How are you SWS brothers of the world?
Here in Kyoto, even today a gloomy rain is falling down from the morning.
Yes. The Japanese archipelago is currently in the middle of the rainy season called "tsuyu". Every single day heavy clouds hang in the sky until mid of July, and we have 3 or 4 days of rain in a week for sure. Depending on where you are in Japan, heavy rain may also be over 100 mm per hour.
This year, heavy rain is going on in the Kyushu Island. Heavy rain right after that big earthquake… Landslides due to the slack of the ground are likely to create even more damages. Dear people of Kyushu, please take care of yourselves.
Anyway, thanks to this rain, vegetables and rice will grow up quickly; this is like a gift given to Japan.
So I am actually thankful for this rain; but too much rain will cause floods, while on the contrary, no rain will cause drought with consequent problems for Japan.
Japan spread from North to South like an arch. 75% of the territory is made up by mountains, and the sudden flows of rain will make both the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Japan roll over. The Kanto plain where Tokyo is located is the exception of the exceptions. It is the only land to become a relatively big plain being an alluvial fan of the Tone River.
Nothing incredible as the Japanese islands, taken altogether, make up less than the American State of California.
From Kyoto, where our Headquarter is, we can reach both the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Japan with a two hour drive.
But the landscape during the trip is just mountains and mountains. You will be driving through mountain forests for the most, and understand why Japan is called the "Country of Mountains".
▋This is the landscape we can find by a 20 minute drive away from our Headquarter located in the center of Kyoto. This is the Kyoto Jukan Expressway, a highway running for all the Kyoto Prefecture from North to South. Look, there is also a road sign saying "deers crossing". We must be careful to wild animals.
▋The car goes deep into the mountains. Keep going for about an hour and the Sea of Japan will pop out in front of you. There is "Amanohashidate", one of the three most beautiful spot of Japan. The sea looks very rough in winter but it's very nice in summer and perfect for bathing.
▋Long, long tunnels… No matter how far you go, you will see mountains and mountains.
During the winter, Japan faces a heavy snow on its "Sea of Japan" side. The snow gets inside of the tunnel causing also some traffic problems. But, from now on, this season is continuing to take our eyes with plenty of green and bluish views.
I guess the build of the SWS Do 335 kit that we have delivered from Japan to all of you guys around the world is at a good point.
2 years has passed since we announced its development.
After the fun of the prior taste, when you were impatiently waiting, you have the real charm of the "current taste" right now in front of you to enjoy.
How is it? How is this Do 335 kit workmanship? I guess this is exactly what an SWS kit should contain.
What? You already finished it??! Oooooh, that's awesome!!
If you're ok, let me see how your finished kit looks like.
And……..!
Hey! Just like I said!!
With the SWS kit, you can understand this far the Do 335's secrets!
From now on, you will not be surprised at allllllllllll, no matter how you look at the pictures of the real Do 335 with its particular shape. (That's just the same for me!). Indeed, why did this aircraft had such a unique shape? Then, why two powerful engines were installed back and forth and why such thick main wings? And why was this aircraft urgently requested and adopted at the end of the war by the Luftwaffe?
Etc. etc.… If you're a WWII Luftwaffe enthusiast, you can enjoy more and more both the real uniqueness and the fantasy of this aircraft with an unprecedented detailed representation.
Oh by the way. This kit is unexpectedly easy to assemble, just like you're dumbfounded and the build goes on very smoothly, doesn't it?
Engine, cockpit, every section of the aircraft… You should have been surprised by the easiness and "handiness" this build goes on with.
What? You're still being amazed!
That's it, that's it. The awesomeness and happiness keeps going.
I'm going to use this blog entry to introduce you where the Do 335 is sold, in each of our Zoukei-mura specialized VOLKS Hobby Shops from Hokkaido to Kyushu.
Dear SWS brothers all over the world, I know that stepping into a Japanese hobby shop is not very easy for most of you, so this is a special chance.
Enjoy the SWS corners inside our VOLKS Hobby Shops, where VOLKS is Zoukei-mura's mother company.
Of course, if you live in Japan, in every VOLKS store across the country where you will step in, you can get the Zoukei-mura kits and related items, as well as scale models from all over the world.
Our staff is looking forward to welcoming you.
For you guys living outside of Japan, there are also hobby shops near your place where you can find our SWS kits whenever you want, so feel free to go there for your shopping.
If the hobby shop you are used to go is not importing our kits yet, well, take this chance to recommend them the SWS kits! That will surely be appreciated by other modelers and more customers will come.
So let me introduce you our "VOLKS Hobby Shops".
▋VOLKS Sapporo Showroom
North Japan. There is also a huge VOLKS Store in Sapporo, capital of Hokkaido. Scale models from and outside Japan, as well as plenty of aftermarkets, the best known store in the area with such an assortment of products. One hour away from Sapporo Airport.
