G-Shock’s Best Affordable Watch Pays Homage to Its Japanese Heritage

If you’ve been paying attention to pop culture news (or you’re an avid gamer), you might have seen that this past week marked the launch of Ghost of Yōtei, the long-awaited follow-up to Sucker Punch’s Ghost of Tsushima samurai action game.

Fun fact: the game takes place during Japan’s Edo period. That happens to be the same era from which one of the country’s most famous artists ever, Katsushika Hokusai, hails.

Interestingly, in what may or may not be coincidental timing, G-Shock has just launched a pair of Hokusai-inspired 5600 Series watches, the DW5600KHK25-1 and DW5600KHG25-1.

G-Shock

Shock wave

Hokusai’s art style of choice is called “ukiyo-e,” which roughly translates to “pictures of the floating world.” Particularly popular from the 17th to 19th centuries, these are intricately designed woodblock prints, typically depicting landscapes (although many also included themes of kabuki and beautiful women.)

Arguably, the most recognizable and famous of all these works is one of Hokusai’s own: The Great Wave off Kanagawa. While not quite as ubiquitous as, say, the Mona Lisa, it’s not terribly far off.

The first of these two Hokusai-inspired watches features this very work of art surrounding its digital dial. And the art also adorns the included packaging.

G-Shock

While the second watch is somewhat less instantly recognizable, it’s no less significant. At the height of his artistic career, Hokusai created a series of 36 paintings of Mount Fuji from various perspectives. One of them — Fine Wind, Clear Morning — appears on the dial of this second watch.

Japanese to the core

That dial art is far from the only bit of Japanese heritage built into this watch, although it is the most obvious. Other nods to the country can be found elsewhere.

For instance, the casebacks have a pair of kanji characters — 日本 — etched into them. For those who don’t read kanji, these are the symbols for “Japan.”

G-Shock

Those same symbols are also hidden within the digital dial and are only visible when the backlight is turned on. It’s a nice, subtle addition that adds a little more depth of character to these watches.

Of course, they’re also still rock-solid G-Shocks, boasting a bevy of complications (timer, stopwatch, alarms, auto calendar and so much more) and the brand’s unbeatable shock-resistant housing. They’re also made in Japan.

G-Shock

Pricing and availability

Both of G-Shock’s Hokusai-inspired 5600 Series watches, the DW5600KHK25-1 and DW5600KHG25-1, are now available on the brand’s site for $135 apiece.

G-Shock

G-Shock 5600 Series DW5600KHK25-1

Specs

Case Size	42.8mm
Movement	Quartz
Water Resistance	200m

• $135 at G-Shock

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