Behind the enigmatic name NANKOKU FACTORY lies not a third-party manufacturer, but one of Kaiyodo’s most distinctive workshops. Located in the city of Nankoku, on the island of Shikoku, the “Kaiyodo Space Factory Nankoku” produces soft vinyl kits entirely designed and manufactured in Japan, marketed as all Japan made. It is from this workshop that four models dedicated to Hokuto no Ken have emerged, featuring Kenshiro and Raoh, with four kits split across two series that, on their own, tell the long history of soft vinyl at Kaiyodo.
Details
MIDDLE Series: the resurrection of 1990-1991 sculptures
What makes this lineup special is its dual nature. On one hand, the MIDDLE series resurrects vintage sculptures from the early 1990s; on the other, the MEGA series offers entirely new creations in a larger format. In both cases, these are not finished figures but soft vinyl garage kits, delivered as unpainted parts that the collector must assemble and paint, a demanding format reserved for experienced modelers and true to Kaiyodo’s DNA.
The MIDDLE size series is a matter of memory. These two 1/8 scale kits, sold under the “Reproduction Edition” (復刻版) label, reissue two models by Katayama Hiroshi, a sculptor who has been crafting Hokuto no Ken figures since 1985, to the point that Kaiyodo’s official presentation compares his mastery to the innate talent of Juza of the Clouds.
The Kenshiro MIDDLE (approximately 245 mm) reproduces a creation from 1990, with the hero bare-chested and wearing his leather pants, without any ornamentation, as he appeared in the series’ earliest chapters. The Raoh MIDDLE (approximately 240 mm) resurrects a model from 1991, in a commanding pose. Two pieces that Katayama refined to the point of personally producing the paint samples, a rare artistic investment that speaks to his attachment to these sculptures. For collectors, these reissues are precious because they bring back into circulation period models that had become impossible to find, in their original format, without betraying the sculptor’s original work.
Kenshiro MIDDLE (1/8, ~245 mm)
Raoh MIDDLE (1/8, ~240 mm)
MEGA Series: entirely new creations
In contrast to the heritage-driven approach of the MIDDLE series, the MEGA size series embraces 100% brand-new creations (完全新規造形), in a larger format with a more monumental feel.
The Kenshiro MEGA (approximately 325 mm) is once again the work of Katayama Hiroshi, who pushes his interpretation of the character into an imposing format. But it is the Raoh MEGA (approximately 358 mm) that makes the strongest impression, entrusted to Hama Hayao, a renowned figure in the world of soft vinyl. His approach, as announced by the workshop, consists of imagining what Raoh would look like if he existed as a statue. The result plays on the character’s overwhelming presence, faithful to the stature of the King of Hokuto, and towers higher than all other models in the lineup.
Kenshiro MEGA (1/6, ~325 mm)
Raoh MEGA (1/6, ~358 mm)
Four kits, two philosophies
The coherence of the NANKOKU FACTORY lineup lies in this tension between past and present: MIDDLE preserves the legacy of Kaiyodo’s 1990-1991 sculptures, while MEGA creates new pieces for today’s collectors. All of this within an artisanal production based in Nankoku, where soft vinyl, the foundational material of the Japanese garage kit, continues to be worked by sculptors who have mastered all of its subtleties.