First, an apology. At the end of the last issue, I made a terrible mistake. The "Kahaku T-rex" on the cover of Kagaku Yomiuri clearly states "March 1958" in large letters on the cover, but for some reason I got it into my head that it was born in '53 and was my twin. My eyesight has certainly deteriorated rapidly recently, but even so... I'm deeply embarrassed.

Thus, my theory of destiny in my dinosaur life was easily dismissed, and I had intended to drop the topic, but what a coincidence! Just the other day, I happened to see the "Kahaku T-rex" on NHK's morning news. I was astonished. It was donated from the National Museum of Nature and Science (Kahaku) to the Saga Prefectural Museum in 1970 and has been there ever since. I'm delighted that it still exists, but to appear at this timing...

When I searched online, I found a local report by the director of the "Dinosaur Toy Museum," which has appeared frequently in this very Treasure House. https://dtmkancho.blog.fc2.com/blog-entry-3673.html

I missed it. How careless of me.

 

There's nothing for it but to go to Saga, take a picture in front of the T-rex, and compare it to my photo from when I was 7 ( New Treasure House Vol.10 ). Needless to say, I'll be striking the same pose. Isn't that moving just to imagine? I don't know when it will happen, but the theme for the final installment of the Treasure House is set.

 

Now to the main topic. On a clear Sunday at the beginning of November, I went with my fellow Dinosaur Club members to the Pterosaur Exhibition "Heroes Who Challenged the Sky" held at the Gunma Prefectural Museum of Natural History. As expected of Gunma, a remote region where Pteranodons were reported flying across the prefectural border in the movie "Fly Me to the Saitama," the sky was high and clear, and the autumn leaves were vibrant. However, my gaze only lingered on nature for a brief moment during lunch in the museum garden. After that, from 10:30 AM until almost 3 PM, we were engrossed in fossil viewing inside the dark museum, truly embodying the spirit of the Dinosaur Club. (Due to COVID-19, there were admission restrictions and the viewing time was limited to 1 hour and 30 minutes, but we used invitation tickets and made two rounds through the museum, once in the morning and once in the afternoon.)

 

Image 1 shows the interior of the museum, though it's mainly photos of the replicas that have come from my home. As I've written before, it's a pleasant feeling to see my collection, which usually gathers dust in my room, displayed so grandly in a museum.

 

* The Triassic gliding reptile Sharovipteryx in the upper center of the photo is not mine, but I'm introducing it because I was charmed by it being displayed alongside a beautifully crafted model of a Typhoon fighter jet with the same shape!

 

So, this time, the Treasure House is an "At-Home Pterosaur Exhibition," piggybacking on the Gunma Pterosaur Exhibition (though it's likely over by the time this article is published) and featuring my pterosaur collection.

Like the main exhibition, my room also has many pterosaurs hanging from the ceiling. There are kites, stuffed animals, flapping toys, and skeletal models, but for some reason, they are all Pteranodons. (Image 2)

 

* Many of the pterosaurs introduced this time have appeared as supporting characters in previous Treasure House entries, so please check those out as well. Also, there are countless smaller items that haven't been featured, such as gashapon figures and erasers, but it's too difficult to find them all, so I've given up. By the way, the Kaiyodo Dino Tales series alone has four types: Anhanguera, Tapejara, Pteranodon, and Quetzalcoatlus (and three versions of Pteranodon if you include the JP3 one).

For more on gashapon figures, check here:

●"Nature Figure Page"

http://ninjaaquarium.web.fc2.com/index.html

●Of course, there are many pterosaurs at the "Dinosaur Toy Museum" too.

It's best to search from here:

http://www.dinotoymuseum.com/name/nametop.html

 

* The Treasure House also featured pterosaurs a long time ago in Vol.13.

 

* Favorite also has various Pteranodons and Quetzalcoatluses. Please see their website. Personally, I recommend the Pteranodon Scramble Mini Model. A depiction of two Pteranodons fighting is something you don't often see but it feels very natural.

 

(Image 3)Old figures from the 50s to 80s

 

The two metal figures on the left are American SRG made in the 40s-50s (Treasure House Vol.1 / Vol.5 )

Dinosaurs from this manufacturer usually come in large and standard sizes for the same species, but pterosaurs are happily divided into Pteranodon and Pterodactylus.

Next to them are the frequently appearing French STARLUX (70s - Treasure House Vol.6 / New Treasure House Vol.8 ). The Pterodactylus resting its wings in a bat-like style used to be commonly seen in old encyclopedias, but now it's just nostalgic...

Below them are MARX (50s - Treasure House Vol.5 ) and AJAX (60s).

