Leica Celebrates Tokyo Store’s 20th Anniversary With Stunning Hammertone Camera

Apr 24, 2026

Jeremy Gray

A silver and black Leica camera with a textured grip, prominent lens, viewfinder, and dials is positioned against a plain white background. The camera features a “20 Jahre” marking near the top left.

Leica is celebrating the 20th anniversary of its flagship store in Ginza, Tokyo, Japan, in style. Leica Camera Japan Co., Ltd. is releasing just 100 units of a special edition Leica M-A Hammertone analog rangefinder camera on April 25, available exclusively at its luxurious Ginza location.

The special edition Leica M-A Hammertone is stunning, combining black leather with a medium-gray, textured hammer tone metallic finish. The very industrial-coded look is eye-catching.

This is not the first time Leica has released a special-edition “Hammertone” camera to mark a milestone at its Ginza location. The Leica Ginza store, as DC.Watch notes, also marked its fifth anniversary in 2011 with a hammer tone Leica, albeit that time a Leica M9. As with the new Leica MA Hammertone special edition, that camera in 2011 was also limited to just 100 units.

A modern office building at dusk with large windows, illuminated interior lighting, and a mostly empty sidewalk in front. Sparse trees and a metal bike rack are visible along the street. — Leica Store Ginza | Credit: Leica

This is actually not even the first time Leica has released an M-A camera in a special hammer-tone finish. In 2016, Leica marked the 25th anniversary of its Vienna store with a Leica M-A Edition Hammertone, limited to just 25 units. This special edition set came with a refurbished Leica Meter MR-4 in matching gray hammer tone and a special Noctilux-M 0.95/50mm ASPH. in silver. One of these cameras, number 25, sold for 132,000 euros (nearly $155,000) at the 38th Leitz Photographica Auction in 2021.

Leica M-A Edition Hammertone 25/25, released in 2016 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Leica’s Vienna store, sold for 132,000 euros in 2021. | Credit: Leica, Leitz Photoraphica Auction

While it’s unlikely that the Leica M-A Hammertone, releasing this weekend to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Leica’s Ginza store in Japan, numbered to 100 and not selling with a matching light meter or lens, will reach this value, it’s hard to predict. There are plenty of Leica collectors, and the new M-A Hammertone will undoubtedly be a highly coveted camera. It features an exclusive front “20 Jahre” engraving, which translates from German to “20 Years,” and a special engraved body cap, enhancing its appeal to hardcore collectors.

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Alongside the special edition camera, Leica is celebrating its Ginza store’s 20th anniversary with a special exhibit, “Timeless Vision.” This exhibit will feature 35 works by 12 celebrated photographers who have previously held exhibits at the Leica Gallery Tokyo. The anniversary photo exhibition runs from April 26 through July 19.

Image credits: Leica