All About Japan

Wooden Ukiyo-e Star Wars Phone Case

Art Ukiyo-e Smartphones Star Wars

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l78jlohLVc4

There’s always been a strong connection between Japan and the George Lucas-helmed Star Wars franchise. From the samurai-influenced Darth Vader and Stormtrooper costume designs through to the film’s storyline, which borrows heavily from Akira Kurosawa’s 1958 film Hidden Fortress, Lucas himself is the first to admit he owes a lot of his creative inspiration to the Land of the Rising Sun.

So it’s nice to see that Japan is reciprocating the love with a number of Star Wars creations of its own. From samurai-styled figurines to ukiyo-e woodblock prints, these Japanese-styled homages to the epic American film franchise are the perfect way to get ready for the December 18 release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. And now you can carry the force wherever you go, with a gorgeous wooden iPhone 6 case that’s so beautiful even a Sith Lord would stand in line to buy one.

The wooden iPhone case takes its design cues from a very special ukiyo-e woodblock print, one of only three in the world that have been officially approved by Lucasfilm. The different prints feature Darth Vader, a scene from the Battle of Hoth and Queen Amidala posed with R2-D2, all in traditional Japanese styles. Take a look at the video above to see the prints and how they were created.

The Darth Vader woodblock is especially coveted, as it depicts the Sith Lord in a unique style of ukiyo-e known as okubi-e, which shows only the upper torso and head of the subject.

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