 

To the upper right are items from the British Museum of Natural History (80s - Treasure House Vol.41 ) and a SAFARI 1988 model, which might be appearing for the first time here (compare it to the current models from the same company that appear later). And Clover ( Treasure House Vol,38 ).

The lower right are gashapon figures: NABISCO (America, 50s - Treasure House Vol.55 ), SHREDDIES (England, 50s - New Treasure House Vol.8 ), and KOBITO (60s?).

 

 

(Image 4)Kaiyodo Garage Kits(Treasure House Vol.61 ~ Vol.63)

 

The upper row features works by Kazunari Araki, and the lower row by Shinobu Matsumura. Araki's Pteranodons (sold separately as A and B) making their first appearance in the Treasure House, and the pterosaur set to their right, are all 1/35 scale, with self-made bases. If you look closely at the pterosaur set, you'll see a Tamiya Nyctosaurus (included in the Parasaurolophus diorama set) mixed in. The Dimorphodon is from the mini-series.

Matsumura's Quetzalcoatlus is from the 100mm model series (early 90s) of finished products http://ninjaaquarium.web.fc2.com/kaiyodo_Kit_Prepaint/dinoland/100mm_model/.

The Quetzalcoatlus was a trend at the time, standing upright due to Renaissance influence. It might even be the first Quetzalcoatlus figure. Then there's the masterpiece Rhamphorhynchus and the Pteranodon cold cast finished product from the 2000s.

 

(Image 5)Other garage kits and plastic models

 

The two Pteranodons above were both purchased in the early 90s when WonFes was held at the Harumi International Fairgrounds, and the manufacturer is unknown. The one on the left has a wingspan of 80cm, and the one on the right is also over 70cm, making them quite large and heavy as they are made of resin. It's amazing that they have lasted for nearly 30 years with just a single support. The Pteranodon and Quetzalcoatlus on the lower left are from "Goblin Factory" (1996 - Treasure House Vol.64 ), and below that is "Endorphin's" Quetzalcoatlus. Is this the moment it is about to take flight from the stone steps of an Aztec temple? This might be a work by Hirokazu Tokugawa, who was part of "Endorphin" at the time. The three Pteranodons to its right are plastic models: Tamiya 1/35 ( Treasure House Vol.58 ), Hasegawa JP Series ( Treasure House Vol.61 ), and Airfix ( Treasure House Vol.58 ). The Tapejara is a finished product obtained at "Hakubutsu Fes 2017" ( New Treasure House Vol.37 ).

 

 

(Image 6)Making an Aurora-style Pteranodon

 

This is one of the "Unassembled Kit Inventory Clearance Series" that I've been doing several times recently. This time, it's a Pteranodon, one of the new Aurora dinosaur trilogy kits that I left untouched since building the T-rex in Treasure House Vol.57. For more on Aurora, please refer to Vol.57. The result was this eerie object.

 

Indeed, Aurora products, especially military models, were treated as oddities by scale modelers seeking realism. However, as you can see from the Pteranodon of the original Aurora in the lower row and the photos in Vol.57, the sculpting of ancient creatures (and monsters) was truly superb, completely unlike the new Pteranodon that emphasizes kitsch. I was quite indignant, feeling it was disrespectful to Aurora.

It's a frustrating kit, with a body shape that looks like a person inside, and a diorama that only works when viewed from above, as in the photo on the right. And it's so huge (43cm tall!) that there's no place to display it, making me regret building it. However, it's also true that I had a lot of fun painting the rocky area. The base of the sea and rocks, and the body of the plesiosaur, are from the drawing printed on the package. I think I did a pretty good job of blending the painted boundaries between the 3D and 2D parts.

The lower right is a super rare item, the Rhamphorhynchus from Aurora's Jungle Swamp. Maybe the next model I build will finally be the Jungle Swamp...

 

 

(Image 7)Jurassic Park series pterosaur action figures

 

Regarding JP, there are countless figure series other than the action figures introduced here, such as mini models and gashapon figures (even Takara's Ania in recent years...). Please refer to New Treasure House Vol.24 , Vol25 , Vol.26 , Vol.42 , Vol.43 for those.

 

The top row features items from the Jurassic Park trilogy. However, for the very first JP, the only pterosaur released was the light blue Kenner one in the center. No pterosaurs were released for JP2: The Lost World, and the others are Hasbro JP3 merchandise. The huge cage of toothed Pteranodons in JP3 was memorable. Tapejara didn't appear in the movie, but let's not quibble about that.

