* Welcome to the Zoukei-mura/Volks booth at IPMS Florida!

　Now, my IPMS Florida 2012 event report which I have been imparting over the last little while has finally reached its last installment.

In this entry, which I can't believe is already the final part of my report, I will be describing the Model Contest, which is the main part of the event, as well as going over some highlights from the Zoukei-mura/Volks booth.
I will also be showing you the happy faces of customers who purchased SWS kits, as well as telling of the incident-filled journey that unfolded for SWS Development Team. Appropriately for the final installment, my report will be filled with a mixture of happiness and sorrow.

Please do enjoy this last installment~~!

Now, let's start with the Zoukei-mura/Volks booth, which was crowded every day with many hobby fans, as well as the state of the SWS kits we brought with us from Japan to exhibit.

In what way do you think we displayed those kits?

In this entry, just for those of you who were unable to attend IPMS Florida, one portion of my photos will be of those kits, and how they ended up.

First, we had finished models of our familiar 1/32 SWS series: the Shinden, the Ta 152, the Skyraider, and our new P-51 Mustang, all lined up together in one section.
This was the first event where this complete lineup of SWS kits could all be viewed collectively, in one location.

For our next, much-anticipated new release, the 1/32 He 219 Uhu, we had one model which had been finished in a skeleton state, one model which was completely built using all of the parts but otherwise unfinished, and one completely finished model complete with paint and national identification marks, making for a total of three Uhus which were exhibited at the Zoukei-mura/Volks booth in Florida.

Making its first public appearance, and made the center of attention by the attendees, was a completely finished model speedily built just for this event – an Uhu which, just like its Mustang counterpart, was built by "Naoki Kobayashi," who never ceases to surprise us in all of the SWS Concept Notes with his novel metalwork technique.

The paint on upper half of the fuselage was executed with magnificent technique, recreating a speckled camouflage in characteristic Luftwaffe gray. To help the plane be distinguished by ally and enemy alike, only one main wing underside was painted a strong, monochrome black.
In addition to the very existence of the intrepid Uhu, it adds an eerie intensity, making it an aircraft that overwhelms its surroundings.

The truth is, until right before we left Japan, this finished Uhu model was still in Mr. Kobayashi's hands being built, so it was personally brought to the Florida venue by one of our staff in his carryon luggage. From the airport in Osaka all the way to Florida, it was never out of his sight, and because he always handled it with great care, there ended up being none of the damage or breakage that we had been concerned about, which allowed us to show everyone this latest incarnation of the Uhu.
It also passed safely through the carryon luggage inspection at the airport without incident, which we had also been concerned about.

However, the actual kit itself still requires a little more work from us before it's ready.

I think that there are many of you out there who would like to obtain the kit as soon as possible, built it, and enjoy having it in your collection, but please give us a little more time to put the final touches on it. For just a little while longer, until the content is appropriate for an SWS kit, please continue to look forward to it.

* The new SWS series is finally beginning!!

Speaking of first appearances, the long-awaited 1/48 scale SWS series joined in the fun!

The much-anticipated No. 1 will be the Imperial Japanese Navy's last fighter plane, the “Shinden.” As usual, even in 1/48 scale, the kit will debut with contents in the standard SWS kit style. You will be able to fully enjoy and understand the sculpted internal structures that are packed into the small fuselage!

Hey, hey, the fun starts here, right?!? Right! All you 1/48 fans out there!

Of course, because this a kit developed by Zoukei-mura, we tried to create a kit with contents appropriate to the 1/48 scale size.
In order to live up to the expectations of an SWS kit, from the skeletal structure to the mechanisms, we challenged ourselves to recreate as much as possible at the 1/48 size.

Those lucky few of you who held the prototype in your hands at the event site will already know the level of detail I'm talking about.
It is a precise reproduction that you wouldn't believe was 1/48, and received many admiring comments of, "Very good!" That feel of it will be preserved throughout the kit's implementation, so please don't worry.

