Long mistaken for a clone, LEGO Minitalia is actually a rare and fascinating chapter in LEGO history. Discover how this region-exclusive brick from Italy (and its cousin OLO from Japan) helped shape the LEGO brick we know today.
Read MoreThe Japanese Cherry Blossom Landscape captures a serene spring moment, but what happens when you reimagine the scene as a traditional scroll painting and change the seasons?
Read MoreWe resume our chat with Javier Soravilla and Mike Dung, pioneering builders of expressive “chibi style” LEGO characters, and learn more about all the techniques they use to build them.
Read MoreWhat is chibi style? We chat with Javier Soravilla and Mike Dung, pioneering builders of the expressive LEGO characters, and learn about the chibi building community.
Read MoreIt’s time to check back in with the “chibi gang“ and meet one of its newest members, Justin Chang, who is pushing forward the expressive LEGO character style.
Read MoreWhile many of us around the world are sweltering in the summer heat, we thought it would be a perfect time to dive back into the deep end of the photo pool to cool off with some killer aquatic LEGO builds from Ken Ito / 暁工房.
Read MoreFrom mechs to mosaics, Japan Brickfest 2025 marked ten years of creativity and community at Asia’s largest fan-built LEGO event. This year’s celebration in Kobe featured over 450 builders, live performances, and a collaborative cityscape honoring the host city.
Read MoreLEGO photographer Masayuki Muraki takes us on a journey to Himeji Castle—both the real one and its stunning LEGO counterpart—sharing cultural context, architectural admiration, and the story of a long-awaited set done right.
Read MoreJoin us as we chat with LEGO builder Cheung Hin Lun, aka Alanboar, about his creativity and how travel, family and pop culture influence his artistic vision.
Read MoreIs it possible to attend two LEGO conventions on different sides of the world only a few days apart? Aiden Rexroad describes his journey around the world from Japan Brickfest to Brickworld Chicago and beyond.
Read MoreAfter four long years, Japan Brickfest welcomed back foreign builders and tourists. Join our on-site contributor Inez Vasquez for a tour of Asia's only recognized LEGO networking event.
Read MoreWhile Japan is still closed to foreign tourists, allow us to take you to the LEGO Kinkaku-ji Temple, known as the Golden Pavilion.
Read MoreCharacter builder extraordinaire Eero Okkonen is back with a rare diorama. This time it’s a tranquil scene in feudal Japan, a tea ceremony. I could go into some details about this, but they would pale in comparison with the extensive blog post Eero has done, head over there and read up on and see more pictures of this wondrous and beautiful build.
Eero Okkonen has a long history of building what are effectively elaborate action figures, like these two wonderfully expressive warriors - but everybody knows that action figures are the most fun when they're being played with. His newest scene pits a Samurai against a Shogunate on a serene bridge. The whole model is stunning, from the color scheme to the poses to the small details, like the snakes used as detailing on a sheath.
Just looking at this MOC is relaxing. This very tranquil MOC samurai sanctuary by builder NeverEnoughLego premiered at Brickfair VA, much to the appreciation of those there (I wish I could have been there). In my brief time in Japan I spent my time in the hustle and bustle of Tokyo, and I really wish I could have found a place like this to spend a little time, it's beautiful.
Often, a good LEGO build hints at a backstory, but a great one tells a story of its own. This fairly simple build by legophthalmos showing a samurai warrior departing for battle is an excellent example of how to effectively tell a complex story with a visual medium like LEGO. The thought-provoking narrative shown here, combined with some very slick building, makes for an impressive overall effect.
Just kidding. You're not bugging me at all!
From what I can tell from being an English teacher for nine years, Japanese boys and girls have a unique fascination with insects and even have a knack for collecting them. They're not all just creepy crawly critters! This makes me wonder if Takamichi Irie collected insects as a child. He recently spent a year studying abroad and time to time expressed his feelings of being homesick, which might explain where his LEGO insect series came from. It's amazing what you can do with just a few tiny parts (and especially with those that seem to have only a single use). NPU, dude! You can see the rest of the his "Small Animals" series on his Flickr.
It is time to take to the skies to see all the LEGO floating islands that populate our imaginations. Check out these gravity-defying rocks and learn why they might be one of the best ever collab ideas.
Old LEGO magic still has its charms. We revisit Borgin and Burkes and Dumbledore’s office to compare how their buildings, curious objects, and magical creatures have changed across generations of Harry Potter sets.
Want to customize a minifig without fancy printers or toxic fumes? Learn how to use the dark art of reductive design to literally erase the line between official and custom LEGO parts.
LEGO meets tabletop combat in the Brassbound universe. We talk with creator Paul Antoine about designing microscale armies, turning builds into game pieces, and developing games with a growing community.
When a legendary archaeologist minifigure meets the spin cycle, adventure calls! Follow along as we reclaim the lost fedora of Indiana Jones and uncover how to repair a LEGO keychain.
LEGO adventurers need somewhere to unwind between quests. We talk with Sleepy Dragon Inn designer Marin Graux about classic Castle, medieval hospitality, and how his design evolved for the BrickLink Designer Program.
From sketches to superglue, see how this custom LEGO motorcycle earned its street cred. We chat with Jean-Yves about the design, prototyping, and even heat resistance of his LEGO customizations, taking them from prototype to the pavement.
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Monet painted his garden many times, exploring changes in color and time of day. Meredith Najewicz follows his lead, rebuilding the LEGO Art Water Lilies set with a darker palette and some creative part substitutions to cast the lilies in a different light.