Shoji Kawamori  

Eiji Kurokawa, Meiji Shirakawa, Shoji Kawamori, Takaji Kuromori, 白河明次, 黒森鷹治, 黒河影次

It is not widely known that in the early stages of his career, Kawamori collaborated with Takara on creating toys for the Diaclone series. Many of these designs eventually became part of the Transformers line. Among the most notable creations were Battle Convoy (Optimus Prime), Datsun Fairlady Z Robo (Prowl/Bluestreak/Smokescreen), and Nissan Cherry Vanette Robo (Ironhide/Ratchet). In 2006, Kawamori returned to his roots by designing the Hybrid Style Convoy and Masterpiece Starscream toys.