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Tamiya's...Made in Japan?

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Just went through my boxes:

Made in Japan:

Leonis

DF03MS

XV01 - Lancia Delta

Egress 2013

Novafox

Made in Philliphines:

Super Hotshot

Lunch Box blue edition

Lunch Box black edition

FAV 2011

Frog rere

Novafox is MIJ? Interesting...thanks. Before you checked your boxes you said that The Novafox and The Wildone were Made in Phillipines? Could it be also The Wildone is Made in Japan as well?

Also...anyone know if the Blitzer Beetle re-re is MIJ?

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Remembered wrong the first time. Novafox says Made in Japan on the box. Haven't got the Wildone anymore, but I am almost positive that it said Made in the Phillippines like the FAV 2011.

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Remembered wrong the first time. Novafox says Made in Japan on the box. Haven't got the Wildone anymore, but I am almost positive that it said Made in the Phillippines like the FAV 2011.

Ok cool... thanks for taking the time to look at them.

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Just checked some boxes.

Midnight Pumpkin Black Edition - Made in the Philippines

Blitzer Beetle re-release - Made in the Philippines

Wild Willy 2 - Made in the Philippines

Boomerang re-release - Made in Japan

Fire Dragon re-release - Made in Japan

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M06 Alfa Romeo Gulia - Made in the Philippines

TRF501x Worlds Edition - Made in Japan

FF03 Evolution - Made in Japan

But the most interesting ones are the TRF801x and TRF801xt.

They are both made in Taiwan.

And all the TRF801 series Hop Ups are also made in Taiwan.

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Just checked some boxes.

Midnight Pumpkin Black Edition - Made in the Philippines

Blitzer Beetle re-release - Made in the Philippines

Wild Willy 2 - Made in the Philippines

Boomerang re-release - Made in Japan

Fire Dragon re-release - Made in Japan

Awesome...thanks for that update.

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I remember this post on Tamiyablog from a few years back:

http://tamiyablog.com/2010/01/tamiya-philippines-factory/

C..

LOL beat me to it :) ...

I found a blog in Japanese on Tamiya's website showing these pictures. At any rate it looks like a very well run facility, not quite the sweatshop I imagined..lol (did I say that out loud? :unsure: )

Here's the Blog text translated with an online translator from Japanese. It's kinda hard to read but you can get the general idea:

TAMIYA PHILIPPINES INCORPORATED was founded in 1994.

While many companies seek production base abroad.

Tamiya is absolute principle "First in Quality Around the World" and

Achieving in terms of world-wide economic effect and social contribution

To attract companies in the Philippines to meet Cebu factory.

In the area known as the MEPZ-II (Mactan Export Processing Zone-II)

And adjacent Japanese companies famous for precision, optical products, has become a major industrial area on the island.

In TAMIYA PHILIPPINES INC with 40 000 m2 of space,

Broadly, there's four divisions

Japan, Philippines, about 1000 staff members who work.

Equipped with uncluttered plant in

Over here and raised the slogan "Quality"

Keep high quality and stable product supply, each staff is concentrated

That was headed into the manufacturing was impressive.

Create one model up into your hands, shape

People of many Tamiya in Japan and Philippines

It felt to be involved.

First in Quality Around the World

Tamiya Philippines, Inc. is part of the worldwide Tamiya group of companies manufacturing high quality precise Hobby products such as miniature model kits and radio-control vehicles utilizing the most advanced technologies and processes ranging from metal mold-making, printing, and production until the packaging of the final product. Our company also extends its finest product-services to other valued clients who take advantage or our mold-making, printing and our facilities are strategically built on four hectares inside the Special Economic Zone in Lapu-Lapu City, Philippines packaging expertise.

100116_0031.jpg100114_002.jpg100114_001.jpg100114_003.jpg100114_004.jpg100114_006.jpg100114_008.jpg100114_010.jpg100114_011.jpg100114_013.jpg100114_022.jpg100114_025.jpg100114_026.jpg100114_027.jpg100116_0021.jpg100114_030.jpg100114_031.jpg100114_032.jpg100114_033.jpg100114_034.jpg100114_035.jpg100114_036.jpg100114_0371.jpg100114_039.jpg100114_041.jpg100114_042.jpg100114_043.jpg100114_044.jpg100114_045.jpg

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I wonder how Tamiya kits would be if they were made in Germany...maybe indestructible? :)

Very high quality, but for every one made in Germany traxxas would make 10 ;) (The tank modellers out there will get the joke)

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Holy Necro-thread Batman!!!:ph34r:   Hi guys. The Monster Beetle and the new Blackfoot have lured me back....yet again.            Does anyone know where the Monster Beetle is made now? Is it made in Phillipines?

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2015 Monster Beetle kit box states: Made in Japan.

Regarding the question about if they were made in Germany, my experience as an engineer has led me to work with many companies globally.  The idea that German engineering is in some way beter/sturdier/higher quality than that of other countries is something that is fabricated largely, and happily traded on by German companies understandably.  As I see it there is no reason why anything built there would be any better than kits coming out of the Philippines, Japan or anywhere else.  It's the training, monitoring and company ethos that makes the difference, and I think (and hope) that Tamiya understands that.

