Tamiya Incorporated president dead at 59

Masayuki Tamiya. Image: Tamiya blog

The Tamiya miniature-four wheel drive model kits were certainly one of the most popular toys in the Philippines in the early 2000s.

Sadly, the man behind the company which brought the world that creation, Tamiya Incorporated president Masayuki Tamiya, passed away recently. He was 59.

As confirmed by the Japanese company’s Tamiya blog, the esteemed executive succumbed to a long battle with an unspecified illness on March 1.

A funeral attended by his close relatives was held on May 5, while a public farewell event in his honor will take place on June 5  at a hotel in Shizuoka, Japan.

The departed Masayuki, meanwhile, has been with the company since 1990, and was promoted as senior executive director in 2004.

At the time, he also headed the company’s Philippine subsidiary, whose market grew among children and hobbyists alike.

By 2008, he took over the reigns as president from his father-in-law and current company chairman of the board Shunsaku Tamiya.

He was remembered by his family and colleagues as an avid modeller himself, who made sure the choice of subjects and the quality of their products remained as good as ever.

As of this writing, Tamiya has yet to announce who will take over Masayuki’s place.

Aside from their signature racing model kits, Tamiya Incorporated also produce a line of radio controlled cars, battery- and solar-powered educational models, sailboat models, acrylic and enamel model paints, and various modeling tools and supplies.

The company was founded by Yoshio Tamiya in Shizuoka, Japan in 1946. Khristian Ibarrola/JB