Are Japanese Sci-fi Modellers the Best in the World?

I guess I can't definitively answer that, but I will emphatically say that Japanese science fiction model makers are fearless and imaginative, routinely producing work that is some of the most jaw-droppingly bonkers stuff I have ever seen. I'm not talking about Gundam or Anime kits.

I'm talking about scratch building stuff like this:

Or this:

Based on the American sci-fi modeling forums that I visit, most people seem perfectly content to all build the same Star Wars or Star Trek kits over and over. Occasionally, someone will post a fantastic kit-bashed original design and get a fairly lukewarm reception when compared to the reaction that a bog-standard build of a common Star Wars kit will get. I find it quite curious. There is, of course, nothing wrong with enjoying building popular kits.  I'm just surprised that more people aren't excited by the creativity and skill that is usually expressed in these original designs.

Meanwhile, over in Japan:

    Here's a closer look:

Whatever it is, it would seem that the Japanese modelling community embraces experimentation in both technique and subject matter, which of course promotes risk taking on the part of the modeler.

Here's a few more: