Japanese Diorama Artist Creates Stunningly Detailed Models Smaller Than Actual Thumbnails

Just this month, we shared with you the fantastic work of artist-photographer Michael Paul Smith, who uses small die-cast vehicles to create vintage town pictures. We were truly blown away with the attention to details Smith put in his pieces.

This time, allow us to blow your minds once again with the craft of another talented guy.

Shunichi Matsuba is a diorama artist from Japan and he creates amazingly detailed miniature scenes using extremely tiny models, with some of them small enough to fit within his thumbnail.

Unbelievable, you say? Well, you better believe it.

Well, first off, you have to know that there are people in Japan who take diorama-making really seriously. Shunichi Matsuba, for example, has gotten so good at his craft that his pieces are stunningly realistic and impressively small. A bucket and a table he made, for instance, are smaller than his thumbnail. One of his trucks, on the other hand, is much smaller in size than a coin.

He posted some of his works on Twitter and here are some of them:

1/150 scale. バケツの試作です。アルミ箔(t0.1 か 0.08mm)、銅線 流石(0.1mm径と、0.06mm径) ここまで拡大するとアレですけど(汗、なんとか～♪ｗ pic.twitter.com/Tsm3qELjqf

— クマコロ／ShunichiMatsuba (@kumakoro646873) February 3, 2016

1/150 scale. 久々です。机に似た何かの作成。完成後は殆ど見えなくなるので正直テキトーですが、用途考えれば充分満足です。 pic.twitter.com/lgoOckV616

— クマコロ／ShunichiMatsuba (@kumakoro646873) February 1, 2016

1/150 scale. 屋外水道管を作りました。タミヤの 0.06mm プラシートを使い水道管の段差表現を行いました。　少し嬉しいですｗ pic.twitter.com/dzNwOBa0yD

— クマコロ／ShunichiMatsuba (@kumakoro646873) December 27, 2015

1/150 scale. 以前も Up した過去作の別ショット。函館銀座通りにかつてあった建物の、裏側です。 pic.twitter.com/FXt2ddT3hp

— クマコロ／ShunichiMatsuba (@kumakoro646873) January 7, 2016

1/150 scale. 今週作った机・バケツが、建物完成後は見えにくくなるのが不憫？に思えたので、小物オールスターズで記念撮影ｗ pic.twitter.com/RH74d0IaGG

— クマコロ／ShunichiMatsuba (@kumakoro646873) February 4, 2016

1/150 scale 机横のチョイ置台。土日は建物も車も進まず、放置状態ですｗ pic.twitter.com/T4YRuKnKSq

— クマコロ／ShunichiMatsuba (@kumakoro646873) November 15, 2015

1/150 scale. 失敗物は(そのうち作る？)廃車置き場の為に都度廃車塗り練習してますが、どうもワンパターンです。
やっぱり廃車置き場を真面目に作る際に考えないとダメですね。そのうち(笑 pic.twitter.com/TMsBx33071

— クマコロ／ShunichiMatsuba (@kumakoro646873) November 28, 2015

1/150 scale. 旧作、小樽の静屋通奥にかつてあった建物です。まぁ、今のプロフィール写真で恐縮ですがｗ pic.twitter.com/pemlhw67Wy

— クマコロ／ShunichiMatsuba (@kumakoro646873) November 27, 2015

1/150 scale 昨年の作、なんとなく作った木製パレット転用の雑品。まだ建物等に組み込むなどはしておらず、活用は宙に浮いてます。 pic.twitter.com/878QanhgcB

— クマコロ／ShunichiMatsuba (@kumakoro646873) November 30, 2015

1/150 と 1/1。旧作、昔の函館を題材にしたものです。 pic.twitter.com/5pOcm40jiV

— クマコロ／ShunichiMatsuba (@kumakoro646873) November 17, 2015

1/150 scale　旧作、以前もチラッと出した、小樽の(旧)山部商店です。いずれ手を入れて生でご覧頂けるモノを目指したいです。 pic.twitter.com/fWWzbnhUAO

— クマコロ／ShunichiMatsuba (@kumakoro646873) November 13, 2015

1/150 scale　旧作です。小樽の喫茶店、叫児楼、、のつもりですｗ pic.twitter.com/TFqRPCBx6R

— クマコロ／ShunichiMatsuba (@kumakoro646873) October 15, 2015

1/150 scale. バケツ作成の方法です。写真撮りながらだとやっぱり気が散って、一昨日のモノに少し負ける出来です～。。? pic.twitter.com/hDhJXBWG47

— クマコロ／ShunichiMatsuba (@kumakoro646873) February 5, 2016

I don’t know about you, but personally, I am beyond impressed with this guy’s expert craftsmanship. I couldn’t help but wonder how fun it would be if he and Smith actually collaborated on a project.

Oh, well, one can dream!