The Dimorphodon and Pteranodon on the lower left are from Jurassic World. Both played active roles in the movie. The others are from JW: Fallen Kingdom and some of the endlessly proliferating figure series thereafter, with Mattel taking over as the manufacturer. Recently, characters from the TV CG animation series "Camp Cretaceous" have also been released, and it's becoming overwhelming. I dread the release of JW3 in two years' time.

 

 

(Image 8)Ceramic Pterosaurs

 

All but one are Pteranodons! Unless it's a series specifically for dinosaur enthusiasts, Pteranodons are usually the first pterosaurs added to a collection. In the world of pterosaur models, Rhamphorhynchus put up a fight in the early days, and Quetzalcoatlus is holding its own currently, but Pteranodons still dominate the market.

For more details on ceramic pterosaurs, see New Treasure House Vol.18 and Vol.19.

 

 

(Image 9)Pterosaurs from foreign manufacturers after 2000

 

Upper left: Except for the flamboyant Pteranodon (BULLYLAND) facing left, these are all from SCHLEICH, which can now be found in almost any toy store. Surprisingly, three of them are Quetzalcoatluses, released in 2008, 2000, and 2002 from left to right. The Pteranodon was released in 2000. While Schleich now has a presence befitting a toy store, like the light blue Anhanguera, it used to have a more subdued, realistic approach.

 

Upper right: In contrast to Schleich, SAFARI has been increasingly realistic lately, which is a pleasant surprise. Their lineup is also extensive.

* Please compare it with the 1988 Pteranodon.

 

Bottom left: PAPO, truly marching to the beat of its own drum. Charming, but pricey, which is a drawback.

 

Bottom right: The Hatzegopteryx on the far left (I didn't know about it...), the Quetzalcoatlus next to it (carrying a young sauropod!), and the Ornithocheirus flying above are all COLLECTA. COLLECTA's selling point seems to be its niche approach? It offers several large, lesser-known pterosaurs, and some were even displayed at the Pterosaur Exhibition in Gunma, but I just can't bring myself to buy them. The pterosaurs flying in a flock next to them are Anurognathus figures from the BBC's "Primeval," which were villains that attacked people in flocks in Season 1, Episode 5.

Below that are figures from Chinese manufacturers that have been doing good work recently. There's a Zhejiangopterus from VITAE and a small-scale Nyctosaurus from PNSO. The Nyctosaurus used to be an ordinary pterosaur in Tamiya's diorama sets from the 90s (inset photo), but at some point it gained an incredible head. I looked into it and apparently, a long rod-like crest was discovered in 2003.

 

(Image 10)High-end Pterosaurs and Fluorescent Pterosaurs

 

The Tupuxuara is from the high-end figure brand Sideshow's Dinosauria series (they're called statues rather than figures now). Among the Dinosauria, it was small and reasonably priced (though it still exceeded 10,000 yen). I'm satisfied with the quality. In the background is a replica of a Tupuxuara skull that I own. I think it makes for a pretty good picture.

Another item I decided to show because it turned out surprisingly well is a fluorescent model of a Pteranodon skeleton. It glows even more brightly than the Stegosaurus from two posts ago. The manufacturer of this model is unknown, but it's an excellent piece that can adopt a flying pose by swapping out the arm and leg joints, and its wingspan reaches 1.3m.

 

 

(Image 11)Artistic Pterosaurs

 

Although I've shown these before, I can't leave them out of a pterosaur feature. Paper-cut pterosaurs and newspaper pterosaurs. For details, please see New Treasure House Vol.21 / Vol.26 / Vol.31 / Vol.37 / Vol.51.

 

(Image 12)Candy Store Pterosaurs

 

In a way, these might be the most "treasure-like" of all. These are pterosaurs from "Flying Dinosaur Airplanes," which I introduced before with an Archaeopteryx. I don't know exactly when they were made, but the notation "Kezalcoatlus" was used before the Japanese name "Quetzalcoatlus" became common, and Sordes, which is written with its species name all lumped together, was introduced to Japan in the late 70s. Does this mean they are from candy stores of the Showa era?

*I found this enthusiast article online:

http://blog.livedoor.jp/divajoanne/archives/1067602711.html

 

Initially, I planned to introduce pterosaur books and pterosaur movies (there are many wonderfully quirky ones, like stories of aerial combat with Zero fighters, or Quetzalcoatlus—though not a pterosaur—ramping through New York), but I ran out of time. I can't let it wait until next year, so I'll postpone it to the next installment. It will be "First Laugh! Pterosaur Movies (tentative title)."

 

Thank you for sticking with me this year. I look forward to your continued support next year.

 

Finally, a long-unseen 19th-century German print and a postcard from Japan's pre-war series "Strange and Mysterious Prehistoric Animals." (Image 13)