![The Mitsukoshi Lupin the IIIRD Exhibition - Full Report [ENG]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d4983e5ef336f0001a1240f/1753356412669-J7CXKDV2QYW3TEGCFF8Q/LupinLion.png)
The Mitsukoshi Lupin the IIIRD Exhibition - Full Report [ENG]
This article will also be presented in the Japanese language; however, it is taking us slightly more time to prepare. Once ready, I will edit this post and link to the Japanese language version here. Apologies for the delay!
この記事は日本語版も公開予定ですが、準備に少し時間がかかっています。準備が整い次第、この記事を編集し、日本語版へのリンクをここに掲載します。 遅れて申し訳ありません！
LUPIN THE ⅢRD! LUPIN THE ⅢRD! LUPIN THE ⅢRD! YEAH! YEAH! YEAH! (Please play that song on your own.)
ルパン三世、参上！/ Lupin the Third is here!
If you are visiting Lupin Central, you likely already know the background of this special Lupin the IIIRD themed event. However, I will write a summary about it, just in case!
In June 2025, the two new Lupin the IIIRD series films directed by Takeshi Koike that everyone had been eagerly waiting for were finally released, bringing the series to a close. Moreover, the final installment, The Immortal Bloodline, was released in theatres nationwide in Japan!
As if that weren’t enough, an exhibition for Lupin the IIIRD was also held at Mitsukoshi, a famous department store in Tokyo.
Although the art style here is reminiscent of Takeshi Koike’s work, the artwork itself was not drawn by him - at least according to James Shimoji over on X / Twitter!
For fans of Lupin, it’s like a feast where the table is overflowing with delicacies!
Although I live in Japan, Tokyo is far away for me, as I currently reside out in the countryside. But, considering the topic at hand and my eagerness for the Koike Lupin films, I surely couldn’t miss it!
And so, for my own sake and for the sake of Lupin fans abroad, I made the trip to Tokyo to attend the exhibition. In this article, I will share the details of my experience. That said, it's impossible for me to convey the awesomeness of the exhibits through my writing skills alone, so feel free to just look at the photos and skip the text. After all, even the greatest writers would struggle to describe the visual brilliance of Lupin the IIIRD in words.
WARNING: Please note that this article contains some spoilers for The Immortal Bloodline, so keep that in mind as you read.
Firstly, I will give a brief introduction to Mitsukoshi, the venue for the exhibition. Mitsukoshi is one of Japan's famous department stores, founded in 1673. The exhibition was held at its main store in Ginza, Tokyo. The current building was completed in 1914 and is designated as an Important Cultural Property of Japan.
The iconic lion statue at the entrance has been a symbol of the store since its opening and is featured alongside Lupin in the exhibition's key visuals. It has a dignified presence and complements Koike Lupin well.
When I greeted the lion and entered the store, the key visual suddenly appeared right in front of me. How striking the bold red looked - what a sight!
No matter how long I stare at it, I cannot get enough of this new artwork!
My first thought was - this is too cool! Travelling all of this way and catching sight of Lupin so suddenly is enough to give me a heart attack. The venue featured panels introducing all five works, an interview with Koike (excerpted from a magazine), screenshots, background art, key frames, storyboards, main character concept arts, and more.
In the centre of the venue, there was a gold statue, a clock, a tote bag, an illustration with a message from Takeshi Koike, and metal canvas arts on display.
It is nice to see original artwork by Takeshi Koike here, and the style and pose of Lupin reminds me of Monkey Punch’s original work.
Koike’ s message was written as follows:
L U PIN T H E Ⅲ R D 長 い 間 応 援 あ り が と う！！！
Thank you for your long-time support of LUPIN THE IIIRD!!!
Yes, it is expensive - but wow, it is a sight to behold!
Incidentally, Koike's illustration was displayed a few days after the opening. For a while, Lupin's calling card was displayed instead.
７月１２日、ここのガラスケースに現れる「お宝」は俺が頂くぜ/ On July 12, I'll take the "treasure" that appears in this glass case.
The illustration was still on display after July 12th, so I'm sure he waited until the exhibition ended. What a gentleman!
If you're reading this article, you've probably read the article about the gold statue, right? It's expensive, isn't it?
Surprisingly, it's not the most expensive item at the exhibition… instead, the most expensive item is a metal canvas art titled “Hereditary.”
Size: 1,065 x 1,491mm (Including Frame) / Price: 1,221,000 JPY (Including Tax)
The price of 1.22 million yen (around $8,300 USD) is dizzying, but when I consider that I can own Koike Lupin, it starts to seem affordable. He's a dangerous guy who can warp my sense of money - truly a master thief!
