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Sayonara, Building a 1/35th Japanese Garden.

bob letterman

Master at Arms
Staff member
Well, it's that time again. When I met Gail, my daughter, one of the things we had in common was our love of Japanese architecture. This year's project will be a 1/35th scale Japanese Garden out of the Book, Sayonara, by James Michener , subsequently made into a movie. The main characters are Major Lloyd "Ace" Gruver (Marlon Brando), the son of a U.S. Army general, who is stationed at Itami Air Force Base near Kobe, Japan. He falls in love with a Japanese entertainer, Hana-ogi (Miiko Taka), who is a performer for a Takarazuka-like theater company, whom he meets through his enlisted crew chief, Airman Joe Kelly (Red Buttons).

Sayonara_zps2c8c619c.jpg


The garden will be made on one of the same bases that I made the Simpatico diorama on. It will have a very large gate entrance, a Japanese bridge and a Pagoda. It will have many kinds of bonsai trees, bushes and flowers. It will also have a lot of rocks, a waterfall and a large lake.

I plan on using the American Officer in the Masterbox kit, MB 3514.

3514_zps8640b48d.jpg


I'll convert him to a Korean War Air Force major. Then I managed to buy a Japanese Geisha in 1/35th from an obscure company in Japan. I'll convert her to Hana-Ogi in a Japanese wedding dress, (All white), and they will be standing on the bridge.

B7dRZuEGkKGrHqIOKj4Eyb58JqBM0OJuJgIQ_3_zps92b9abad.jpg


Here is a Japanese wedding kimono.

Wedding_kimono_zps91973b28.jpg


This will all be scratch except the two figures. One hell of a lot of landscaping. The terrain will be very hilly and rocky as Japanese gardens usually are. Here are some examples I am using for reference. Mine won't be like any of these, just some ideas.

Bridge_zps8293bfeb.jpg


chiosakagarden_102_zps94024ab5.jpg


Gardenpond_zps9922631f.jpg


NijojoGarden3303_zps389cf404_copy.jpg


I am leaving next week with Gail for a father-daughter vacation on the Gulf coast. I have all the materials I will need for this dio and will start as soon as I return on the 24th of july.

It will be something really different for me and I like those kinds of projects.

Bob
 
Next birthday project. A Japanese dio in 1/35th

It is goig to be awesome (in the proper and not overused connotation)!

Regards,
 
Next birthday project. A Japanese dio in 1/35th

A masterpiece in the making.

Terry :popcorn
 
Next birthday project. A Japanese dio in 1/35th

You don't know how to think small, do you Bob? Hahahaha.

I cant wait to see this. It's going to be just as amazing as all your other dio's, I'm sure.
 
Next birthday project. A Japanese dio in 1/35th

Hi Bob.

Do you already have the Master Box officer? If not I can send you one unassembled of course.

Cheers from Peter
 
Next birthday project. A Japanese dio in 1/35th

:woohoo: Bob you are certainly not afraid of big challenges!! all the vegetation and water effects :ro:

Looking so forward to see this build and learn some new tricks :)

//Mats
 
Next birthday project. A Japanese dio in 1/35th

Poppy, this is going to be so BEAUTIFUL. Another thing we have in common...that Zen thing. Zen.... :zen
 
Next birthday project. A Japanese dio in 1/35th

B) This wil be a real challenge Bob.
Can't wait to see how you do the vegetation and that bridge.

Ian.
 
Next birthday project. A Japanese dio in 1/35th

It is goig to be awesome (in the proper and not overused connotation)!

Regards,

A masterpiece in the making.

Terry :popcorn

Thanks Saul and Terry,

Don't jump to conclusions please! I have been known to mess up both kits and dioramas. Of course, making something for Gail seems to carry a bit of magic with it somehow, so, we'll see. I got a lot of good ideas at least!

Bob
 
Next birthday project. A Japanese dio in 1/35th

You don't know how to think small, do you Bob? Hahahaha.

I cant wait to see this. It's going to be just as amazing as all your other dio's, I'm sure.

Hey Adam,

You have no idea how many times I have been told that in my life! Some kind of genetic defect I suspect!

Thanks for your comment.

Bob


Hi Bob.

Do you already have the Master Box officer? If not I can send you one unassembled of course.

Cheers from Peter

Thanks Peter,

That was very nice of you to offer. I appreciate that. I do have the kit however and have already began doing some re-sculpting with the epoxy putty.

Bob

OK Folks, get your note pads out. :popcorn

Hey Jr.,

On this one, I believe I'll be learning some new tricks myself. There are several things on this dio that I have never done before, so I'll be trekking in some unknown territory. That's always a plus with me. It adds excitement to the build and if somebody can learn something new following along, so much the better!

Dad
 
Next birthday project. A Japanese dio in 1/35th

:woohoo: Bob you are certainly not afraid of big challenges!! all the vegetation and water effects :ro:

Looking so forward to see this build and learn some new tricks :)

//Mats

Thanks Mats,

I've got most of it worked out in my head already, with a few exceptions, the largest of which is that I've never made a waterfall before. I have seen it pulled off both very well and poorly. I'll have to do a little experimenting.

Bob

B) This wil be a real challenge Bob.
Can't wait to see how you do the vegetation and that bridge.

Ian.

Hey Ian,

Yeah, I think you're right! I'm more concerned with the amount of vegetation than the bridge. I built a diorama back in 1991 called "Arrogance", that had more than a hundred trees and bushes, but it was in 1/16th scale making it easier. It is posted here on MA.

https://www.modelersalliance.com/forum/bob-letterman/1373-several-of-my-old-dioramas?start=24

Bob
 
Next birthday project. A Japanese dio in 1/35th

Thanks James!

Well, I'm back from the Gulf Coast, had a wonderful time.

I started the Sayonara diorama today.

I cut the base, laid out the garden and lake in pencil. Then I cut 3/4 inch plywood to shapes that will be the mainstay of the topography. The plywood I had left over from last years project, the corner curio cabinet.

Here is the basic layout. There will be a rocky bluff on the rear left corner that will have a waterfall going into the lake. The rear right hand corner will have a large Japanese Gate and a Stone tiled court inside the garden leading to a stone tile path that will run alongside the lake to the bridge.

OverallBase_zps6fc75db1.jpg


A closeup of the gate/courtyard area. I'll use miniature plaster tiles to make the courtyard and the path. Then I'll use grout to fill in between.

GateArea_zpse63511e5.jpg


The Bluff/Waterfall. This will be covered with plaster stone. I bought some stone molds years ago that I used to make the diorama, "Arrogance". Here is an in progress photo of it being built. I'll use those molds to create the stone bluff as well as stones throughout the diorama.

Arrogance21_zps51b87b75.jpg


Here is the plywood bluff/waterfall.

BluffWaterfall_zps710d53b3.jpg


The Bridge area.

BridgeArea_zps6c23113d-1.jpg


The Island area. This will have a Japanese structure such as temple or pagoda.

IslandArea_zps4d3af4c9.jpg


The Path extension.

PathLakearea_zps66656401.jpg


There will be rocks along the shore as well as protruding out of the water such as in this photo.

NijojoGarden3303_zps389cf404_copy.jpg


The Lake area.

BridgeArea_zps6c23113d.jpg


Next, I'll get all this glued down and start the landscaping topography with cardboard, matt board, plaster and Cell-u-clay.

Bob
 
Next birthday project. A Japanese dio in 1/35th

Its funny, I want to add something to this but I honestly dont know what to add, haha.

Thanks for sharing the step by step progress on this Bob. Hopefully I can use you're techniques myself eventually.
 
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