Remembering Osamu Miyawaki

Miyawaki passed away on February 16, 2023, at the age of 96
Miyawaki died of old age while receiving medical treatment in Osaka at 9:31 p.m. JST. A farewell ceremony will be held later for his close relatives.

Osamu Miyawaki
Image via Kaiyodo Hobby Land's website
© KAIYODO HOBBY LAND.

A Pioneer in Anime Figures

Osamu Miyawaki was the founder of Kaiyodo, a leading anime figure manufacturer. Born on May 20, 1928, in Kochi Prefecture, he established Kaiyodo in 1964 as a plastic model shop in Osaka. The company later ventured into manufacturing anime figures starting in 1984.

Legacy of Innovation

Kaiyodo is renowned for:

Model kits and figures of dinosaurs and various creatures
The REVOLTECH line, featuring moveable figures of robots and anime characters
Capsule toy figures
Evangelion figures
The ARTPLA line

Miyawaki also directed several museums, including the Kaiyodo Figure Museum and the Kaiyodo Hobby Museum in Shimanto-cho, Kochi Prefecture.

A Moment of Fate

At the age of 36, Miyawaki faced a pivotal moment when he needed to secure consistent employment for the sake of his son, Shūichi. He had held over 30 jobs previously and was torn between opening an udon shop or a plastic model business. To decide, he tied a wooden sword to the ceiling and let it fall. Its direction determined his path:

East/West: Open an udon shop
North/South: Open a plastic model shop
Ultimately, he established Kaiyodo in Moriguchi City, Osaka, in 1964. The sword still hangs at the entrance of the Kaiyodo Hobby Land museum.

Expanding Horizons

In 1977, he launched a “play school” called the Hobby Museum to counter the growing trend of tutoring schools. In 1999, Kaiyodo partnered with sweets maker Furuta to create the Choco Egg, a chocolate egg that contained miniature animal figures, selling an impressive 130 million units within three years.

Final Thoughts

Osamu Miyawaki's contributions to the world of anime figures and collectibles have left a lasting impact on enthusiasts and creators alike.