Aoshima Bunka Kyōzai Company Limited (青島文化教材社 Aoshima Bunka Kyōzaisha) is a well-known Japanese model car, model aircraft and model ship manufacturer, that specializes in plastic unassembled models. Originally their hobby products were made of wood, although they later went to plastic.
Aoshima is also known as 'Miracle House' in some circles.
Aoshima's car model range (in the universally popular 1/24 scale) strikes a good chord with modellers, particularly because much of their product range focusses on Japanese domestic models - well known in the actual size - but not as models.
Aoshima is also in the Die-cast model market with a series of high quality, limited release "toys" based on vehicles and ships from a variety of television, film and anime sources. Some, such as their 1/200 Thunderbirds craft and Aliens (film) vehicles (the USCM Drop Ship and armored personnel carrier) have been released in several variations, with differences in accompanying mini-figures and paint schemes. Others, such as the Arcadia, from Matsumoto Leiji's Captain Harlock series feature internal electrics for lighting and sound effects. Aoshima also produce the DISM series, a high-quality diecast range of Japanese cars from the 1970s and 80's, in 1/43 and 1/24 scales.
Aoshima also contributes for decades to the well-known 1/700 Waterlines series of World War II warship models. Newly released second edition kits of several Japanese warships, but also of the famous German battleships Bismarck and Tirpitz, are said to be of excellent quality.