by Alan Chung
1/700 IJN Yukikaze In Kure (Aoshima)
This diorama represents the most famous Imperial Japanese Destroyer Yukikaze in Kure Naval Arsenal preparing for the “Ten-Go” Okinawa suicide mission. This is a very small diorama as its size is only 15cm(L) x 10cm(W). The diorama includes a dockyard, a crane, a warehouse (which is removable for interior details), part of the mountain and a few boats. Construction took about 2 months.
The idea of the landscape came from my trip in Kure few years ago in which the dockyard is right between the sea and the mountain. One of most special features of this diorama is a Torjii Gate at the bottom of mountain, linking a Shinto Shine in the mountain with a stair pathway. It represents the Japanese culture and tradition in which the crews would pray before leaving for the mission. This small shine and Torjii Gate really make a Japanese feel/atmosphere to the Diorama.
The warehouse is scratch-built inserted with see-through windows and downpipes, the crane is detailed by using photo-etch products, and all the small boats are super-detailed with 0.20mm copper wire and photo-etch mesh etc.
This diorama participated in the Open Diorama Category in the Australian Model Expo 2008 (28-29 June). This is an open category, so it includes planes, AFV's, ship's diorama etc. It was the smallest diorama in the competition and it won 1st first place. This is my first 1/700 ship diorama, first participation and first win in this category.
