Kiriko Arai's First Art Collection SOMEWHERE Coming August 2026

SOMEWHERE, the first art collection from illustrator Kiriko Arai, is set for release on August 20, 2026 (Thursday) at bookstores and online retailers nationwide. Published by PARCO Publishing, the book gathers the illustrator's distinctive world — where cuteness and loneliness live side by side — in a single volume for the very first time.

Kiriko Arai Art Collection: SOMEWHERE

Through the forest, over the mountains, and across the road — Wolf-kun's journey begins now.

SOMEWHERE is the debut art collection from Kiriko Arai, a freelance illustrator whose work spans not only illustrations but also vinyl figures, apparel, and other highly designed merchandise. The book compiles works centered on her beloved icon character Wolf-kun, who exists in countless different forms across time and place.

A large number of illustrations created from 2017 onward — when Kiriko Arai's career gained full momentum — are included. The origin story of Wolf-kun, tracing where the character came from, appears in this book for the first time as a newly created work.

The volume also features past solo exhibition visuals with intricate backgrounds that bridge three-dimensional and two-dimensional worlds, along with photographs of canvas works, vinyl figures, and other goods — making it a definitive record of the Kiriko Arai universe.

Works Included

About Kiriko Arai

Kiriko Arai is a Tokyo-based freelance illustrator who creates original characters — wolves, monsters, and ghosts — that feel a little mysterious yet somehow close at hand. Centered on her signature character Wolf-kun, her work extends to producing goods such as vinyl figures, plush toys, and miscellaneous items, with a commitment to keeping things "not too cute, not too scary" and creating characters that seem to have stepped out of a story.

Her credits include illustrations for Pokémon cards "Ghost AR" and "ハカドッグ AR," package and card illustrations for Gentosha's ワードウルフ and MAGI's ニャーニャーゲーム, and goods illustrations for ROCK IN JAPAN and COUNTDOWN JAPAN. Bandai has released "Wolf-kun and Friends めじるしアクセサリー," and in 2026 she served as the main visual artist for Taipei Adventure Festa. Wolf-kun also appears in Medicom Toy's BE@RBRICK series. Arai participates in events and pop-up shops both domestically and internationally, including a pop-up at Taipei Tsutaya Bookstore and a solo exhibition at QPOP in Los Angeles.