▋VOLKS Sendai Showroom
Here is the biggest city of the Tohoku Region on Honshu Island. Sendai has our "VOLKS Sendai Showroom". The biggest hobby shop in the Tohoku Region is just a 2 minutes-walk away from Tohoku Shinkansen Sendai Station, and its impressive assortment of products is just something you've got to see. The "show-window" inside the store has some of the local modelers' incredible finished kits, something that will surely catch the attention of you guys coming at the store.
▋VOLKS Utsunomiya Showroom
In the middle of the Kanto Region, Utsunomiya has the "VOLKS Utsunomiya Showroom". Its size and contents make us proud. The hugeness and impressive assortment of this store is incredibly popular among local modelers.
▋VOLKS Funabashi LaLaport Showroom
VOLKS has also a shop inside the Funbashi-LaLaport Shopping Center (Kanto Region). The best scale model assortment in Chiba Prefecture! From finished kits to aftermarkets, scale model enthusiasts could spend a whole day in this fascinating store.
▋VOLKS Hobby Square Akihabara
And this is Akihabara, in Tokyo. At the 8th floor of a building standing up right in front of JR Akihabara Station, the most assorted scale model pantheon in the area. As the name suggests, "VOLKS Hobby Square Akihabara" has a large variety of scale models from all around the world for an endless choice. Also, the building next to it, from the 1st basement floor to the 7th floor, is a whole building turned into a hobby shop, the biggest in Kanto Region, called "VOLKS Akihabara Hobby Paradise". Don't forget to visit the "VOLKS Akihabara Hobby Paradise" if you ever come to Akihabara.
▋VOLKS Yokohama Showroom
VOLKS is also in Yokohama, harbor city. At 3 minutes by walk from JR (the biggest railway in Japan) Yokohama Station. The 9th floor of Vivre Fashion Building has wholly turned into a big Hobby Shop. Aviation, ships and ground vehicles have all an assorted corner.
▋VOLKS Nagoya Showroom
In the middle of Japan, Nagoya, the biggest city in the area, also has a VOLKS Hobby Shop. As the other stores, from anime to robot models, from figure to scale models, the biggest hobby shop in the area is waiting for you all.
▋VOLKS Hobby Square Kyoto, Headquarters
And this is the shop embedded to VOLKS and Zoukei-mura headquarters in Kyoto. There is nothing you can't find in the biggest and most popular hobby shop of this area, where all the kinds of hobby items you can get in Japan are exposed. Furthermore, the engines and propellers I showed you on a previous entry of this blog are exposed here.
▋VOLKS Osaka Showroom
The biggest city in the Kansai Region, Osaka, has in its center a whole building turned into a hobby shop: VOLKS Osaka Showroom. From the 1st to the 8th floor, anime figures and robot models, railway models, VOLKS original Dolls, and of course all types of scale models, paints, tools and all about hobby you can get is here. Once you get in, you'll never get out of this store.
▋VOLKS Kobe Showroom
VOLKS Kobe Showroom is in Sannomiya, the heart of Kobe, a port town. As the other stores, VOLKS gives you all the products you may wish for. If you ever come to Kobe, here's a place where a modeler would like to go.
▋VOLKS Hiroshima Showroom
In the heart of Hiroshima, VOLKS is located at the 4th floor of SUNMALL Fashion Shop in Kamiya-cho. Like the other VOLKS stores, this shop has the best assortment in the area, from anime models to scale models, all you may wish is here.
▋VOLKS Fukuoka Showroom
And then, in the biggest city of the Kyushu Island, Fukuoka, VOLKS is located in Tenjin District. As the other VOLKS stores, this is the biggest hobby shop in Kyushu where all types of hobbies are exposed at one. Kits, paints, tools, books & magazines, aftermarkets, this is the store where a modeler should definitely go at least once.
* Showroom is just the name we use. It's just a regular hobby shop where you can find and buy products.
That's it! In all VOLKS stores introduced, besides the SWS kits and other aircrafts, ships and army vehicle kits, you will find all kind of scale models and related items from all around the world.
Of course, you can also enjoy the awesome finished kits brought by our regular customers in each area.
And each store's staff is composed by awesome people too. They will surely listen to your "hobby heart" and give you an excellent service.
If you have a chance to visit Japan, definitely try to visit one of the VOLKS Hobby Shops. And, if you're a frequent reader of this blog, let our staff know it. You'll be surely more than welcome.
Each VOLKS Hobby Shop is surely full of hobbies of your dreams. You'll probably find plenty of things you want to get or see.
One day, please come to a VOLKS store in Japan.
The whole staff is looking forward to that day.
However, I'm sorry to say that unfortunately, I personally do not come to the stores, so I hope you'll forgive me.
The next entry will finally bring you some new info on the development of our upcoming kit: the 1/48 F-4 Phantom.
Stay tuned!!
To all my brothers enjoying this SWS kits' scale model world: please take care!!
Hideyuki Shigeta
President, Zoukei-Mura
![SWS10 [1/32 scale Dornier Do 335 A-0 Pfeil]](/en/image/bnr_sws10_do335.jpg)
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Old Man Blog No.082
SWS Do 335
Old Man Blog No.084
We went to the IPMS Columbia!!
