Okemoto Factory is a natural history modeling studio at the foot of Mt. Daisen in Tottori Prefecture. Master craftsman Kazuo Okemoto and his partner Junko Mizo are skilled modeling artists who create the kind of replicas displayed in museums — life-sized, anatomically accurate models of animals and plants. Their work captures living creatures and ecosystems as if frozen mid-movement.

Okemoto began his career at a Kyoto company that specialized in producing replicas. Orders from museums ranged from small creatures to dinosaur fossils and large-scale forest dioramas, and over the years he developed techniques for reproducing flora and fauna in extraordinary detail. About 25 years ago, he and Mizo established their own workshop in Tottori, his hometown.

The crafting process is meticulous. They observe living creatures and reference photographs to sculpt detailed wax prototypes, then cast replicas in silicone molds and hand-paint each piece. Their replicas are built from photographs or real-life specimens and aimed at life-sized accuracy. Each is completed only after receiving verification from museum researchers and specialists. Their works often go beyond single organisms to encompass whole scenes from nature — a forest log, the insects it attracts, the predators that lie in wait — capturing the vitality of an ecosystem in miniature.

One of their signature pieces, "Toad and Nameko Mushroom Tree," portrays insects drawn to mushrooms growing on a fallen forest log, with a toad lying in ambush nearby. The wood is sourced from naturally decayed forest logs, and every detail — from the toad's warts to its skin folds — is handcrafted. In Japanese culture, the word for "frog" (kaeru) shares its pronunciation with the verb "to return," and frogs are regarded as good luck charms wishing for safe returns. Geckos, often seen as house-protectors, are likewise considered symbols of fortune that guard homes from harmful insects.