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Over the years, the Tamiya Corporation has created a huge number of notable product lines. This article attempts to list them.

Scale models

Tamiya began creating wooden kits for educational purpose already in 1948. In 1960, Tamiya released its first plastic kit, which was the famous IJN Yamato battleship in 1/800 scale. Tamiya has since then become known for precise craft sets with impressive quality and attention to detail. Tamiya held an arguable lead in the static plastic model market for many years and competed with other classic brands like Revell and Airfix, but recently Chinese makers such as Dragon, Meng and Trumpeter are offering fierce competition.

Over time kit numbers have been changed and updated but are now organized in the following system:

• 12001-12057: 1/12 Big scale racing car series
• 14001-14142: 1/12 Motorcycles
• 16001-16042: 1/6 Big scale motorcycles series
• 20001-20071: 1/20 Grand Prix collection
• 24001-24364: 1/24 Sport cars series
• 25201-25217: Limited special editions
• 31001-31911: 1/700 Waterline (I)
• 32501-32605: 1/48 Military miniatures series
• 35001-35387: 1/35 Military miniatures serie
• 36201-36213: 1/16 Big tank series
• 36301-36316: 1/16 World figure series
• 60301-60328: 1/32 Aircraft
• 60101-60204: 1/35 Dinosaur models
• 60401-60402: 1/100 Space Shuttle orbiter series
• 60701-60793: 1/72 Warbird collection
• 61001-61126: 1/48 Aircraft
• 61601-61610: 1/100 Combat plane series
• 77501-77525: 1/700 Waterline (II)
• 78001-78032: 1/350 Ships

Military models

1/35 military miniatures series

The oldest category in Tamiya's export line has been the "Military Miniatures" series of 1:35 scale figures and vehicles. The series has focused on World War II military subjects, though a growing minority of kits in this line come from later periods. The collection of German vehicles is especially strong.

The products are characterized by striking full colour paintings on the boxtops. Tamiya moulds are generally quite clean and almost no flash is found on their products. It was Tamiya themselves that established the use of 1/35 scale for military models. The scale was the result of the design of their first tank kit, the motorized Panther tank, being designed just large enough to contain the motor assembly and battery pack.

In addition to vehicles themselves the category includes soldiers, weapons sets and scenery items (e.g., brick walls, signs, barricades) for use in dioramas.

In the 1990s Dragon (DML) kits used to be generally inferior to Tamiya. Dragon's quality has improved and they have elected to compete in the high quality end of the market offering photo etched parts, aluminum barrels, individual track links, and upwards of 500 parts. Another Chinese maker, Trumpeter is also competing from lower end of the market. Tamiya's kits use vinyl tracks but Tamiya's recent inclusion of two kinds of tracks (vinyl and molded plastic) suggest that Tamiya is following the trend set by other manufacturers. As Trumpeter's quality improves, Tamiya's static military lines are being pressured from both the high end and the low end.

In the traditional 1/35 scale military miniature market Tamiya is offering innovations such as suspensions made to articulate using real springs. However these offerings are not substantial or unique enough to give Tamiya the clear dominance it once had in the static miniature market. More over many Chinese model makers offer numerous outstanding kits every year which pressures Tamiya's static 1/35 line. Because of their visibility as a leader Tamiya can highlight obscure vehicles that no other makers are willing to build. The Sturmtiger 38 cm, for example, was an obscure vehicle and only a handful of the massive mortar tanks were built in real life but Tamiya still introduced it to the market. Although numerous and powerful the Char B was not a very glamorous tank and no other major maker was willing to invest in it. In this role of supporting more obscure models Tamiya manages a wide-ranging product line and so continues to lead the market.

