japanese infantry here:

https://www.myminifactory.com/object/3d-print-world-war-1-japanese-rifle-squad-365568

[Sakuragi Miniatures]

Here's one of my favorite bits of street terrain: the tobacco counter
These used to be everywhere, just slapped in front of a building. Not inside, but out front, ready to go. They could be inside too. When I showed her the tobacco stand miniature my wife said her grandpa had one installed in their kimono shop- customers could get smokes while they waited. It was... a different time.



Below is the real world reference I used for the miniature, though there were a number of variations on the look.

It's in front of Yamatoya grocery store, preserved at Edo-Tokyo Tatemono. The shop was built in 1928 in Tokyo's Minato Ward.

[has.been]

Lovely work. Thanks for posting.

[commissarmoody]

Great looking tobacconist shop! 
Oh Just a thought, you can probably get away with the same set for fighting in Korea as well. If you were so inclined. Or even Fictional Moderns with some invading force moving though a very old resort town or something. 

[Sakuragi Miniatures]

Thats an interesting thought on Korea, I hadn't considered it before but if I mix these shops with Korean accoutrements it could work for gaming. Thanks!

[commissarmoody]

Thats an interesting thought on Korea, I hadn't considered it before but if I mix these shops with Korean accoutrements it could work for gaming. Thanks!

No problem, I am really big into the Korean war and some your mix of buildings reminded me of pictures I had seen of urban fighting. 

[traveller]

Wow! Great thread! I also need a little Japanese town so I will follow this with interest