Model Art is a well known Japanese model magazine. It is famous for high quality builds and photographs that fully live up to the publication’s name. This issue covers Japanese WWII navy ships but also covers subjects as varied as aircraft, armor and trucks.

The first 48 pages give extensive photographic coverage to 1/700 scale ships of the Japanese navy circa WWII. Coverage includes 1^st class transport vessel, heavy cruiser Aoba, battleship Yamato, carrier Soryu, battleship Nagato, heavy cruiser Tone, destroyer Hatsu-Kazuyoshi and two navy auxiliary vessels. Each is well documented photographically.

Next we are treated to some detail photos of a JASDF AT-6 Texan. This is followed by an in-depth build review of the 1/24 Airfix Mosquito, 1/48 Cyber Hobby Bf-110D-3, Zvezda 1/144 Boeing 787, Bronco 1/35 Adler Kfz.13, a beautifully done AFV IJA 28cm Field Howitzer, the gaudiest model I have ever seen of a 1/32 Truck Yarou Ichibanoshi, a 1/24 Honda Odyssey and lastly a 1/35 Academy USMC M50A1 Ontos.

The magazine finishes up with previews of many new products from all areas of modeling including kits, decals, books and tools. Lastly there are five pages of a sort of readers gallery of built models of all types with one entire page dedicated to 10 different models of the 1/32 Zoukei-mura Kyushu J7W1 Shinden. Some of the most unusual are a twin-engine jet version and a zwilling!For me, a real treasure is the many Japanese hobby shop ads. Many have web addresses to may prove beneficial when looking for the rare out of production Japanese resin kits or many of the Japanese market only releases.

If the fact that unless you read Japanese the articles are indecipherable is not a problem for you and you love outstanding model photography then you will find this magazine useful and entertaining. I do not read a word of Japanese but there is still much to be gleaned from this magazine. I think that most modelers will enjoy it.

Our thanks to Model Art and Dragon Models USA for the review copy.