Plastic model - Plastic model

An assembly model toy made of plastic parts. It is generally known by the product name "Plamodel". During World War II, plastic was used in the United States, and this was applied as a material to create a set of parts made by pouring styrene resin into a metal mold, and models were created that were assembled by applying liquid adhesive to each part and gluing them to a blueprint. This is a type of hobby toy.

Models were introduced to Japan around 1954, and domestically produced models became commercially available four or five years later. They have modern features such as being flame-resistant, durable, brightly colored, molded similarly to metal, and requiring few assembly steps. They are easier to handle than wooden toys, and children can easily make them. They are popular because they can be made to exact scale, and currently account for 85% of all models. They are enjoyed by a wide range of people, from elementary school, junior high school, and high school students to adults, and come in a wide variety of models, including cars, tanks, aircraft, dolls, monsters, spacecraft, and robots, and some even come with batteries or engines.

[Ryosuke Saito]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

プラスチック製の部分品を材料にした組立て模型玩具(がんぐ)。一般には商品名「プラモデル」で知られる。第二次世界大戦中、アメリカでプラスチックが使用され、これを材料に応用して、金属の型にスチレン樹脂を流してつくった部分品をセットにし、各部分品に液体接着剤を塗り、これを図面に張り合わせて組み立てる模型が生まれた。ホビー玩具の一つ。

　日本には1954年（昭和29）ごろから紹介され、4、5年後には国産品も市販されるようになった。燃えにくく、壊れにくく、彩色が鮮明で、成型は金属に似ていて、しかも組立て工程が少ないという近代的な特徴をもっている。木製玩具と比べて取扱いが手軽で、子供にも容易にできるうえ、正確な縮尺でつくれる点が好まれ、現在全模型の85％を占めている。小・中・高校生から成人層にまで広い階層に愛好されて、自動車、戦車、航空機、人形、怪獣、宇宙もの、ロボットなど種類が多く、乾電池やエンジン付きのものもある。

［斎藤良輔］

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