Both the 1/48 Shinden and 1/48 Ta 152 were prepped in time for display at the venue.
They're both still first-round prototype samples, but they were still sufficiently detailed that a glimpse could be caught of the SWS kits they will be.

Many fans enthusiastically took pictures of these two surprises.

“Actually, I'm a 1/48 fan! Keep us in mind.”

There were many people who told us that. Oh, the same is true of you?
The truth is, I originally specialized in 1/48 as well. The bulk of my kit collection is comprised of 1/48 scale, with 1/32 scale kits as the minority.
However, if you should ask me why I decided that the first SWS kits should be recreated in 1/32 scale……

The reason would be the old age that is creeping up on me. Age is the reason for everything! That's all there is to it!
(Hey, hey!)

Or, I don't know, perhaps my eyes are at fault? Or my nose? My fingers? No, I really do think it's my eyes!

No, no, that's not it – it may all be because of my personality, which by nature is inclined to be rather lazy……..

Hey now, which one is it?

Right! All humans age. That is nothing more or less than the truth. It gets to the point where you just say “no, thank you” to all troublesome things.
Moreover, your eyesight deteriorates, your fingers begin to tremble, and the patience, the concentration, and even the motivation so essential to being a modeler continue to slowly evaporate over time. You get my point.

Above all, let me say this. If you are in your forties or fifties, you're still young.
And just by being young, this hobby world opens up before you like a wide prairie, like a vast ocean……like the very universe itself.

You get my point.

For people like me, who can only claim that we are still young at heart, once you reac h the age of 64 or so, well, it becomes necessary to find kits with contents that, yes, like the SWS kits, are easy and don't require a huge amount of effort, yet in spite of that, still retain a high level of completion and can be spontaneously enjoyed.

Indeed, that is what drives the development of the SWS, and because I am the one saying it, you can rest assured that it is correct. (Hey, hey.)

Taking great pains to find research documents, with one difficulty after another. Taking several years to reach that glorious day when a finished model becomes a reality, and the feeling that I want to remember this day forever. The memories of those moments linger very strongly in my heart to this day. Back then, I was young~! (Yes, young!)

However, that was then, and now, as well as moving forward, things like the SWS kits have become necessary for me.
Sadly, the large amount of time and skill required to complete your average airplane scale model kit, as well as the time needed to conduct preliminary research – unfortunately, these very things are all in short supply for me now.

Basically, what I'm really saying is – that great difficulty and large amount of work I mentioned? I want the developing kit manufacturers to do it all for me. (Hey, hey!)

Accurate dimensions, which, for a scale model, are more important than anything else.
An accurate recreation of the exterior.
An accurate construction of the structures.
And finally, accurate mechanisms and accurate fit for every part and fixture, so that they could be learned about and enjoyed while they were being built.

All along, I have wanted this kind of scale model kit. (Indeed.)

The things that would be unknown to your average modeler, the things that there's no way for them to discover – I really think that it's the responsibility of the manufacturer to do that work.

Eh? You think the same thing?!?
That's right, that's right. Members of the same generation really do understand each other quickly!
All the more reason for it to be the age of the SWS. Indeed.

If it's an SWS kit, the parts will be made of 100% plastic, so that you can smoothly proceed nearly the entire length of your build using the same glue. There will also be no need to change the type of craft tools you're using depending on the part material.
Also, the nature of the material itself is rather soft, making cutting or shaving during construction very easy, and plastic sheets and rods can also be conveniently and comfortably used as-is for both modification and upgrade projects. (This is where you applaud!)

At this point, if you've experienced the unique pleasure of building even one SWS kit, I'm sure you're well-aware of all this. But if you've yet to give it a try, I whole-heartedly recommend taking a crack at building the newly-released SWS P-51D kit.
If you're still a young modeler, I'm sure you'll be able to use this kit as a base for a very high-level scale model. Rest assured that it can become a finished P-51 model with rather fearsome depth.
And if you're a veteran modeler with nothing left to prove, this kit will give you a build so fun and easy it's like a dream, allowing you to experience the pleasure of ending up with a finished model with a degree of accuracy and precision such as you've never seen before.