Additionally, non-metal canvas art is also available for purchase at 16,500 yen (around $110 USD). While this is an expensive item for the average person, after seeing the 1.22-million-yen price tag, it starts to seem affordable. Phew! I truly have entered a dangerous space that can warp my sense of money…
With all sense of money gone from my brain, I moved to the merchandise area on the second floor.
Peeking through to the merchandise section, there is so much to see!
The area around the sales floor was lined with clothing stores, and there were mannequins dressed in clothes that looked familiar.
Do you know who wears which outfit? Two of these are easy - one is slightly more difficult to guess. They are all equally as stylish, though!
The merchandise area offered both merchandise available at movie theatres and items exclusive to the exhibition. There were also magazines featuring the interviews displayed on the first floor, as well as the art book including the key frames of animation from Jigen’s Gravestone, the first of the Takeshi Koike spin-off films.
There were all sorts of appealing merchandise, but my personal favourites were the ones featuring the cute-style illustrations.
Too adorable! TMS needs to start making short videos using this art style as soon as possible. I would watch this right away!
In addition, metal canvas artworks were also on display at the merchandise area. While they are expensive, they differ from printed artwork in that they are three-dimensional and have a glossy finish, giving them a unique charm. In particular, the canvas artwork of Zenigata and the Two Lupins clearly shows the face of Fake Lupin in the darker areas - a neat effect.
Zenigata and the Two Lupin’s has nice artwork - this is a great piece!
After finishing the checkout process while being watched over by panels of the five main characters, I return to the first floor.
Look at them! Which fan of Lupin III wouldn’t want these for their home?!
Reluctant to leave so soon, I lingered behind, going over the exhibits once again.
Hmm… what’s that? There's a surveillance camera installed in the centre of the exhibition hall for some reason. It seems like someone is peeking into this venue. The silhouette looks familiar…
The information here mentions the event is monitored twenty-four hours a day… but by who?
Like the Lupin gang heading to the island to confront the mastermind behind the incident in The Immortal Bloodline, I decided to go to the surveillance camera's owner.
It took about thirty minutes by train from Mitsukoshi to reach my destination.
Ah, a familiar sight! This artwork is from Zenigata and the Two Lupin’s, now streaming in Japan.
In Zenigata and the Two Lupin’s, the cast were suffering from the cold, but I was suffering from the heat on the way to my new spot.
And the owner of the surveillance camera was… as you might have guessed, the classic Lupin III villain, Mamo.
Mamo, have you been here all along?! It has been a while since we last saw you… how was your trip into space, did you enjoy all of the sun?
He was spending his time elegantly in the cool indoor space, which made me feel a little irritated. How come he gets to stay here? It was so hot outside in the July sun!
Nearby were life-sized character panels - these looked spectacular.
It is fun to see the gang wearing their updated attire - the fake Lupin also looks so menacing and cool!
It was worth the heat and the 30-minute trip!
A monitor was also set up, playing trailers and promotional videos. Among them was the teaser trailer for the Castle of Cagliostro revival screening (the version only shown in theaters).
That concludes my report on the Lupin the IIIRD exhibition held in Tokyo. Koike's spin-off series comes to an end with The Immortal Bloodline, but I hope there will be an exhibition or revival screening at some point in the future. This was a lot of fun!
To wrap up this article, I would like to share the poem inscribed on the lion statue. I feel this is something reminiscent of Lupin, so I highly recommend reading it. Thanks for joining me on my adventure to Tokyo - I hope you enjoyed it!
The poem has been etched into the plaque here for many years now - iconic, to say the least!
The dignity of the wild by Shuntaro Tanikawa
The Sphinx questioned and tested people, but this lion is a being that continues to answer humans.
Our hearts, in any era, are filled with questions where the sacred and the profane are intermingled.
Before us, who are tossed about by history, it remains calm and quietly maintains the
dignity of a king, even as it is washed by the flow of time and subjected to harsh natural and human-made disasters.
Behind the coldness of its bronze skin, it hides a secretly beating heart. We cannot touch it with our hands, but we can touch it with our hearts.
This wild presence beyond human wisdom, by simply remaining there in silence, tells us of the importance of courage and freedom more than any speech or action
An enormous thanks to Vegetable Saute (菜っ葉の油炒め) for providing such a fantastic article - I’m happy they had such a fun time at the event!
There are plenty more photos and videos of Saute’s trip to the Mitsukoshi Department Store, and if you are interested in seeing more of them, please click here to be taken to our full gallery.
