Stratasys Asia Pacific, a subsidiary of Stratasys Ltd, announced that it plans to exercise the option to acquire the remaining holdings of Fasotec in Stratasys Japan. Following the exercise of the option, Stratasys Japan will become a wholly owned subsidiary of 3D printing giant Stratasys Ltd., departing from a joint venture previously established by Objet.

Related: Stratasys and Objet Complete Merger Forming $3 Billion Company

“We witness strong growth in the 3D printing market in Japan. Stratasys is positioned to invest more on infrastructure in order to build awareness and a strong foundation to support our customers, partners and the industry,” said Jonathan Jaglom, General Manager of Stratasys AP. “We wish to sincerely thank our partner, Fasotec, for their years of commitment in the partnership, which helped create new opportunities in the market for us.”

Stratasys a leading manufacturer of 3D printers and production systems for prototyping and manufacturing.

Stratasys Japan will continue to market and sell the Stratasys product offering under Stratasys’ direction. Further, Stratasys Japan will have full ownership of the installed base and its related service contracts. This move reinforces Stratasys’ commitment to overall business coverage in Japan, and expands its local industry footprint.

Related: Stratasys Signs Aurora Group for 3D Printer Distribution in China

The decision by Stratasys to exercise the option stems from its belief that this will allow Stratasys to better prepare for future growth in the rapidly expanding Japanese market.

“The 3D printing industry is growing rapidly in Japan. By exercising the option under the JV agreement and acquiring full ownership of Fasotec, we will complete a smooth transition to a wholly owned subsidiary committed to continuing to provide best-in-class 3D printing solutions, services and technologies that are suitable for the Japan market,” said Eric Goguy, CEO & President of Stratasys Japan.

Related: Full analysis of the MakerBot acquisition by Stratasys

Here are the top 10 most popular stories On 3D Printing brought you in November 2012.

10. Attend the First International Maker Meetup Dedicated to 3D Printing

9. Go Shopping! Black Friday 3D Printing Deals: Shapeways, MakerBot, i.Materialise

8. MakerBot Joins the Race For 3D Printing Your Self-Portrait

7. Startup Mixee Me Launches Beta: 3D Print Your Own Mini-Me Likeness

6. Phantom Geometry Technique Wins Gehry Prize for 3D Printing Innovation

5. Chris Anderson: 3D Printing Will Be Bigger Than the Web

4. Paper-Based 3D Printing, Now in Color and Photo Realistic

3. Incredible 3D Printing Design: Blending Real Objects with Lego

2. Must-See Infographic: How Long Until the 3D Printing Revolution?

1. 3D Printing Photo Booth Opens in Japan: 3D Print Your Self Portrait

Thanks for reading in November!

In the past few weeks, we’ve written about a 3D printing photo booth opening in Japan and startup MixeeMe 3D printing avatars you design. Now MakerBot is joining the race to be the 3D printing self-portrait service of choice.

MakerBot opened a 3D printing photo booth in its New York City store. Customers at the store can have their faces scanned in about 5 minutes and 3D printing their head takes several weeks. MakerBot’s 3D scanning capability is powered by Direct Dimensions’ ShapeShot technology.

“It’s a new kind of portraiture,” MakerBot CEO Bre Pettis said at a press event. ”This is beyond digital photography – it is the future – and to be able to create a 3D image of yourself is just amazing. We’ve had celebrities and musicians come in and get a 3D Portrait made. It’s fun, it’s inexpensive, and it’s totally cool.”

A roundup of the top news On 3D Printing brought you from November 5 to November 11.

A new medium for the classic self portrait (or family portrait) is emerging in Japan thanks to 3D printing. As part of an exhibition called EYE OF GYRE in Harajuku, you may make a reservation to have your 3D printed portrait taken between November 2012 and January 2013.

Below is an illustration of the process of digitizing your portrait and creating miniature replicas in your likeness.

3D printed portraits come in 3 sizes: 10 cm, 15 cm, and 20 cm. The smallest print costs 21,000 JPY ($264 USD) and the largest costs 32,000 JPY ($400 USD) per person in the portrait.

Reservations and more details on the product are available at the Omote 3D website.