"Unsung heroes of the JSDF - 6mm minis?" Topic

I'm hardly an expert, but I know that the real-life Japanese Self Defense Forces are an all volunteer, all service branch organization that is constitutionally prohibited from being deployed abroad. It exists only to repel invaders and provide disaster relief – pretty much as portrayed in giant monster movies!

I'm looking at assembling some 6mm scale 'modern era' minis for the JSDF and am just looking for feedback – I know GHQ and CnC are two big manufacturers, but are there others that anyone recommends from personal experience? Willing to consider other scales like 3mm, also.

And from the aesthetics standpoint, how modern is 'modern'? Early films like Rodan show Japan's finest flying what look like F-86 sabres and driving surplus US Patton tanks. Recent films show advanced/stealth fighters and hordes of M1 Abrams clones. Of course, the model makers aren't constrained by what equipment Japan actually has, and go with what looks cool on screen.

Do you have a preferred decade/period? Or do you mix and match from different eras? I'm particularly scratching my head on helicopter miniatures – nothing I've seen really 'looks right'.

Anything post-WWII will do for moderns.

Don't forget the white gloves and Davy Crocketts.

Definitely '60s for me.

For helicopters, I like Sikorsky H-19 Chickasaws (JASDF and JGSDF):

Also Piasecki H-21 Shawnees (JASDF and JGSDF):


And Sikorsky H-34 Choctaws (JMSDF):


GHQ does a 1/285 Shawnee ( link ) and a Choctaw ( link ).

Does anyone do a Chickasaw in 1/285 or 1/300?

Reviresco does some nice 1/285 Godzilla-esque Japanese Laser/Maser Tanks in their Days of Empire line, which unfortunately is no longer shown or even listed on their website.

I-94 sells an H19 which is in fact a chicasaw both the us and british version I bought both (they are identical lol)but great minnies……Mikey

Nice, thanks for that info, Mikey.