The LEGO Mosaic Maker is one of the most eye-catching and rare LEGO treat that any fan of the brick can experience. And though its end result is the LEGO Personalised Mosaic Portrait (40179) which is only composed of 1×1 plates, a 48×48 baseplate and generic brick separator, each boxed set is somehow unique in itself because it comes with the customer’s portrait photograph interpreted in LEGO tiles.
The machine for LEGO Mosaic Maker is somewhat huge and also complicated, that there are less than ten of them around the world. But a LEGO Store here or there has slowly been getting its own machine in recent months. And its Japan’s turn to have their very own.
Indeed, the LEGO brand is already ubiquitous in Japan, and the inclusion of the Mosaic Maker makes it even closer to the hearts of LEGO fans in the region. In fact, in just weeks after LEGO set up a Mosaic Maker machine in their second branded store in China, another store unit was opened this week at the Yokohama Landmark Plaza.
Like its regional counterparts, the LEGO Mosaic Maker in Japan functions the same way: visitors have their photo taken in a booth, and the machine renders the image in five colored LEGO 1×1 plates to be tacked onto a large baseplate. It’s a visual feast as you wait for your picture to be printed, while the boxed set of mosaic pieces is slowly dispensed.
Pricing in Japan for the LEGO Mosaic Maker falls reasonably around big LEGO set prices in the country at ¥10,455 (US$93). This is still somewhat lower as compared to the US debut of the machine which cost at $129.99 a pop. That’s two significant Asian markets that now carries the exclusive set. Where else will it be showing up next?
Source: Retail News Asia