LEGO all-stars bring Edo-era Japan to life in LEGO in epic collab

Each year the RogueBricks community, home to many of Europe’s most accomplished LEGO builders, comes together for a collaborative build. This year’s endeavor is an immersive recreation of the Japanese city of Kumamoto during the Edo Period built atop a whopping 170 base plates (that’s 2.5 x 4.3 meters!). The massive diorama depicts the coastal city in autumn and is packed with details of life during the Tokugawa shogunate, including scenes telling the story of the famous samurai Miyamoto Musashi.

Attendees were treated to motorized elements and integrated lighting, as well as informative plaques describing the history captured in bricks. As a bonus easter egg for young visitors, 10 Ninjago charaters were hidden in the build. Like 2023’s Rogue Odyssey collaboration, the project took home first prize for collaborations from both jury and audience. We’ve highlighted several contributions in recent weeks, but only now can we share the complete build thanks to Hannes Tscharner. Extended highlights and builder credits follow.

Hannes Tscharner took on the epic year-long task of building Kumamoto Castle. Cutaways reveal scenes of life inside the fortress, including a blacksmith. It’s an incredible work of LEGO construction, especially the technique used for the stone walls, made from interlocking brick-built stones.

Justus Morgenthal built a tower adjacent to the castle, working closely with Hannes to match the style.

Daniel Bodky contributed village buildings and terrain.

Mark van der Maarel‘s woodcutter on the castle outskirts we previously featured.

Thomas Weigelt also contributed to the landscaping around the castle.

Jonas Kramm delivered a scenic cliff with a shrine and a bridge for lovers.

Cecilie Fritzvold‘s dojo features motorized students.

Eugen Sellin‘s landscape contributions included a tranquil pavilion.

Andrea Rollbühler helped with landscaping and fall foliage.

Michael Diermannand Sascha Brüning teamed up for the hot springs and river, taking some creative license and adding bathing monkeys. (While Kumamoto isn’t home to Japan’s famous hotspring monkeys, in the modern day, the country’s only ape sanctuary is in Kumamoto!)

Lasse Deleuran build a lakeside lighthouse atop the cliffs and engineered a motorized stone skipper.

Michael (Felix-workshop) created the stunning Pagoda and surroundings, which we’ve highlighted before.

The rice fields below come courtesy of LEGO designer Markus Rollbühler.

Christian Rau‘s contributions include a cliffside cave and a pottery kiln.

Valentin Köberlein designed a swamp, traversable by rickety footbridges.

Markus Ronge build this lovely Goza-bune, a sort of floating mansion from which a lord can show of his power and wealth. The Naminashi Maru from Kumamoto is the only Goza-bune to survive from this era.

Fernando Pontes worked on the seasoide village as well as the lush forest (hidden Ninjago ninja spotted!)

Hannes Katzmann contributes this beautiful pagoda and shrine.

Tobias Keim‘s impressive shrine complex we featured recently.(Note: Shinto structures are called shrines, while Buddhist structures are temples.)

Patric Gnepf helped populate the forest with vignettes like these bandits.

Filippos Tsialidis highlights a cultural curiosity that really deserves more attention: fishing with cormorants!

Pascal Zimmermann helped with the tranquil forest near the training grounds.

Robert Radlmaier (hellboy) built both a watch tower and bathhouse, the latter of which appears to be visted by a mysterious guest who rudely scratched a mark into the familiar greend door.

Elias Hübner added lovely houses outside the castle wall.

Marion Weintraut built the striking red Torii gate situated in the sea.

Kevin J. Walter created a training ground for the Daimyo’s forces, as well as a guest appearce from a Pinnace merchant ship, perhaps from Portugal.

Johannes Haimann contributes another stunning shrine and lush fall trees.

From Gerrit Gottschalk we have cliffside village being raide by bandits.

Below is a Yakatabune houseboat from David Dressler. The builder also orchestrated a waterfont duel with our protagonist Musashi.

Luca Schlücking asssited with seashore landscaping, with details like these bandits and their contraband.

Marcel Veit engineered this impressive motorized dragon dance parade scene.

Marcel Arlt added a well where mischievous monkeys play, as well as landscaping down to the swamp.

Gino Lohse built a dyeworks and idyllic surroundings.

That’s a lot of talent! If you’d like to explore each contirbution in context, Hannes has very high-resolution images for your perusal.

Congratulations, RogueBricks LUG on another tremendous collaboration!

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