©︎ Riccardo Bonuccelli
Lucca Comics & Games, one of the world's largest pop culture festivals, took place in the medieval city of Lucca in the Tuscany region of Italy from October 25th to November 2nd, 2025. This year, the 59th edition of the event, which attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors every year, featured Hara Tetsuo, director of Coremix and one of the creators of the manga "Fist of the North Star," who has a large fan base in Italy.
Hara spent four days in Lucca from October 30th, participating in talk shows, live drawing, fan meetings, and responding to numerous media interviews. His time in Lucca was an opportunity to demonstrate the power of timeless artworks and the new possibilities for cultural exchange. A Coremix staff member who accompanied him on-site shares a look at the event.
Large-scale original art exhibition held at church
©︎ Riccardo Bonuccelli
Hara's stay in Lucca began with an official press conference. The conference, which brought together officials from the Italian Ministry of Culture and the Uffizi Gallery, as well as over 100 journalists from around the world, including France, Spain, and Canada, left a strong impression that the festival is not simply a commercial event, but a cultural undertaking in which the entire city is united.
The charm of Lucca is that its medieval streets themselves become event venues, with historic churches and theaters transformed into venues for modern manga and game exhibitions and talk shows.
One exhibition that drew attention was Hara's work, held in the Renaissance-style Church of Santa Annunziata dei Servi. Over 100 original drawings from works such as "Fist of the North Star," "Hana no Keiji: Beyond the Clouds," and "Fist of the Blue Sky" were exhibited in the solemn space of the church. The energy and power of the paintings harmonizes with the architecture, which has hundreds of years of history, and manga as a contemporary art form resonates with traditional Italian aesthetics.
©︎ Riccardo Bonuccelli
A highlight of the exhibition was the display of the exhibition's original work, "Il Salvatore nell'Arena (The Savior in the Arena)," alongside a work by the Renaissance artist Baccio Bandinelli. This was made possible thanks to a special loan from the Uffizi Gallery. Hara's paintings have a depiction of the human body that is reminiscent of the Old Masters of the Renaissance. This message from the organizers was clearly conveyed.
©︎ Riccardo Bonuccelli
On this day, a signing session was held for 318 lucky fans at a venue renovated from a stable built during the Napoleonic era. Hara was also presented with the Yellow Kid Master of Comics Award in recognition of his many years of achievements.
Live drawing and talk about creation
© Federico Giusti
The second day's "Maxi Showcase – Tetsuo Hara" was held at the packed San Romano Church. This event was a valuable opportunity to condense Hara's thoughts on creativity.
On stage, Hara performed a live drawing of Kenshiro in front of the audience, talking about his ideas and drawing techniques. The sight of him breathing life into the character with powerful brushstrokes was a masterpiece. During the hour-long session, he shared with the audience the ingenuity he puts into his unique character designs and his drawing techniques. The full house of fans watched the creative process with bated breath.
© Federico Giusti
What struck me once again was the breadth of support for "Fist of the North Star" in Italy. The age range of fans who attended the autograph sessions held each day at the Panini Pavilion (3 sessions in total, 318 people won tickets) was surprisingly wide, and it was clear that "Fist of the North Star" has deeply rooted itself in Italian society, transcending specific generations and genres.
The Yellow Kid Master of Comics Award, solemnly presented to Hara on the eve of the event at the historic opera house Teatro del Giglio in recognition of his many years of achievement, symbolizes his unwavering popularity.
A conversation with John Romita Jr.
©︎ Arzà Damaride
On the third day of his stay in Lucca, the venue was packed with people, with all 80,000 tickets sold out. Despite strict restrictions on vehicle traffic in the city for safety reasons, Hara was greeted by fans as he traveled, and his popularity knew no bounds.
The main event of the day was a conversation between Hara and John Romita Jr., a master of American comics (The Amazing Spider-Man, Daredevil: Man Without Fear, etc.).
©︎ Arzà Damaride
The two artists discussed the beginnings of their careers, the works and people who influenced them, their relationships with their families, and the future of creative expression. Though they come from different countries and use different media, they shared a common passion and struggle as artists, and the universal theme emerged that creativity is an essential human act.
"TOUGH BOY" by the Lucca Symphony Orchestra
©︎ Tony Lamanna
On the final day, Hara walked down the red carpet to the Teatro del Giglio, where a special talk show entitled "Portrait as a Myth: From 'Fist of the North Star' to Tetsuo Hara" was held, hosted by Lucca, General Director of Comics & Games, and the President of Panini.
The climax of the show was a re-arrangement of four songs from the anime "Fist of the North Star" performed by the Lucca Symphony Orchestra. The moment "TOUGH BOY" reverberated through the prestigious space of the opera house, the venue was engulfed in a frenzy of excitement. It was a moving moment of cultural exchange, fusing Japanese pop culture with traditional European art.
To conclude the show, Hara's handprint was engraved, marking his name in Lucca.
©︎ Tony Lamanna
Visit the Uffizi Gallery
©︎ Michele Mariani
After completing his schedule in Lucca, Hara traveled to Florence, visiting the Uffizi Gallery, the temple of beauty. During his meetings with the Ministry of Culture and museum officials, positive words were exchanged about the possibility of future cultural collaboration. Hara's work could serve as a bridge between Italy and Japan. This conversation gave the impression of such a possibility. At the end of the visit, Hara donated a self-portrait he created in response to his invitation to Lucca Comics & Games to the museum director, making him the first Japanese manga artist to have this self-portrait included in the Uffizi's collection, the world's largest collection of self-portraits.
This visit to Lucca was a valuable opportunity to reaffirm the deep passion and affection that Italian fans have for Japanese manga culture and for "Fist of the North Star." Kenshiro and his story have influenced many people in Italy for many years.
The entire medieval city of Lucca symbolized the coexistence of decades of passion for art, respect for tradition, and enthusiasm for contemporary culture. It was an irreplaceable sight to see contemporary creators giving talks and live drawing sessions in a building steeped in history. It spoke to the fact that creativity is an essential human activity, and that appreciating it brings great joy.