LEGO passion reignited in adulthood

Setaka first encountered LEGO in 1967 at the age of four, as a birthday present from his grandfather. His grandfather was reportedly told, "These are blocks that can be used for 50 years," when he bought them.

Although he was hooked until about age 12, he didn't touch LEGO much for a while after that. Years later, around 2000, he discovered online that many adults were enjoying LEGO, which reignited his passion.

For Setaka, who has created numerous works, the idea to build a Seicomart came from a project with his LEGO friends to "build buildings along the Sapporo streetcar line." That's when the distinctive Yamahana 9-jo store was chosen.

His focus during creation was on "resolution." To ensure that anyone could immediately recognize it as "that store," he adjusted the balance with the size of the LEGO figures to create a faithful reproduction.

He says that by visiting the store many times to check the product locations and structure, he was able to create a work with outstanding realism.