Nanoblock facts for kids
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| Type | Construction set |
|---|---|
| Company | Kawada |
| Country | Japan |
| Availability | 2008–present |
Nanoblock (Japanese: ナノブロック, Hepburn: Nanoburokku) is a super-small construction toy made by a company called Kawada in Tokyo, Japan. Think of them as tiny building bricks that let you create detailed models.
Contents
The Story of Nanoblock
Nanoblocks first appeared in Japan in 2008. They quickly became popular, and now you can find them in over 30 countries around the world.
These tiny bricks have won several awards for their cool designs. In 2010, a large set of Germany's famous Neuschwanstein Castle won a big award at the Japan Toy Awards. The next year, their model of the Tokyo Skytree tower won the top prize. These awards show just how creative and fun Nanoblock sets can be.
Awesome Nanoblock Sets
Nanoblock has a huge variety of sets, from original designs to models based on famous characters and places.
Original Collections
Kawada makes several of its own unique series:
- Miniature Collection: These are small sets with about 80 to 150 pieces. You can build tiny animals, musical instruments, or even holiday decorations.
- Sights to See: This series lets you build famous landmarks from all over the world. These sets are a bit bigger, with 200 to 600 bricks.
- Advanced Hobby: For a real challenge, this series features huge, detailed models of buildings. Some sets have over 2,000 pieces! The biggest is the deluxe edition of Neuschwanstein Castle, which has an amazing 5,800 pieces.
- For Girls: There is also a special series with themes like weddings and birthdays.
Sets from Shows and Games
Many Nanoblock sets are based on popular licenses that you might recognize. You can find sets for:
- The Adventures of Tintin
- Pokémon
- Shaun the Sheep
- Sanrio characters like Hello Kitty and My Melody
- Disney characters, which are sold at Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea.
They have also teamed up with video game companies. For the 25th anniversary of Mega Man, Kawada released special sets. In 2015, they also made sets for the game Street Fighter, featuring characters like Ryu and Chun-Li. Even the camera company Nikon worked with Kawada to create a Nanoblock version of its classic Nikon F camera.
How Are Nanoblocks Designed?
Nanoblocks look a lot like Lego bricks, but they are much, much smaller. The smallest brick is only 4 mm by 4 mm! The bricks are made from a strong ABS plastic.
One key difference is how they connect. Instead of the tube system used by Lego, Nanoblocks use a special "double-ridged" system on the bottom. This helps the tiny pieces lock together securely.
There are eleven different types of bricks, from a single stud piece to a larger 8x2 brick. When you buy a Nanoblock set, it usually comes with extra pieces, just in case you lose one.
