Star Wars Celebration Japan Badge Art - Reveal

With Star Wars Celebration Japan quickly approaching, StarWars.com can now reveal the first five pieces of character art that will be presented on the event badges, masterfully illustrated in the ukiyo-e style — a tradition of Japanese art that thrived in the 17th to 19th centuries — by Japanese artist TAKUMI. Born in the northern region of Hokkaido, TAKUMI began his career as an illustrator after winning the “Weekly Shonen JUMP” Rookie Award in 2012, and has since worked on official merchandise designs for several artists and in Japanese anime. TAKUMI has a deep interest in the modern iteration of ukiyo-e and has created official promotional art in that genre for Marvel’s Thor: Love & Thunder and Lucasfilm’s The Mandalorian season three.

TAKUMI recalls first seeing Star Wars: A New Hope when he was seven or eight years old, and was so instantly captivated that he watched the full original trilogy in one sitting. “I vividly remember being amazed by the design and coolness of the Star Wars toys that my friend’s brothers owned,” he recalls. “As I explored more, I found out that Star Wars was deeply influenced by Seven Samurai by Akira Kurosawa, one of the movies that left a huge impact on me.”

TAKUMI sees many influences of Japanese culture in both the storytelling and aesthetic of Star Wars, citing the connection between samurai and Jedi or the references to Jidai-geki (period dramas) and Akira Kurosawa. His favorite scene demonstrating this cultural bond is the final battle between Qui-Gon Jinn and Darth Maul in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, when the Jedi meditates behind the laser barrier before re-engaging the Sith Lord. “It reminded me of Bushido,” he says, “where it’s not just about the combat skills but also about mental discipline, moral code, and integrity. In Japan, even in the face of an enemy, there’s a tradition of maintaining composure and respect, with samurai often sitting in Sei-za to focus before a battle. Seeing Qui-Gon Jinn, as a Jedi, meditating before confronting a Sith Lord, deeply resonated with me as it perfectly embodied the spirit of Bushido. Also, the idea of the Force as something you must train to master, rather than just a power you suddenly acquire, has strong affinity with Japanese cultural and spiritual values.”

With such a connection between Japanese culture and Star Wars storytelling, TAKUMI feels that the ukiyo-e tradition of illustration and Star Wars complement each other very well. “The appeal of Star Wars is multifaceted,” he explains. “It’s a grand narrative about the fight for freedom in the galaxy, but it’s also a collection of personal love stories and a mystical fable featuring the Force, creatures, and various planets. Ukiyo-e is all about storytelling, as is the Star Wars universe.”

In the ukiyo-e tradition of illustration, TAKUMI has produced a total of 17 pieces of art for the Star Wars Celebration Japan badge set, utilizing composition, color, character poses and motifs to convey a story for each one. “When I was working on the badge art, I spent a lot of time revisiting the characteristics and backgrounds of each character, thinking about how to adapt their narrative into the ukiyo-e,” he explains. “I looked back at the stories depicted in the masterpieces by ukiyo-e artists of the past, analyzing the motifs and elements woven into their compositions, and thought about which characters’ narratives would best fit with those themes. The research continued until I found the right theme for each character.

“Another key element,” he continues, “was reimagining the characters’ costumes and weapons with a Japanese influence. This process required blending them with aspects of traditional Japanese clothing, decorations, armor, and weaponry, and determining the right level of modification. It was a challenging task, but once the ideal style was achieved, it was immensely rewarding.”

In addition to the characters depicted in each artwork, the backgrounds are often filled with motifs inspired by seasons and nature, respecting traditional ukiyo-e techniques. Since this Celebration is taking place in Japan, TAKUMI incorporated elements that are symbolic in Japanese culture, such as plants, flowers, the moon, clouds and landscapes across the entire badge art collection. “If you look at the masterpieces of ukiyo-e from the Edo period, you’ll find that using a common theme or essence across connected artworks is a traditional technique,” he says. “While not every flower or plant has a specific meaning, I chose certain motifs based on how well they matched the character’s theme color or traits. In some cases, I also drew connections between the character’s background or story and the symbolic meanings of the motifs.”

Star Wars Celebration Japan 2025 will be TAKUMI’s first Celebration, and he is deeply grateful for the opportunity to create the badge artwork for the event. “I poured my heart into these pieces with pure love, respect and appreciation,” says the artist. “I hope fans will enjoy the fusion of the Star Wars universe with traditional Japanese culture. Ukiyo-e has always had an aspect of bringing joy and light to people’s lives throughout the ages, so my sincere hope is that my art becomes a cherished part of fans’ memories of the Celebration.”

Stay tuned to StarWars.com for more badge art reveals in the coming weeks.

Star Wars Celebration Japan is set for April 18-20, 2025. Get your tickets now!