A mainstay of Tokyo’s independent sofubi scene, the shop-manufacturer One up. produces its own creations alongside its resale business. Its contribution to Hokuto no Ken is the Mini Retro Sofubi series, pocket-sized figures at affordable prices, in the grand tradition of minis distributed at various events.
Details
The four brothers in pocket format
The adventure began in 2018 with a standalone Kenshiro, sold at three successive Hokuto no Ken events. In March 2019, for the Osaka Sofubi Expo, One up. completed the lineup with three brand-new sculptures, Toki, Jagi and Raoh, along with a reworked Kenshiro, the shop playfully inviting owners of the earlier run to spot the differences. Series 1, dubbed “Hokuto Shinken Yon-kyodai” (the four brothers of Hokuto Shinken), sold for 8,640 yen (tax included) for the complete set in flesh-colored vinyl.
The format embraces a retro aesthetic all the way down to the construction: roughly 75 mm for Kenshiro, Toki and Jagi, assembled from two to four pieces, and 90 mm for a single-piece Raoh carved within his cape. Alternative colorways followed across various events, including a vivid green Kenshiro at 2,200 yen offered during the Nanto Rokusei-ten exhibition at the Hakaba no Garou gallery in September 2021, alongside sofubi by Big One Craft and Unbox Industries. Now sold out in stores, these minis are sought after on Yahoo Auctions Japan and Mercari, where their modest size makes them one of the most affordable entry points into independent Hokuto no Ken sofubi.
