"Families Gather to Assemble Gunpla" Rapid Growth in Japan's Plastic Model Sales

17% Increase Compared to Previous Year in 2022
Beginners Also Increasing Thanks to SNS Assembly Videos

The plastic model market, which gained tremendous popularity in the 1980s, has recently begun to grow rapidly. Thanks to the increasing number of videos on social networking services (SNS) like YouTube that make it easy even for beginners, the entry barrier has lowered, and what used to be a hobby exclusive to adults is now popular enough for entire families to purchase and assemble together.

PG Unleashed RX-78-2 First Gundam. (Photo by Bandai)

On the 22nd, Nihon Keizai Shimbun (Nikkei) reported, citing a survey by the Japan Toy Association, that the size of the plastic model market in Japan reached 63 billion yen (56.92 billion KRW) in 2022, a 17% increase compared to the previous year. Compared to the overall toy market, which grew by 7%, the growth rate of plastic models is overwhelming.

The store manager of a plastic model shop in Akihabara said, "Recently, the number of customers purchasing plastic models accompanied by their families has increased significantly." Plastic models, which were popular in the 1980s, have grown into toys that transcend generations.

Especially popular recently is the "Perfect Grade" series of the "Mobile Suit Gundam" plastic models, which is the highest-grade series. These models are made to be as close as possible to the machines appearing in the original Gundam series, with an average price of around 10,000 yen (100,000 KRW). Beyond the price, assembling over 1,000 parts classifies this series as suitable for advanced users.

However, as the fan base has grown recently, the Perfect Grade series has reached a level where it drives Gundam sales. Nikkei analyzed, "Since 2014, 78 new products priced over 10,000 yen including tax have been released, which is 3.3 times more than the previous 10 years."

The increase in demand for models, once purchased only by enthusiasts, is attributed to SNS. With more videos teaching the assembly process of plastic models, even beginners can easily step into assembling plastic models. Additionally, tuning methods such as painting plastic models according to personal taste are also popular on SNS. On Japan Yahoo web search analysis services, related search terms for "plastic model" ranked high with "airbrush" and "brush painting." Furthermore, the culture of sharing assembled works and communicating through SNS has also influenced the expansion of fans.

Due to continued strong sales, Bandai Spirits, responsible for manufacturing and distributing Gundam premium plastic models, plans to establish a new factory in Shizuoka within this year.

However, there are also calls to significantly lower the entry barriers not only for enthusiasts but also for beginners. A representative from another model company, Aoshima Bunka Kyozai Co., said, "Even in cars, which require detailed assembly, recently products that do not require adhesives have increased," emphasizing the need to focus on entry-level models to expand the market base.