The world's favorite galactic adventure, Star Wars, has influence rooted in film depictions of early Japan, as is explored by a recent documentary on Japanese actor Toshiro Mifune, so the two have a natural affinity when it comes to artistic collaborations. Just last year, we saw a crowd-funded artistic collaboration that produced amazing high quality Ukiyo-e woodblock prints of the Star Wars universe, which re-imagined beloved Star Wars characters with a traiditional Japanese artwork aesthetic that just seems too perfect a fit. Now a second set have come out, which show off Darth Maul, Boba Fett, and the Millenium Falcon in the awesome ukiyo-e style of early Japanese artwork.

If you need a refresher course, Ukiyo-e is a form of traditional Japanese art that dates back to the 1600's made from colored woodblock prints. They often depict characters and scenes emblematic of what has come to be traditional Japanese culture, such as kabuki, sumo, and folklore. Given some of the legendary scenes and characters featured in this style, Star Wars characters seem to have no problem fitting in. Originally financed by crowd funding site Makuake, these classic characters and ship were re-imagined by professional painter (eshi), carver (horishi)) and printer (surishi) using the same skill and meticulous dedication to detail employed in the crafting of many classic prints.

Although not available at the moment, Rhythm Force should be making the products available on their site, with prices set at 50,000 yen for individual prints and 150,000 yen for a three print set. Reservations are also being made for IDC Otsuka showroom and gallery, where the prints will also be available November 16th.