Won't you please take this opportunity to enter the world of SWS kits?!
Many surprises await!

And of course, it goes without saying that Zoukei-mura thoroughly researches the actual aircraft when developing a kit. When taking the measurements for each part, we were so thorough as to take large close-up photos and videos of every 10 centimeters of the aircraft.
I don't know whether that passion and belief was palpable to them, but every museum or private owner so far has allowed us to conduct an unbelievable amount of research.

Even in cases where the actual aircraft no longer exists, using huge repositories of remaining documents as a foundation, we gather as much information as possible from the thoughts and opinions of local researchers, so that a sculpt of the aircraft that is as close to accurate as possible can be made a reality.
That being said, goodness, this SWS that began as a mere extension of my hobby has turned into unbelievably fun work.

Ah, but I digress, I digress.

Going back to the on-sale dates for both of these long-awaited planes, to tell the truth, they still need another eight rounds of adjustment and refinement, with many details still to be tweaked before they can be delivered to you all. Although they may appear at a glance to be ready to go on sale right away, the true challenge of developing the core of an SWS kit actually lies before us.

All of you who are waiting in anticipation of the SWS 1/48 series, please look forward to it just a little longer.

We will do our best to deliever a “plastic model kit such as you've never seen before”!

* Dinner on the second day of the event was decided to be at a steakhouse!! Yes!!

By now, I'm sure you're all very familiar with this segment, yes?
(Eh, you aren't? Hey, now.)

Here, I'll be going over dinner that we of Zoukei-mura had the second day of the event.
(Eh, you're tired of this part?! Please don't say that – this is just another aspect of the fun we had at IPMS, so I'll show it to you against your will if I have to!)

Oh, happy day!
Tonight, it was suggested by Joe, the SWS Development Team's USA member that you've seen before, that dinner be at a steakhouse.

“Ya~ay, it's meat~, meat~, I'm so happy~~!!”
(Hey, you guys, have you never eaten beef before or something? It's just meat.......eh? You haven't? Th-that's so sad! Japanese Army!)

Yes, our appetites are the true source of all of our energy! That is what the joy on the normally composed faces of the SWS Development Team members was saying!!

It was such a spectacle that I wish I could share the sight with you. But the truth is that even now, beef is a very high-priced commodity in Japan.

But really, the best relief for exhaustion is having a pleasant dinner with everyone like this.
Ever since we came to this event, it's been day after day of 9 a.m. starts and 7 p.m. finishes, making for long 10-hour days! And it's the kind of event where you're standing on your feet and talking all day! Whenever there's a break during the day to go to the restroom, it's never longer than a brief four or five minutes.
And while we're attached to our Zoukei-mura booth, there is the hard labor of constantly smiling. Even during those short restroom breaks – the restrooms were in the venue less than a minute's walk away, so it was common to run into a customer you were talking to just a little while ago.

And uh-oh, there are no interpreters in such circumstances!
I tell you, comrade, there are no moments in life more awkward than these! In a case like that, there's nothing I can do except smile.

And all of this is why our beef dinners were so delicious!

Even now, when we're all back in Japan, I sometimes think about that dinner.

Also, for the first time in a while, I was able to have a long conversation with Joe.

Thank you so much, Joe~!!
Let's go have some delicious sushi the next time you're in Japan!

Ah~ we ate and ate!! It was a dinner in which the taste, the volume, and even the atmosphere were all completely satisfying. Surrounded by us all, it became so that even Joe almost came to resemble a Japanese old guy. Why don't you just come back to Japan with us like this, Joe?

* Amazed by the brilliance of the IPMS Model Contest!

Oh~! It's happening, it's happening!! The IPMS Model Contest!!
Nevertheless, what in the world is all this?!?

Land, sea, and air all represented, as well as models from science fiction and anime, models of buildings, and even models of living creatures!!! I wonder exactly how many competition entries were gathered together in total?? There were so many models on the tables it was enough to dizzy the eye, two neat rows running the length of every table, and I don't know whether 'artistry' or 'magnificence' is the better descriptor, but it was all so impressive I was lost for words.

