Mitsuru Nikaido
About you
What is your name?
Mitsuru Nikaido
Which country are you from?
Japan
How old are you?
46 years old
About your LEGO passion
How did you get into building with LEGO bricks, especially building your own creations?
Out of all the different building toys out there, I found that LEGO bricks were the fastest way to turn ideas in my head into something real.
What kind of creations do you love building the most, and why?
I love creating mechanically imitated organisms. It's fun to create the future.
If you could give one piece of advice to aspiring LEGO builders, what would it be?
Don't worry about quality. Just keep creating and keep publishing.
How does it feel to have your work exhibited here at LEGO House - Home of the Brick?
The Masterpiece Gallery exhibition at LEGO House was a secret goal of mine when I started out as an AFOL (Adult Fan of LEGO). So I feel a great sense of accomplishment.
What’s next for you in your LEGO journey—any upcoming projects or dreams?
My dream is to have my work turned into a LEGO Ideas set.
Do you have a personal LEGO portfolio website or social media profile that you can share?
You can find me on https://www.flickr.com/photos/142497481@N02/ or https://www.instagram.com/mitsuru_nikaido/.
About your LEGO creation(s) on display
Title
Blue Whale Mecha
Can you describe your model and what it represents?
The blue whale that served as the inspiration is the largest living creature, weighing 200 tons and measuring 28 meters in length, which is equivalent to a seven-story building.
Its distinctive throat “swell” becomes a throat pouch when it opens its mouth, allowing it to prey on large quantities of plankton all at once. They are said to eat 4 to 8 tons of plankton per day - an incredibly large amount.
They are said to be the strongest living marine creatures, and only killer whales and humans have ever attacked a blue whale.
Unlike sperm whales, they do not have teeth, but they are not often attacked by killer whales because of their huge size.
Title
Jellyfish Mecha
Can you describe your model and what it represents?
The motif of this work is a jellyfish.
Jellyfish are members of the plankton family; gelatinous organisms whose bodies are 95% water.
The word “plankton” conjures up images of much smaller creatures, but to be precise, jellyfish are aquatic animals that live according to the movement of water, so their body size is irrelevant.
In Japanese kanji, jellyfish are written as “water moons,” because their floating life resembles a moon floating on water.
Jellyfish do not have a brain or heart, but they have nerves throughout their bodies.
It is believed that they recognize their prey as food the moment they touch their tentacles and prey on it.
In addition, they move as if they are programmed to automatically respond to various external stimuli, such as water temperature and water pressure.
Title
King Penguin Mecha
Can you describe your model and what it represents?
The penguin that was the motif of this work was so large that it was named “King” because it was the largest species of penguin when it was discovered.
But later, an even larger species of penguin was discovered, so the species found later was named “Emperor.
The King had to vacate its crown.
Unlike the Emperor penguin, which lives on the ice in Antarctica, the King penguin has some tolerance for warmer climates. This is why they live on subantarctic islands.
Because they need less protection from the cold from fat and feathers, these penguins are slim and cool.
Title
Iguana Mecha
Can you describe your model and what it represents?
The green iguana is a large reptile that is widely found in Central and South America.
It is a mild-mannered herbivore that can grow to over 150 cm in length.
In its native habitat, it can be found lying around town.
They have excellent spatial awareness and memory, and can recognize human faces and respond to calls.
Despite their mild-mannered nature and imposing appearance, when they sense danger, they run, jump, and swim away at high speed.
When caught up in danger, they use their long tails like whips to drive away their enemies.
