Grappler Baki is bringing one of its most memorable battles into traditional Japanese art with a new limited-edition ukiyo-e woodblock print featuring Baki Hanma and the giant Yasha monkey. The artwork, titled Hanma Baki Hida Yamanaka Yasha Monkey, is being released worldwide through AKIHABARA PREMIUM COLLECTION.
Tokyo Dub Agent announced that sales began at 12:00 p.m. Japan time on September 25, 2026. Alongside the print, the company is also releasing a Grappler Baki ukiyo-e Aloha shirt using the same artwork, giving fans another way to experience the collaboration.
The project stands out because it combines a modern manga franchise with a traditional Japanese art form that has been practiced for centuries. It also draws directly from historical ukiyo-e imagery, giving Baki’s battle with the Yasha monkey a visual connection to Edo-period art.
Baki’s Yasha Monkey Battle Reimagined Through Ukiyo-e
The new Grappler Baki ukiyo-e print takes inspiration from Utagawa Kuniyoshi’s famous artwork Usui Matagoro Kills a Giant Ape in the Mountains of Hida, created around 1834–1835.
Kuniyoshi’s original depicts swordsman Usui Matagoro fighting a massive ape in the mountainous Hida region. Its dramatic composition, rugged scenery, and confrontation between human and beast provide the historical foundation for the new Baki artwork.
Artist KOJIMAN, who is based in Sapporo, reinterpreted the concept by replacing Kuniyoshi’s warrior with Baki Hanma. His approach combines traditional ukiyo-e visual elements with contemporary street-art influences while retaining the intensity associated with Grappler Baki.
The result presents Baki’s famous battle as a new interpretation of the historic “Battle of Hida Yamanaka,” connecting Keisuke Itagaki’s manga with an important tradition in Japanese visual art.
Traditional Craftsmen Hand-Make the Limited Print
The project also emphasizes traditional ukiyo-e production rather than simply reproducing Baki artwork digitally. The design is separated according to color before individual woodblocks are carved by hand, with even tiny differences in alignment capable of affecting the final image.
Carver Nami Sato has studied traditional woodblock techniques since 2007 and is a member of the Ukiyo-e Carving and Prints Technology Preservation Association. Printer Masato Nakayama, meanwhile, serves as vice director of the Ukiyo-e Woodblock Printing Technology Preservation Association and Kyoto Branch chief.
The print uses Echizen Hosho washi associated with Living National Treasure Iwano Ichibei IX. According to the release, the paper is designed to preserve the texture and durability associated with traditional Japanese prints.
The Hanma Baki Hida Mountain Yasha Monkey print costs 65,000 yen plus tax and shipping. Only 300 copies will be produced worldwide, with each piece delivered in specially designed packaging and accompanied by a certificate confirming its traditional ukiyo-e production.
Baki Ukiyo-e Artwork Also Becomes an Aloha Shirt
The same design is also being adapted into a limited-edition Grappler Baki Aloha shirt. Priced at 27,000 yen plus tax and shipping, the first production run is limited to 100 copies.
The shirt is made from 100% rayon and uses a loose-fitting design equivalent to a typical Japanese men’s XL. Comedian Kendo Kobayashi and cosplayer and creator Sophie, also known as PeachMilky, were featured wearing the design in promotional visuals filmed around Akihabara.
Both products are available through AKIHABARA PREMIUM COLLECTION, extending the Grappler Baki brand beyond manga and anime into traditional Japanese craftsmanship and contemporary fashion.
