Fender Japan is celebrating the nation’s culture and heritage with the all-new Made in Japan Limited Japan-Inspired Collection Stratocaster. It celebrates ninjas and matcha drinks in equal measure.
The Big F’s Asian arm has always had a license to do things a little differently. Everything from next-gen wiring setups to hybrid offsets have caught eyes in recent years. This latest collection twists the Stratocaster through a very Japanese lens.
Themes as wide-ranging as the city of Kyoto, historical archetypes of samurai and ninjas, matcha, and indigo dyeing all bring the iconic electric guitar to life in new ways.
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They’re built on a vintage-modern formula, with an alder body, maple neck, and rosewood fingerboard as their foundation. Crafted to the standard 25.5” scale length and adorned with two-point synchronized tremolos with vintage-style stamped steel saddles and vintage-style locking tuners, their electronics go a little more off-piste.
Each variant features the newly designed Hybrid II Custom-Voiced pickups. The trio of single coils is voiced to sound retro and modern in unison. A modern C-profile neck and a 9.5” fingerboard radius with medium-jumbo frets make them play more like contemporary machines.
But it’s the looks where things get interesting. The Kyoto Orange model pairs a one-ply gold anodized aluminum pickguard with gold hardware, matching gold dot inlays, and a matching headstock. The Indigo Denim finish keeps the pickguard inlays but opts for black nickel hardware and a sleeker colorway, while the Matcha Green model does something similar with chrome hardware. The black pickup covers and control dials are also a lovely touch.
There’s even a Katana Silver axe with a unique Silver Burst-reminiscent pickguard to resemble the deadliness of Japan’s famous swords. It’s rounded out with a silver pickguard and rhombus-shaped acrylic white pearl inlays, nodding to the intricate markings that often adorned blade handles.
Last but certainly not least is the silent but deadly Ninja Black model that, surprise surprise, has very little color to it. A blacker-than-black pickguard and matching nickel hardware keep the guitar stealthy in the night, save for the shuriken-inspired acrylic white pearl inlays that jump out of its rosewood ’board like a true assassin.
“Each model incorporates color schemes and designs that symbolize its unique world,” Fender Japan says. “This is a truly special Stratocaster that fuses Japanese culture with Fender’s renowned craftsmanship.”
All five models are priced at ¥275,000 (approx. $1,700) and are exclusive to Fender Japan.
See Fender Japan for more (you’ll need to set your location to Japan).
For more killer colorways from Fender Japan, see the MIJ Hybrid II 2026 Collection and the Summer of Love-inspired Blue Flower Series. Fiesta Red and Lake Placid Blue they are most certainly not.
