Young Guitar, July 2026: feature “Hokuto no Gen, Strings of the North Star” ヤング・ギター 2026年7月号 特集 北斗の弦 -STRINGS OF THE NORTH STAR-

Table of contents

Feature "Strings of the North Star" (北斗の弦 -Strings of the North Star-), the guitar legend of the dying century

1. Special cover and opening pagesp. 6-9Guitarist Kenshiro on the cover, illustration by Nishimura Hitoshi based on the key visual of the new anime, followed by the opening page recapping forty years of media mix and establishing music as a pillar of the work, along with the feature's table of contents.
2. Opening theme, "Hallelujah" by [Alexandros]p. 10-11Presentation of the opening for Hokuto no Ken -Fist of the North Star-, released digitally on April 6, 2026: band credits, full lyrics, and a guitar-oriented breakdown of the track. Hallelujah single page.
3. Special interview #01, Toshlp. 12-19The X Japan vocalist's first appearance in the magazine: his cover of "Ai wo Torimodose!!" (愛をとりもどせ!!) as the ending of the new anime, his childhood as a Crystal King fan, the cover album IM A SINGER VOL.4, and the ANISON LEGENDS FES JAPAN festival in Kanazawa.
4. Special interview #02, Hayashi Yukip. 20-25The composer of the new anime's original soundtrack, with a look back at composers from previous adaptations, his palette of instruments for conveying the end of the century, his working method, and his arrangement of the ending sung by Toshl.
5. Special interview #03, Miyashita Mikihirop. 26-29The anime producer at Coamix discusses the project's origins, the choice of [Alexandros], the opening credits edited to the demo of "Hallelujah," the ending kept secret until the first episode, and the casting of Takeuchi Shunsuke as Kenshiro. Includes a manga overview sidebar and anime technical sheet.
6. Special interview #04, Monsieur Yoshizaki (Crystal King)p. 30-37The founder of Crystal King, interviewed for the first time by a specialized music magazine, recounts the making of "Ai wo Torimodose!!" in 1984, "Yuria… Eien ni" (ユリア…永遠に), the song's second life since the 2003 pachislot, and its various covers up to Toshl's version. 1984 single page, pachislot original soundtrack page. Two custom Kenshiro and Raoh guitars featured at the opening.
7. Special interview #05, Ujiki Tsuyoshi (Kodomo Band)p. 38-45The Kodomo Band singer-guitarist on the band's four songs for the 1986 film and the fourth part of the TV series, the visit from producer Takami Yoshio, and his guitar work on "TOUGH BOY." Includes a sidebar on the four tracks. Heart of Madness / Purple Eyes single page, Silent Survivor / Dry Your Tears single page.
8. Theme song, "TOUGH BOY / LOVE SONG" by TOM★CATp. 46-47TOM★CAT's sixth single, released on March 21, 1987, serving as the opening and ending for Hokuto no Ken 2: the band's career, riff analysis, differences between the full version and the TV version, reissues up to the 2023 picture disc. Tough Boy / Love Song single page, Popcon Super Selection TOM☆CAT Best compilation page.
9. Discography, HOKUTO'S MUSIC SELECTED GUIDEp. 48-51A discography guide spanning forty years of Hokuto no Ken releases: albums, singles, game and machine music, the 35th anniversary tribute album, Denshō, and a page of international covers of "Ai wo Torimodose!!" Most of the records listed have their own entries in our Soundtracks section, including Hokuto no Ken Ongaku-hen I, Hokuto no Ken 2 Ongaku-hen, Hokuto no Ken Original Songs, and Hokuto no Ken Premium Best. Also featured is Thrust of God by Drive Far, with lyrics by Hara Tetsuo.
10. Special talk session, "The Banquet of Hokuto" (北斗の宴), 2nd Roundp. 52-59Roundtable with musicians from the February 9, 2026 concert at the Silver Elephant in Kichijōji: ISAO, Hoshino Saori, Danchō, Hasegawa Jun, TAKA, Komatsu, and Miyako Keiichi, costumed as characters from the series and performing theme songs and background music from the 1980s shows.
11. Voice & SFX, "Abeshi!! on Guitar" (ギターで「あべし!!」), Starring ISAOp. 60-63Four pages of tablature in which ISAO reproduces on guitar the voices and sound effects from the first episode of the new anime, from pressure point strikes to the "atatatata" (あたたたた) and the death cries "hidebu" (ひでぶ), "tawaba" (たわば), and "abeshi" (あべし), with a demonstration video on the magazine's website.
12. Guitar score, "Hallelujah" / [Alexandros]p. 64-77Fully annotated score of the 2026 opening. Single page.
13. Guitar score, "Ai wo Torimodose!!" / Crystal Kingp. 78-83Fully annotated score of the 1984 opening. Single page.
14. Guitar score, "SILENT SURVIVOR" / KODOMO BANDp. 84-89Fully annotated score of the opening for the fourth part of the TV series. Single page.
15. Guitar score, "TOUGH BOY" / TOM★CATp. 90-101Fully annotated score of the Hokuto no Ken 2 opening. Single page.

Other sections in this issue

1. Jack Gardiner's Guitar Gakkop. 104New video lesson column, with a first lesson on ascending sweeps.
2. Arch Enemyp. 129Special feature on the Japanese tour with the new vocalist, interviews with Michael Amott and Lauren Hart, and gear rundowns for Michael Amott and Joey Concepcion.
3. Helloweenp. 140-149Report on the first Tokyo date and interviews with Kai Hansen, Michael Weikath, and Sascha Gerstner.
4. SAKI and Nick Johnstonp. 150-159Interviews centered on SAKI's solo album and Nick Johnston's clinic tour.
5. Hardware and regular columnsp. 102-176Positive Grid REACTOR, YG Product Review 2026, notation symbols chart, Release N' News, Derek Sherinian's column, back issues, and editors' letters on p. 176.

Table of contents translated and entry compiled by Hokuto Chronicles from the original book. First published on October 2, 2026. © 2026 Hokuto Chronicles. Any reuse, even partial or reworded, must credit Hokuto Chronicles with a link to this page.