Our theme is “Battle”
We don’t make products simply to be sold;
we create works-of-art that will last one hundred years.

We develop products under our trademarked brand, ART OF WAR®.
ART OF WAR®, takes its inspiration from the title of the classic Chinese treatise, ”Art of War” by Sun Tzu.
The brand concept is based on the idea that universal beauty exists in the struggle between life and death.
We are committed to creating works-of-art that will be appreciated around the world one hundred years from now.
We avoid easy routes-to-market by ignoring short-term trends and focus instead on developing products that are sustainable over the long-term.

Outline of Business

We are the production specialists and consultants in molding statues and developing the original design art and crafts.
We offer high quality services in planning, market development, designing, molding, creating fabrication, finishing and distribution of all kinds of three dimensional fine art molds.
We offer OEM production capabilities and create and manage original character licensing programs.

With a specialty in historical research and arts and crafts production, we are able to produce and develop full-scale content in-house and advise on all related subjects.

Our Passion: Pursuing Authenticity in Artifacts, Location and Substance

Since our establishment in 1997, we have consistently pursued the beauty of the formative arts from the Sengoku(Warring States) Period.
The Sengoku Period (spanning from the later half of the Muromachi Period to theearly Edo Period) represented a time of rapid change and growth in Japanese political, military and economic affairs. Globally, this was also a period of change, especially during the later-half of the Sengoku Period; a time that coincided with transitional changes taking place in Europe.
We can value the large influence that such global change had through the arrival on Japan’s shores of the so-called barbarian culture.
Transformations also occured in the fields of culture and the arts that gave eventual birth to groundbreaking and exceptional beauty.
This led to Zen philosophy that had a profound influence on many fields, including tea ceremony, dress, paintings and architecture.
The result has been a significant legacy for future generations.

Building on the basic common ideas and modelling styles from this legancy, KENSHIN / ART OF WAR® creates works of art and provides services with a fresh approach.
Demonstrating a level of reproduction unseen till now, we hope our creations will touch the hearts of as many people as possible.

Unified IP and Art, Establishing a Global Standard

Nearly 30 years ago, we became the first in the world to fuse the realm of Fine Art with Intellectual Properties (IP) such as manga and pop culture—the unique cultural pillars of Japan.

Parallel to our developments inspired by the Sengoku (Warring States) period, we viewed manga as another vital facet of Japanese culture worthy of being elevated into Art.
By leveraging our specialized expertise as an art brand, we sought to sublimate these cultural icons into timeless masterpieces.

In our early years, few grasped the significance of this vision.
Yet, we grew alongside the market, relentlessly refining our craft.
From high-end statues to jewelry and timepieces, we have remained steadfast in our mission: to express IP through the medium of Art, transcending the mere category of "character merchandise."

The Pursuit of Universal Beauty through Authentic Craftsmanship

We offer comprehensive production and management of high-end three-dimensional art and fine crafts—from conceptualization and development to manufacturing and global distribution—with a meticulous focus on intricate detail and unique chromatic expression.

Our artisans and creators are dedicated to the pursuit of the "Authentic"—grounded in reality, presence, and direct observation.
We commit exhaustive time to field research and study to ensure the integrity of every creation.

In our quest to create truly exceptional works, we foster a deep, spiritual dialogue between the artist and the supervisor.
This results in a heightened, evocative form that transcends mere technique or style, reaching for a "Universal Beauty" that endures through time.

For nearly 30 years, we have been the only company in Japan
that specializes in the high-quality, small-volume production of polystone figures.

Our skilled artisans create figures that are recognized as the best works of artistic craftsmanship of their type in the world.
We utilize a proprietary leading production management system to achieve this result.

Material Used for Works of Art

We use Polystone (stone powder mixed with resin) as the main material for our products. Polystone is resistant to deterioration over time, is excellent for reproducing detailed modelling features, and has a stone-like texture and weight that is perfect for sculpting works of art.

Polystone is far superior to PVC and other plastic materials used by other companies in terms of fading and deformation over time. The stone-like finish and weight as a result of the stone powder in the material gives polystone figures a special sense of luxury.

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History and Approach

Febuary,1997
Established the world’s first retail store specializing in character figures, that specialize only in high-priced art and craft items

Established the brand, ART OF WAR™, a name that takes its inspiration from the title of the classic Chinese treatise, Art of War by Sun Tzu.
ART OF WAR™ is registered as a trademark in Japan, the EU, USA, China, Korea, and other countries.
When the company was established, we started out as the world’s largest maker of made-to-order garage kit figures based on licensed content from companies such as Hakusensha, Tsuburaya Productions, Time Warner Entertainment, and Capcom.
Our showroom was designed by a leading architect who mainly specializes with commercial architecture projects such as jewelry stores.

1998
Representing the creative beauty of the formative arts of the Sengoku Period

We collaborated with Mr. Hiromichi Miura, an advisor to The Association for the Research and Preservation of Japanese Helmets and Armor,
to create a uniquely designed one-quarter scale replica of military armor.
The item, was well received around the world as being representative of the beauty of the formative arts of the Sengoku Period.

New Challenges:
We are reproducing the world-renowned beauty of armor from the Sengoku Period.
It is important to note that although armor has been partially preserved as weapons, it has rarely been accurately reproduced as fully-clothed figures.
What concerns us is that most of the armor of famous military commanders have been lost, so it is difficult to imagine what they really might have looked like.
We therefore started researching and creating armors to preserve the beauty of the Azuchi-Momoyama period for future generations.

2001

We were certified as a management innovation company by the Japanese government in 2001 in recognition of our reputation as a cultural creation business

We planned and produced faithful reproductions of “Uesugi Kensin (Mogami Dogusoku )”, Sanada Yukimura (Buddha Dogusoku )”, “Oda Nobunaga” statues using the same materials and manufacturing methods as the actual armor of the time. We achieved this through intensive discussion with various parties and analysing what the production process would have been

2006

Held exhibitions entitled “The Beauty of Azuchi-Momoyama Period” throughout Japan to showcase the two and three dimensional aesthetic form of arts and crafts from that period

2007

© Hara Tetsuo

Started planning and production of original Buddhist statues designed by Hara Tetsuo – the illustrator of the manga, Fist of the North Star, and other titles – and production of paintings, hanging scrolls and drinking vessels

2008