*This list is incomplete, please help out and add more products

1/48 military miniatures series

Tamiya has found a niche market of 1/48 scale military miniatures, designed as a smaller alternative to the larger 1/35 kits. As the average Japanese house is smaller than those amongst other nations, smaller kits that can be neatly put into smaller kit boxes after assembly and stored away are proven to be more popular by necessity. Utilizing the specifications of their 1/35 kits, many parts in 1/48 scale kits are simply scaled-down versions of their 1/35 counterpart, with a notable exception of tracks being molded in plastic in 1/48, instead of somewhat less detailed vinyl tracks often seen in 1/35 kits. Starting in 2004, early kits from this series featured metallic chassis, which served to add weight to the models of this smaller scale. Tamiya has put out an average of 1 new kit a month since the launch of the series as a way of blocking entry into the 1/48 scale market for Chinese makers. As of 2015, over 80 models are available from Tamiya in 1/48 scale, representing mainly the popular World War II tanks and vehicles. HobbyBoss, another Chinese maker, offers 1/48 tanks with full interior details for about the same price.

*This list is incomplete, please help out and add more products

1/16 big tank series

1/16 world figure series

Figures in 1/16 scale.

Aircraft models

Tamiya produces aircraft scale models in mainly 1/48, but also in 1/72 (Warbird collection) and 1/32 scale. Tamiya made aircraft in the 1/100 scale in the '60s and early '70s but this was abandoned later on.In aircraft models Tamiya offers a few clear skinned kits showing interior parts of aircraft. A few motorized kits are available also which feature spinning props. Some kits even include sound effect modules.

Tamiya's aircraft kits often include metal weights that prevent the aircraft from sitting on their tails. Compared to other kits such as Hasegawa, where the builder has to glue in bearings or fishing line weights, Tamiya's kits are convenient. Some kits produced recently can be made with detachable wingtips and landing gears. They also come in a box that can be turned into a raised box that could safely house the finished model after its completion. These gimmicks and often cleverly designed simpler construction help Tamiya stay on top of the miniature aircraft market.

1/48 aircraft

Their line of static model aircraft, primarily in 1/48 scale, are widely considered to be state-of-the-art. The 1990s release of the Spitfire, for example, had great ease of construction and attention to detail with the new molds having very fine raised details. As with many other Japanese model makers dealing with WWII weapons Tamiya also prefers to focus on Japanese weapons first, due to the considerable size of the Japanese domestic market: The 1/48 scale P-47 Thunderbolt, one of the most famous WWII fighters, has been produced only recently, while the Hellcat, an American naval fighter, is yet to be produced. The Japanese Zero fighter was the first to be produced in 1/48 scale and the first prop fighter added to the larger 1/32 scale in 2006 is once again the Japanese Zero.

In 2023, Tamiya caught everyone by surprise with its announcement of a 1/48 F-35A Lightning II.

Tamiya has designed various kits and versions of the following airplanes in 1/48:

• Japanese WWII: Aichi M6A1 Seiran, Ki-61-Id Hien, A6M3 Zero Fighter, N1K1-Ja Shiden
• German WWII: Messerschmitt Bf109, Focke-Wulf Fw190,
• British WWII: De Havilland Mosquito, Supermarine Spitfire
• Russian WWII: Ilyushin IL-2 Shturmovik
• American WWII: P-47D Thunderbolt, P-51D Mustang, F4U-1D Corsair, F6F-3 Hellcat
• American modern jets: F4D-1 Skyray, F-16 Falcon, F-35 Lightning II

1/72 warbird collection

Tamiya entered the 1/72 market rather late by releasing its first kit in 1993 (see kit 60701). However, this was a reboxed version of Italeri's F-16 and it would take until 2014 to design their own version of this jet (see kit 60786). Tamiya quickly got a large product line in this scale by reboxing more than 30 Italeri kits.

In 1997, they finally released a "non-Italeri" kit: the Japanese WWII floating plane Aichi M6A1 Seiran which is also available in 1/48 scale.

