Casio has added two more Japan-only G-Shock models to its steady stream of special editions, this time borrowing the look of red lanterns seen outside traditional taverns. The G-Shock DW-6900AKA-4JR and DW-5600AKA-4JR cost ¥22,000, or about $138, and both are already on sale in Japan.
Casio’s new G-Shock models lean into aka-chochin, the lanterns that signal a casual, lively drinking spot, while keeping the usual G-Shock playbook intact: rugged cases, familiar modules, and enough visual tweaks to make collectors feel the itch. That formula has worked for years, and Casio keeps using it because, frankly, why stop printing money with tasteful nostalgia?
How Casio dressed up the DW-6900 and DW-5600
The larger DW-6900AKA-4JR gets bold ”shock resistant” branding across the bezel and band, while the DW-5600AKA-4JR uses the same lantern-red treatment in a smaller, squarer case. Casio also added lantern-like details to the buttons and band loop, plus a lantern motif engraved on the case back.
The packaging gets the same treatment, with red lantern artwork that makes the whole thing feel a bit more collectible than your average color swap. That matters because Casio is not competing on raw specs here; it is competing on whether a fan wants this exact story on their wrist.
G-Shock specs, sizes, and battery life
Under the paint, both watches are standard G-Shock fare. They offer shock resistance, 200-meter water resistance, approximately five years of battery life, stopwatches, timers, multi-function alarms, full-auto calendars, and mineral glass.
- DW-6900AKA-4JR: 53.2 x 50 x 18.7 mm, 67g
- DW-5600AKA-4JR: 48.9 x 42.8 x 13.4 mm, 53g
- Wrist size fit: 145 mm to 205 mm
- Special feature: LED backlight that mimics the warm glow of red lanterns
Casio also says it used biomass resin for the bezels and bands, made from renewable organic resources, to cut environmental impact without giving up durability. That is the kind of detail more watchmakers are now folding into limited editions, especially as buyers get used to seeing sustainability talked about alongside case sizes and water resistance.
Casio’s collector bait keeps getting sharper
Special-edition G-Shocks are hardly rare, but the company has gotten very good at giving each one a clean hook: a color, a subculture, a venue, a mood. Recently, it also pushed the GA-V01SKE translucent G-Shock in the US, which shows Casio is still happy to split its attention between export-friendly novelty and Japan-specific nostalgia.
The question now is whether these lantern-themed models stay a domestic curiosity or become the sort of Japan release that collectors start hunting through resellers for. Given Casio’s track record, I would not bet against the latter.