PLUS MODEL [ MORE REVIEWS ] [ WEBSITE ] [ NEW STORIES ]

First Look Review
135
Japanese Army Field Kitchen
Japanese Army Field Kitchen Equipment
  • move

by: Frederick Boucher [ JPTRR ]

introduction
Japanese Army Field Kitchen Equipment is a new 1/35 set from PlusModel. It is a set with resin, plastic, and photo-etch parts and pieces.

Armies travel on their stomach and field kitchens have been popular models for a long time. The good folks at PlusModel produce scores of innovative and popular kits and accessories. Thanks to them, modelers of the Imperial Japanese Army (Dai-Nippon Teikoku Rikugun; "Army of the Greater Japanese Empire") who want to model the essential mess area now have this set to create a behind-the-lines scene.

For those interested in what the various items were used for, the site The Lone Sentry hosts a composite of US military intel reports about Japanese army food, which you can access via Click here for additional images for this review, at the bottom of this review.

The Set
I counted 51 pieces (40 resin or plastic parts and pieces, and 11 P/E parts) for this set:
    Bowl, Rice, Large X 3
    Bowl, Rice, Small X 3
    Canteen X 3
    Cup, Tea X 3
    Field Oven/Wok and Stove Pipe parts X 4 (5 if you include the extra lid; 9 if you include the P/E handles)
    Mess kits X 3
    Pot for tea X 1
    Pot, Covered X 2
    Bucket, Large X 1
    Bucket, Medium X 2
    Bucket, Small X 1
    Sack, rice and barley, Large X 1
    Sacks, stacked X 1
    Saki bottles (clear plastic) X 6
    Table X 3
    Wood crates X 2

A small brass fret of P/E is included. It features handles for the mess kits, wok lid, tea pot and other pots.

Casting is crisp. I found no flaws. However, the size of the pour blocks and excess plugs seem to be excessive; when trying to carve them away my trusty heavy-duty hobby knife blade just couldn't cut it. (Pardon the pun.) I had to resort to a razor saw.

Detail
PlusModel sculpted the parts with great finesse. The sides of the cups and bowls are so thin that care must be taken in handling or they can be crushed. Each tea cup has an open handle that is easy to knock off. The P/E brass parts are also to-scale thin but it is soft, perhaps too soft, as it is easy to deform. Each handle is etched with minutes pin that fits into minute holes in their respective resin parts.

Yet from the latches of the mess kits, saki bottle caps, and rope binding of the rice bags, the fidelity of detail is excellent.

Instructions
Very simple line art.

There is no guidance about what colors to paint the items aside from the box art. I primed everything with a white primer to best show detail. A couple of items, the table and wok/oven, and a mess kit, are painted for variety.

Japanese bowls and cups were ceramic, wood, or metal. I do not know if there were any standard "army issue" items. Personally, I intend to paint my tea pot and rice bowls to resemble crockery, and everything else as a metal.

For display purposes I posed a pair of IJA tankers with the set.

Conclusion
This is an excellent set with great potential for dioramas and stowage for IJA models. The parts feature crisp molding and fine to-scale detail. Great care must be exercised in handling some of the pieces because they are delicate. I am disappointed with the big excess resin plugs that must be removed. The fine p/e handles are easy to deform.

Overall I am very enthusiastic about this set. I never dreamt that someone would create an IJA field kitchen. I highly recommend this set for modelers of Imperial Japan. PlusModel has provided the modeling world a wonderful set.

Click here for additional images for this review.

SUMMARY
Highs: Crisp molding and high detail. From the latches of the mess kits, saki bottle caps, and rope binding of the rice bags, the fidelity of detail is excellent.
Lows: Large excess pour block plugs to remove. The fine p/e handles are easy to deform.
Verdict: Overall I am very enthusiastic about this set. I never dreamt that someone would create an IJA field kitchen. I highly recommend this set for modelers of Imperial Japan. PlusModel has provided the modeling world a wonderful set.
  Scale: 1:35
  Mfg. ID: 488
  PUBLISHED: Sep 27, 2017
  NATIONALITY: Japan / 日本
NETWORK-WIDE AVERAGE RATINGS
  THIS REVIEWER: 87.04%
  MAKER/PUBLISHER: 85.93%

Our Thanks to Plus Model!
This item was provided by them for the purpose of having it reviewed on this KitMaker Network site. If you would like your kit, book, or product reviewed, please contact us.

View This Item  |  View Vendor Homepage  |  More Reviews  

About Frederick Boucher (JPTRR)
FROM: TENNESSEE, UNITED STATES

I'm a professional pilot with a degree in art. My first model was an AMT semi dump truck. Then Monogram's Lunar Lander right after the lunar landing. Next, Revell's 1/32 Bf-109G...cried havoc and released the dogs of modeling! My interests--if built before 1900, or after 1955, then I proba...

Copyright ©2021 text by Frederick Boucher [ JPTRR ]. All rights reserved.



Comments

Excellent review. This is what it's all about. Will help with deciding to purchase this field kitchen. Thanx!
SEP 27, 2017 - 09:35 PM
Nicely detailed. Just can't see where I'd use it just yet, but it'll come to me.
SEP 28, 2017 - 03:12 AM
Thanks for the fine review & to PM for a well detailed set. Now we just need some figures in appropriate poses to go with it,, maybe one resembling Iron Chef Morimoto. The figures/sets I know of are all in action/combat poses. I wish a company like Alpine would come up with some IJA/IJN figures.
SEP 28, 2017 - 05:55 AM
Looks interesting . Are there any figures coming out ?
SEP 28, 2017 - 02:49 PM
I saw this on eBay, now I think I'm gonna have to add it to the stash for future projects. Could be a useful set to use for making a diorama of Guadalcanal, Dragon has a set of Marines from that time period and they captured a lot of Japanese stores of food, etc. when they landed.
SEP 28, 2017 - 06:15 PM
Gents, thanks for the posts. I don't know of any figures coming out specifically for this set. John - quite right, USMC relied heavily on captured IJA food for several months during the Guadalcanal campaign. This set would be great for an Operation Watchtower diorama.
SEP 29, 2017 - 01:24 AM
Until/unless someone makes Japanese troops in a causal setting as mentioned, my 2 ideas are Japanese troops fighting off and attack around the table, or Allied troops inspecting the scene after taking the position. We are used to battle scenes in dioramas focused around battlegrounds. I think it would be an interesting scene to have troops fighting "in their own house." Rather poignant concept.
JUN 16, 2018 - 02:59 AM
   
ADVERTISEMENT


Photos
Click image to enlarge
  • move
  • move
  • move
  • move
  • move
  • move
  • move
  • move
  • move
  • move
  • move
  • move
  • move
  • move
  • move
  • move
  • move
  • move
  • move
  • move
  • move
  • move
  • move
ADVERTISEMENT