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On 31/03/2015 at 2:21 PM, Effigy3 said:

I think it does matter actually. While the company name on the box is the same, what country a product is actually made in can make a difference. Local laws and culture are just two major factors that can impact the working environment at a manufacturing and assembly plant. I'm not saying that Japanese > Philippino workers, just that there could be a difference, however slight.

From years and years of personal experience in the automotive industry when a car was built in the companies home country, they tended to be built better. R/C cars could be the same way, no? [shrug]

I'll second that with the better made for themselves a few years ago we had a Renault Clio (well it was the wife's) but the build quality was to put in politely total rubbish <_<  and the sister in law had the same vehicle and it was rubbish aswell very badly fitted dash parts etc etc when we had a holiday to southern France our hire car was said exactly the same Clio spec even same colour and it was completely different build quality inside! To the extent it could have been a different model of Renault and the wife (who couldn't care less about cars and I mean really don't care) even said it was (and I quote!:wacko:) "its the same car but completely different"!!!

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11 hours ago, LongRat said:

2015 Monster Beetle kit box states: Made in Japan.

Regarding the question about if they were made in Germany, my experience as an engineer has led me to work with many companies globally.  The idea that German engineering is in some way beter/sturdier/higher quality than that of other countries is something that is fabricated largely, and happily traded on by German companies understandably.  As I see it there is no reason why anything built there would be any better than kits coming out of the Philippines, Japan or anywhere else.  It's the training, monitoring and company ethos that makes the difference, and I think (and hope) that Tamiya understands that.

Amazing!!! I'm going to definitely grab a Monster Beetle(maybe 2..lol) and a Blackfoot which are Made In Japan as well from what I'm told.\

   I was going to get them both but this just makes it all that much sweeter! I guess it's because the originals were made in Japan that it somehow excites me more. I know there's no difference quality wise but seeing MIJ on the box is soooo sweet to me! :lol:

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My list

Japan

Dark Impact

FAV 2011 - unlike others, so I guess they make them in both countries

 

Phillipines

Grasshopper

Midnight Pumpkin metallic

Wild Willy 2000

 

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3 hours ago, Biz73 said:

My list

Japan

Dark Impact

FAV 2011 - unlike others, so I guess they make them in both countries

 

Phillipines

Grasshopper

Midnight Pumpkin metallic

Wild Willy 2000

 

  Interesting the FAV is made in both countries.

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12 hours ago, moffman said:

I'll second that with the better made for themselves a few years ago we had a Renault Clio (well it was the wife's) but the build quality was to put in politely total rubbish <_<  and the sister in law had the same vehicle and it was rubbish aswell very badly fitted dash parts etc etc when we had a holiday to southern France our hire car was said exactly the same Clio spec even same colour and it was completely different build quality inside! To the extent it could have been a different model of Renault and the wife (who couldn't care less about cars and I mean really don't care) even said it was (and I quote!:wacko:) "its the same car but completely different"!!!

Agreed. When brands manufacture products offshore, the quality inevitably varies. Quality can even vary between factories, within a country, within a brand. This is why there are manufacturing plant industry awards for motor vehicle factories (and why those awards are typically won by plants in Japan, Germany, followed by just a smattering elsewhere).

I also recommend trying the documentary Santa's workshop: Inside China's slave labour Toy factories, simply because it illustrates that when manufacturing toys offshore there can be a huge gap between what company executives (in the country of origin) believe is happening in their factories, and what is actually happening in those factories full of low-paid workers. Not saying any of this is connected to Tamiya's Phillippines plant which, for all we know, might be just as good as their Ondawara plant. But with every other R/C manufacturer in the world manufacturing cars in China now, I think it's still relevant to the subject of factory location vs quality. 

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The Fluke 12E+ multimeter is made in China (I got one of these beside my Taiwan-made EEVblog Brymen BM235), and the build quality and safety is pretty good as confirmed by AvE on Youtube. (Warning: linked video contains swearing).
 

Other manufactures like Bosch tools and Märklin model railways produces some of their products in Eastern European states, and they are able to keep a pretty high standard.

It's all about quality control and good working conditions.

That's why I trust Tamiya, and their products are priced accordingly, not at the low end like full-blown Chinese OEM products.

Edited by GregM

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On 3/31/2015 at 10:24 PM, Klausen said:

Made in the Phillipines can only mean lower labourcosts, which most likely leads to worse working conditions for the employees.

I don't know if this is the case, but if it is anywhere near the conditions in China, I would gladly pay more to have it made in Japan.

There are pictures of the PI factory. It was from the Shimbashi mangers trip there. Very clean and modern factory. Google is your friend if you wanna see the pictures. 

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Just to add a little here too.  I've been to a Japanese touch screen manufacturing plant in the Philippines in the past, and there was no reason to think the product quality was any lower.  The labor force may have been local, but the management and engineering were both still Japanese.  They were still very much in control over the product.

 

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I picked up a Monster Beetle tonight :D  Just as you guys said...Made In japan.  I can't believe I finally got a Monster Beetle. Do you guys realize how many decades I have been wanting one? And how I wore my Tamiya catalogs out admiring it? It kinda boggles my mind why I never got one.... I think it was because at that time I got obsessed with motorcycles and kinda forgot about RC cars but by the time I went back to RC cars the MB's were gone. I did buy a Blitzer Beetle in the 1990's and although it was a very good buggy it wasn't quite the Monster Beetle I had wanted.

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