Known by their full name Aoshima Bunka Kyozai and based out of Shizuoka Prefecture, Aoshima is a vast model kit manufacturer more commonly associated with traditional model kits and is one of the oldest companies in the scene. Originally founded in 1924 as the Aoshima Airplane Research Institute by pilot Jiro Aoshima after getting to fly a plane and absolutely loving the experience, their original purpose was, of course, to research aeronautics. Jiro himself would become chairman of Shizuoka’s model airplane association, as model airplanes became acceptable educational tools, and in 1945, Aoshima would establish its more familiar Aoshima Bunka Kyozai name to manufacture these. Sadly Jiro would not get to see much of this success; he would pass away in 1949 at a social gathering held by the association he had become chairman of.
It would not be until 1961 that Aoshima would dip its toes in more familiar territory. Under the lead of Jiro’s son Ichiro, Aoshima Bunka Kyozai Incorporated would be established to develop plastic model kits, starting with the Speed Boat Bluebird. Throughout the 60s, they’d release car, airplane and mecha model kits, alongside other manufacturers that are now fairly big names in the space, Hasegawa, Tamiya and Fujimi.
In the 70s, Aoshima would dip its toes into the mecha space, working on combining mecha toys, setting them up to compete with Bandai in the 80s as the Gunpla craze hit hard with toys from franchises like Ideon. Re-establishing themselves as a limited company in 1986, Aoshima would then expand outwards from models, launching the Skynet brand to sell finished toys and Miracle House for diecast toys. 2002 would mark their acquisition of Thunderbirds molds from the bankrupted Imai, and the 2000s would mark them entering the bishoujo figure market under FunnyKnights.
In 2018, Aoshima would throw its hat into the girlpla ring with its Variable Fighter Girls line based on the best mecha franchise in existence, Macross (more information in that article), releasing what is in our unbiased opinion the single best girlpla kit to ever exist made of the best character in all of fiction, the Freyja VF-31J, in 2024.
I love Freyja a very normal and non-excessive amount, why do you ask?
2026 would mark Aoshima double-dipping in the girlpla arena as they would release their Kemopla line focusing on anthropomorphic kemono (beast) figures to cater to the furry demographic.
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