Kaiyodo, a long-established Japanese toy brand that has released numerous physical toys related to the Tower of the Sun, will launch a 1/200 scale plastic assembly model of the Tower of the Sun in September 2023, under its ARTPLA model kit series.
Located in Osaka Expo Park, the "Tower of the Sun" (太陽の塔 TOWER OF THE SUN) is a distinctive architectural masterpiece designed by Japanese artist Taro Okamoto for the 1970 World Expo (officially known as the Japan World Exposition, or simply Osaka Expo). It is his representative work and the most iconic building of the Expo, consistently attracting a significant number of visitors. The tower stands 70 meters tall, with a base diameter of 20 meters and arm length of 25 meters. Its interior also houses numerous art exhibits, making it one of Osaka's important tourist attractions. The Tower of the Sun frequently appears in Japanese dramas and manga, such as the TV series "Hanzawa Naoki" and the Bloody New Year's Eve scene in the manga "20th Century Boys," among others.
This ARTPLA Tower of the Sun assembly model from Kaiyodo faithfully recreates the tower at 1/200 scale, reaching a height of 36 cm. It perfectly reproduces the exterior of the Tower of the Sun, including the patterns on its back. Even the crucial artwork displayed in the interior exhibition space, the "Tree of Life," with its various creatures on the tree, and the two side structures of the building itself, are all meticulously recreated with separate parts. This allows collectors to display the Tower of the Sun in a cross-section-like manner. The golden face at the top of the tower, symbolizing the future, is specially rendered with golden separate parts.
Kaiyodo ARTPLA Tower of the Sun TOWER OF THE SUN
1/200 Plastic Assembly Model (Adhesive required)
Reference Price: 19,800 JPY (Tax Included)
Scheduled Release: September 2023
Size: Approximately 360mm in height
Sculptor: Toshinari Ichihara / Echu Project
via： 海洋堂