Tamiya has designed various kits and versions of the following airplanes in 1/72:

• Japanese WWII: Aichi M6A1 Seiran, Ki-61-Id Hien, A6M3 Zero Fighter, N1K1-Ja Shiden
• German WWII: Messerschmitt Bf109, Focke-Wulf Fw190,
• British WWII: De Havilland Mosquito, Supermarine Spitfire
• Russian WWII: Ilyushin IL-2 Sturmovik
• American WWII: P-47D Thunderbolt, P-51D Mustang, F4U-1D Corsair, F6F-3 Hellcat
• American modern jets: F4D-1 Skyray, F-16CJ Falcon, F-35 Lightning II

1/32 aircraft

Tamiya has so far produced nine types of aircraft in the 1/32 scale, including

• Japanese WWII: A6M3 Zero Fighter
• British WWII: De Havilland Mosquito, Supermarine Spitfire
• American WWII: P-51D Mustang, F4U-1D Corsair
• American modern jets: F-4 Phantom , F-14 Tomcat, F-15 Eagle, F-16 Falcon

In 2009, Tamiya introduced its 1:32 scale Supermarine Spitfire Mk. IXc, and North American Aviation P-51D Mustang model kits. These were soon accompanied by the Spitfire Mk. VIII and XVI variants, and a further P-51K variant in the same scale.

Tamiya designed the models with great attention to detail, and went so far as to include a complete scale models of the fighter's Rolls-Royce Merlin 66 engine. Innovative features of the models include the need to build and mount the scale Merlin to allow the fitment of magnet-held detachable engine cover panels; The option post-construction of displaying the model with retracted or extended undercarriage; and the inclusion of an incredibly fine and very well detailed cockpit.

Reviews of the Spitfire and Mustang found little to fault with the kits. Model building reviewers have praised the kit of the Spitfires in particular for their fidelity of form, and near-completeness of execution. The model's complexity and detail even gave rise to publications devoted explicitly to their construction and finishing.

In 2014, Tamiya followed the single engined fighters with the 1:32 scale DeHavilland Mosquito FB.IV. This also makes of the Merlin Engine model included in the earlier single engined fighters, as well as an equally detailed interior. It met with similar critical acclaim to that of the Spitfire and P-51D models, and also gave rise to book publication specific to its completion by modellers.

1/100 combat plane series

Tamiya is also one of the few manufacturers of 1/100 scale aircraft. Originally called the Minijet Series, consisting of jet fighters plus a B-52, it was terminated in the 1980s but revived in 2004 and renamed the Combat Jet Series.

1/100 Space Shuttle orbiter series

Car models

They produce many model car kits including road cars, sports racing cars, World Rally Championship cars, and Formula One racing cars. Usually these are 1/24 scale although the Formula One kits are 1/20 scale. A few street, racing, and F1 kits are also produced in 1/12 scale including the Ferrari 641/2, McLaren Honda MP4/6, and Williams Renault FW14B.

1/24 sport cars series

Tamiya has over the years produced a huge number of cars in the 1/24 scale.

*This list is updated from info on www.scalemates.com

1/20 Grand Prix collection

1/12 big scale racing car series

Motorcycles

Tamiya has an extensive line of 1/12 scale street and Grand Prix racing motorcycles. A few 1/6 scale kits have also been made.

1/12 motorcycles

Considering the number of produced motorcycle kits, Tamiya has been dominating the 1/12 scale since it started to design kits in the early 80s.

Tamiya has designed various kits and versions of the following motorcycles:

• Ducati: 900SS, 916, Desmosedici, Superleggera V4,
• Honda: RC166, CB750F, CB900F2, CB1100R, CX500 , VT250F, VF750F, CR450R, CR450R, NSR250, NSR500, CBR400F, VFR750R, CBR 1100XX, RC211V, RC213V
• Suzuki: RGB500, GSX750S
• Yamaha: RZ250, RZ350, Beluga 500, XV1000, XV1600, YZF-R1 , FZ250, SRX-6 , FZR750R, YZR500,
• Kawasaki: KR1000F, KR500, GPZ400R
• KTM: xxx