As every Friday, it’s time for figures and merchandise from the franchise. This week, we head to the island of Shikoku, where one of the biggest names in Japanese figures has a workshop like no other, from which four kits dedicated to Hokuto no Ken have emerged.
Behind the enigmatic name Nankoku Factory lies not a third-party manufacturer, but one of the most unique workshops of Kaiyodo, the Japanese figure giant. From this workshop came four soft vinyl models featuring Kenshiro and Raoh, split into two series that together tell the long history of soft vinyl at Kaiyodo. An opportunity to look back at this legendary manufacturer, its showcase factory in Nankoku, and these four kits.
Kaiyodo, sixty years of existence
Kaiyodo’s story begins on April 1, 1964, in Moriguchi, a suburb of Osaka, when Osamu Miyawaki opened a tiny model shop. Having passed away in February 2025 at the age of ninety-six, the founder lived to see his small store become one of the most respected figure manufacturers in the world.
As early as the 1970s and 1980s, Kaiyodo pioneered the garage kit, those resin model kits to be assembled and painted by hand, as well as soft vinyl figures, particularly around Ultraman. The company built a reputation for excellence thanks to renowned sculptors and achieved worldwide recognition with the Revoltech articulated figure line, launched in 2006. Dedicated museums, exhibitions at the Palace of Versailles and the Cartier Foundation, collaborations with Hollywood studios: Kaiyodo elevated the Japanese figure to the status of popular art. It is within this tradition of demanding craftsmanship that the Nankoku Factory line finds its place.
A spaceship-shaped workshop in Shikoku
The line’s name comes from its place of manufacture, the Kaiyodo Space Factory Nankoku, located in the city of Nankoku, on the island of Shikoku, in the heart of Kochi Prefecture. The choice of this region is no coincidence: the founder Osamu Miyawaki was himself originally from Kochi.
Opened on March 21, 2021, this spaceship-like building is both a factory and a visitor destination. Managed by the subsidiary Kaiyodo Kochi in partnership with the municipality, it houses on the ground floor a full soft vinyl production line, and therein lies its greatest appeal: it is the only place in Japan where the public can watch the manufacturing of soft vinyl figures in real time, right down to the artisans’ hands filmed in close-up on screens. A monumental four-meter statue, the Tower of Life, welcomes visitors, while the upper floors offer workshops, exhibitions, and a shop.
MIDDLE Series: the resurrection of 1990 sculptures
The Hokuto no Ken line is divided into two series with contrasting identities. The first, the MIDDLE series, is a matter of memory. These two 1/8 scale kits, marketed under the label “Reproduction Edition” (復刻版), 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 description compares his mastery to the innate talent of Juza of the Clouds.
The Kenshiro MIDDLE (approximately 245 mm) is based on a 1990 creation, depicting the hero bare-chested wearing only his leather pants, as he appeared in the early chapters. The Raoh MIDDLE (approximately 240 mm) revives a 1991 model in a commanding pose. Two pieces for which Katayama personally produced the paint samples, a rare artistic investment that speaks to his attachment to these sculptures. For collectors, these reissues are invaluable: they bring back period models that had become impossible to find, in their original format, without betraying the sculptor’s original work.
Kenshiro MIDDLE
1/8, approximately 245 mm
6,380 ¥
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Raoh MIDDLE
1/8, approximately 240 mm
6,380 ¥
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MEGA Series: entirely new creations
In contrast to the heritage approach of the MIDDLE series, the MEGA series features one hundred percent original creations, in a larger format with a 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 recognized figure in the soft vinyl world. His approach, as announced by the workshop, is to imagine 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 stands taller than all the other models in the line.
Kenshiro MEGA
1/6, approximately 325 mm
14,300 ¥
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Raoh MEGA
1/6, approximately 358 mm
14,300 ¥
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Four kits, two philosophies
Be aware, however, that 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, true to Kaiyodo’s DNA. The coherence of the Nankoku Factory line 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 produced locally in Nankoku, where soft vinyl, the foundational material of the Japanese garage kit, continues to be worked by sculptors who have mastered all its subtleties.
Find all the details on these four kits in our dedicated page for the Nankoku Factory line.
Sources: Kaiyodo, Kaiyodo Space Factory Nankoku. © 武論尊・原哲夫／コアミックス, 「北斗の拳」製作委員会.
