Hanzou to Release Ukiyo-e Style Giclee Prints Celebrating the Anime Adaptation of Hikuidori: Ushu Boro Tobi Gumi

Hanzou Co., Ltd. (Representative Director: Eiji Sakai), a company that carries on world-renowned ukiyo-e techniques while producing works that blend tradition and innovation, will release two giclee prints that reinterpret the world of Shogo Imamura’s popular historical novel series Hikuidori: Ushu Boro Tobi Gumi (Shodensha) in an ukiyo-e style. The prints will go on sale from noon on Friday, May 15, through Hanzou’s online shop Ukiyo-e Kobo. The original work centers on Edo-period firefighters and depicts the pride of people who risk their lives with unwavering resolve. Its intensity and human drama have been fused with the traditional Japanese visual language of ukiyo-e and elevated into a new form of art. Hikuidori: Ushu Boro Tobi Gumi is Shogo Imamura’s historical novel series portraying firefighters living in an Edo town constantly threatened by fire. “Hikuidori,” or “fire-eating bird,” is the nickname of Gengo Matsunaga, a fire brigade chief who rushes fearlessly into raging flames to protect lives and the town. Decisions made under extreme conditions, bonds among comrades, and inner conflicts are depicted as universal human drama that goes beyond simple action storytelling. The manga adaptation is currently serialized in Weekly Shonen Champion, and the anime adaptation is available on various streaming platforms. These products express the resolve and spirit of the firefighters through bold compositions and colors reminiscent of kabuki prints and warrior prints. The tension of confronting blazing flames, the power of dynamic figures, and the drama compressed into a single moment are heightened through the formal beauty of ukiyo-e. By bringing together a contemporary story and traditional artistic expression, the works become powerful pieces that resonate across eras. Work 1, Edo Firefighting Tale: Hikuidori Gengo Matsunaga, Pacifying the Raging Flames, portrays the protagonist Gengo Matsunaga, the fire brigade chief known as Hikuidori, as he bravely plunges into a fierce blaze threatening Edo. His overwhelming presence, symbolizing extraordinary courage and leadership, is expressed through the energetic lines characteristic of ukiyo-e. Work 2, Edo Firefighting Tale: Ushu Boro Tobi Gumi Assembly, depicts Gengo Matsunaga and four comrades united as they challenge a raging fire. The bold composition is inspired by Shinmei Megumi Wago no Torikumi by Toyohara Kunichika, an ukiyo-e artist active from the late Edo period into the Meiji era. The work symbolically expresses not only the strength of each individual, but also the nature of firefighting built on mutual support and the firm bonds among the group. Product details: Edo Firefighting Tale: Ushu Boro Tobi Gumi Assembly is priced at 25,000 yen before tax. Artwork size is 19.5 cm high by 34.5 cm wide, and frame size is 32.9 cm high by 49.6 cm wide. The artwork uses pure handmade washi paper, Torinoko paper, from Iwano Heizaburo Paper Mill. The frame uses resin and aluminum with an acrylic surface. The technique is giclee printing. Edo Firefighting Tale: Hikuidori Gengo Matsunaga, Pacifying the Raging Flames is priced at 20,000 yen before tax. Artwork size is 29.5 cm high by 20.8 cm wide, and frame size is 41.6 cm high by 32.9 cm wide. The artwork uses pure handmade washi paper, Torinoko paper, from Iwano Heizaburo Paper Mill. The frame uses resin and aluminum with an acrylic surface. The technique is giclee printing. Artist Akira Shiozaki is an ukiyo-e artist and Japanese-style painter. Focusing mainly on Japanese painting from the Heian to Edo periods, he re-evaluates the diversity of its themes and the high level of its craft techniques, while reconstructing the styles and essence of those eras. Through two-dimensional works that appeal to the aesthetic sensibilities of contemporary Japanese audiences, he presents the presence and potential of Japanese painting in the art world.