"Standing Shogun" — A Fine Art Collaboration with Takuma Tanaka
"Standing Shogun" — A Fine Art Collaboration with Takuma Tanaka
"Standing Shogun" does not announce itself. It simply stands.
No weapon. No gesture of aggression. Just a figure in full armor, occupying space with the kind of stillness that is harder to hold than any sword. Takuma Tanaka's second Shogun work strips the warrior down to his most essential form — a man, upright, refusing to fall.
What he is protecting is unclear. What he is facing, unknown. But that ambiguity is the work. Tanaka leaves the story open deliberately, because the warrior's meaning belongs to whoever stands in front of him. Some will see defiance. Some will see exhaustion that hasn't yet become surrender. Some will recognize something they've felt in their own life — that moment when there is nothing left to do but remain standing.
Full-length, frontal, unarmed. This is not a warrior preparing for battle. This is one who has already been through it.
Shogun II is printed on Awa Washi — handmade Japanese paper rooted in a tradition stretching back to 806 AD, designated a Traditional Craft of Japan in 1976. Produced in Tokushima Prefecture using centuries-old techniques, it carries a texture and warmth no mass-produced paper can replicate. Thin yet tear-resistant, soft yet permanent — the paper holds the figure the way history holds its great men: with quiet, enduring strength.
Place this where you need to be reminded that standing your ground is enough.
◆Details
A3 size.
Printed on authentic Awa Washi (traditional Japanese paper)
Inspired by the Ukiyo-e style of Japanese fine art
Museum-quality print (frame not included)
Designed and printed in Kyoto, Japan
◆What is Awa Washi?
Awa Washi is Japanese paper produced in Yoshino City, Tokushima Prefecture; Naka Town, Naka District; and Ikeda Town, Miyoshi City. It is made using traditional Japanese paper-making techniques such as “flow-making” and “pool-making.”Awa Washi is characterized by the unique texture and natural feel of hand-made paper, along with its durable quality—thin yet strong and resistant to tearing, even when wet.
◆History of Awa Washi
The exact origins of Awa Washi are unclear, but it is thought to have begun around 806–810 AD. Records indicate that the Awa Inbe clan cultivated hemp and kozo (paper mulberry) and produced paper, suggesting that washi production had already begun by the Nara period.In modern times, Awa washi gradually declined alongside Westernization. However, one paper-making company persevered in preserving the tradition, and in 1976, Awa washi was designated a Traditional Craft.
◆Design
This artwork was designed in my Kyoto studio. Some of the images were designed using digital design tools, while others were designed using artificial intelligence (AI) with my own instructions and references to traditional artworks.
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Let customers speak for us
Stayed at a bad job way too long.
Told myself it was loyalty.
Turns out there's a word for what I was actually doing — and loyalty isn't it.
Chugi is the chapter. The short version is: real loyalty includes the question ""does this still deserve what I'm giving it?""
I had completely stopped asking that.
Didn't make me feel great about the past three years, not gonna lie.
But it reframed how I think about commitment going forward, which
I think is the point.
Good book. Challenging in the right ways.
All members of the SHOGUN production staff should read this.
The stories of Japanese samurai are fascinating.
The best choice not only to understand the spirit of Bushido, but also to embody it.
