Chapter 4 Birth of Setsuden-mushi (a profitmaking device) 4.1.2 Excellent parts 4.1.2.2 Things making in my childhood (postwar era)
By the way, the story goes off the subject a little, but since I was in elementary school in the 1950s, I've seen many times that my brothers, older children in the neighborhood and my friends made good use of the trees or the disassembled parts of unnecessary machines to make four-wheeled vehicles that could withstand temporary play.
I helped them, but I wasn't the type to actively make "big toys" like four-wheeled vehicles. Rather than that, I remember that it was more fun for me to make models of automobiles using heavy paper stencil.
In the 1950s after the defeat of World War II, it was natural to make what we wanted by ourselves. It was unthinkable to get a finished or semi-finished kit with good functionality and style as it is today. We started with hollowing out wood for a model ship making and cutting bamboo for a model airplane making. My brother, who is two years older than me, loved small birds and made even the bird cages. He cut large bamboo trees and processed them into thin sticks with a knife, making them very dexterously. At that time, self-procurement of materials was quite natural. I think that such experience and curiosity became the basis for supporting the postwar Japanese manufacturing industry.
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著者のKarl Kamamotoさんに人生相談を申込む