Culture
JoJo: Hirohiko Araki Unveils New Steel Ball Run Artworks
Two specially created lenticular prints featuring Johnny and Gyro can be seen at the Nikko Toshogu Shrine until the end of December.
Manga artist Hirohiko Araki is showing two new artworks for JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Steel Ball Run at the Japanese Nikko Toshogu Shrine. The images featuring Johnny Joestar and Gyro Zeppeli were already handed over in a ceremony on October 16, 2026, and are on public display from November 19 to December 27, 2026.
Two-Part Work with Optical Depth
The two framed pictures carry the title JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure / SBR Lenticular Works. They show the main characters and their horses among snow-covered trees. For the production, Araki used lenticular technology: depending on the viewing angle, individual picture elements appear flat or with spatial depth. The realization was overseen by the Shueisha Manga-Art Heritage project.
Araki describes the connection between people, horses and nature as the central motif. The work was created in connection with a traditional Yabusame ceremony, in which mounted archers hit targets. After the ritual, the pictures were handed over to the shrine with wishes for world peace and for the success of the Steel Ball Run anime adaptation.
The work thus ties directly into the seventh part of the manga series, in which Johnny and Gyro embark on a horse race across North America. The anime adaptation has been available on Netflix since March 2026; new episodes are due to release later this year. aninew.de previously reported on new villain illustrations by Hirohiko Araki.
Exhibition at a Historic Shrine
The pictures are being shown in the east corridor of the Nikko Toshogu Shrine, near the well-known carving of the sleeping cat. A regular admission ticket is required for access. Because part of the exhibition area is outdoors, the presentation may be cancelled in severe weather. Selling the artworks on site is not planned.
The presentation is a further example of Japanese manga drawings being exhibited outside classic comic events. Comparable insights into original art are offered, for example, by the major shoujo manga exhibition. The Kazuki Takahashi exhibition on Yu-Gi-Oh! likewise focuses on the artistic creative process behind a well-known manga.
Further details about the presentation are published by Shueisha Manga-Art Heritage.