As can be expected of IPMS USA!!
And they're all battling it out in Florida!!

Out of all the entries, who will win the highest prize?!

No matter who it was, for some reason, warmth welled up in my heart for them. Everyone put the utmost effort into creating their model~!! I understand! I understand!

I could feel the passion emanating from each and every entry.

If I were to submit a model for this contest.......

I truly enjoyed myself, imagining such an impossible prospect.

And for this contest, the Japanese manufacturer Zoukei-mura, as one of the contest's many sponsors, offered the “Most Valuable Geezer” award, an award made by a geezer modeler for his fellow geezer modelers as a show of support.
Gold, silver, and bronze, with the only condition being that the modeler be the age of 60 or above!
Now, what kind of works would end up taking home the prizes?

Joe and I went around the event hall full of models together, judging everyone's masterpieces according to our own criteria.

But oh~ there were so very many entries! And they were all so very high-level!! As soon as I entered the contest hall, the more that I looked at every individual work, the more it would draw me in – I was charmed by each and every one, to the point where I really didn't make any progress.
If the award didn't have an age limit of 60 years or older, I really don't know if I would have been able to finish the judging just in that one day.
I don't even know if I'd have made it back to Japan on time – I was truly conflicted to that degree. It was so fun~ it's amazing that you can enjoy yourself so much with models! I was so happy~!! is all I can say!

Oh~~!! In the midst of all those models!! Why, it was a remarkably conspicuous SWS Shinden~!! And moreover, the more that I looked at this model, the more I could see that it was finished by a person of remarkably good taste. Of course, none of the details were overlooked, right down to the piping around the engine.

All right~! Let's start with this model!! But then, when I looked at the label, the builder was a younger modeler under the age of 60. Oh, well~~!!

Because it was an award offered by the SWS' Zoukei-mura, our hearts and eyes will always be drawn to airplane models.
There were many splendid automobile, tank, and even warship models all lined up.

And now, the results that Joe and I agonized over!!

The judging for each award was determined as follows: the gold was taken by Mr. Pat Donahue's "SBD Dauntless," the silver by Mr. Ken Belisle's "AH-1E Cobra," and the bronze by Mr. Jerry Royer's "F-86D Sabre Dog."
To all of the gentleman whose models won a prize, my sincerest congratulations.
Also, thank you very much for building your magnificent works.

Please do challenge the next contest by submitting an entry from an SWS kit!! I look forward to seeing them!!

Joe and I, quite relieved after finishing the judging for the "Most Valuable Geezer" award. To tell the truth, Joe has been a person of some renown for quite some time in the world of metal figure finishers. So his eye for judging models is quite discerning. Thanks for your hard work, Joe!

* The start of the awards banquet!

The “awards ceremony” and banquet, which IPMS members will already know the results of, began. And everyone, please take a careful look at the venue!!

When the IPMS members and their families gather in one location, what a huge banquet they hold!

And~ frankly speaking, the room's every nook and cranny was filled by members and their families, all congenially enjoying the splendid dinner. It was a sight such as I've never seen before. Does IPMS really hold such an event every year?! How on earth.....?!

Without even the time to set hands to every course, each of which arrived one after the other, something new would pop up on the huge screen above the stage at the front of the room.
From “Oh~ so next year's venue will be in Colorado!” to the “IPMS 50th Anniversary” event, it was an amazing, continuous stream of information.

Happy news would transmit itself even to me, who can't understand English.

And finally, the prize winners began to be announced. The names of the model and the modeler, as well as the award details, were all announced at the same time they were posted on the big screen.
The announcements continued on and on.

Every time the slide on the screen would change, joyful cheers and applause would surge from here and there throughout the hall.

It was so nice~ I'm sure all the people who won were so happy~.

Each winner received their trophy on stage.
Each moment was filled with pomp and glory!

The mix of applause and cries of joy reverberated endlessly throughout the banquet hall.