There’s three kits – a really old tank (Type 61), a 70’s era tank (Type 74), and the newish tank (Type 90 – looks a litle like a Leopard II turret on an M1 chassis).
Even though Japan has what seems to be a “chocolate soldier” army, having seen action against no one except of course Godzilla and Co., I still find these to be interesting kits.
And these are supposed to be beautiful little things, though a bithard to build because of the sometimes tiny, correctly-scaled pieces. I’ve got a Type 90 on order – it’ll be the first Japanese tank kit I’ve ever built – of a Japanese tank, I mean!
They are apparently co-productions of Pit Road and Trumpeter.
I look forward to the line. It will be hard to sell a $20+ Braille scale kit of a tank line that has no combat history. There are rumblings afoot regarding the $20-25 Eduard/ExtraTech Shermans and those kits contain a bunch of unused parts that are valuable to the Sherman builder (mainly road wheels and suspension parts).
The early tanks are interesting, you can see that they borrow heavily from the M41 Walker Bulldog series.
The type 61 looks like an M41 Bulldog. The type 74 looks like some kind of M60 variant. The type 90 is different though. Look like good kits. I would be tempted to just build the type 61 with US markings and call it an M41.
Larry, are they new kits, or re-issues of the old Fujimi kits? Never mind, I saw the answer when I read them again. Now I know I’ll be getting them all!
I built two of the Fujimi kits awhile back:
I’ve been wanting to get a Type 61 forever, but have never found one. So, $20.00 or not, I will definitely be getting one of those! Possibly two since they have optional parts!
I will also get one more each of the Type 74 and Type 90 as well. Maybe two each because of the optional parts.
Now I just wish they’d come out with some modern Japanese scout vehicles, mobile SAM systems, and personnell vehicles/AFVs and other ‘softskins’.
The HLJ site says they are not the Fujimi kits. Those kits were 1/76 and not 1/72 scale as the Pit Road kits are.
The Type 61 was based off of the US M41. The M41 was used to equip the JGSDF during the late 50s and 60s. The Type 61 was developed to defeat the updated Mecha Godzilla.
Apparently sales of the Tamiya Type 90 went way up after real Japanese tank formations maneuvered for one of the more recent Godzilla movies!
From what I read a few years ago, after decades of scorn and rank amatuerism, the Japanese Army is emerging from the shadows of its atrocious past and beginning to be respected again by the public and the government.
Type 74 appears to me to have some Leopard influence in the turret too. The Type 90’s turret looks, IMO, just like the pre-A5 Leopard 2 turret. The Japanese seem to hold American and German tank design in the highest regard.
They are nice kits!
Not really much of an improvement over the 1/76 Fujimi kits, though, particularly the tracks. The Fujimi tracks are beautifully molded injection link and lengths, with the exact right amount of sag molded in on the Type 61 and Type 74 kits. The Pit Road kits have rubber band tracks. The Fujimi kits are about a third the price, too.
The Type 61 was actually developed from the M47 Patton, not the M41 Walker Bulldog. The JGSDF imported several M47s to help develop their Type 61.
The Type 90 is practically a carbon copy of the Leopard 2. I’ve got one of each in 1/144 sitting on my computer here, and at a distance of about two feet, it’s impossible to tell which is which!
I’ve had many opportunities to ride on Type 61s and Type 74s (my favorite tank, by the way) at various open house events at bases here in Japan. What surprised me the most was how clean all the vehicles were! Sure, they were gussied up for the festivities, but you could tell that they were very well maintained.
Only got to see Type 90s through a fence at a base in Hokkaido. And they had covers on 'em! Ah well…
