Written by Peter Brooker in Brands on the 4th March 2024

Today I'd like to touch upon some of the cool Japanese brands that are currently on my radar. When I was in Japan last year I noticed how prominent the luxury goods market was in downtown Ginza in contrast to say Kyoto where there is more of an appetite for vintage Americana. It's really through word of mouth, through talking to denim enthusiasts, some internet sleuthing and of course talking to the locals that I got familiar with some cool Japanese brands. Rakelle Maurici put together a list of 7 Cool Japanese Brands you should know back on the blog in 2016. That's well worth checking out still, but I thought it would be a neat time to update that.

Visvim 

If it's good enough for Eric Clapton it's good enough for you. Eric has stated that he wears nothing else but Visvim and Loro Piana. Who says guys are brand obsessed when it comes to their wardrobe. Founded in 2000, the word “Visvim” does not have any meaning according the brand's founder Hiroki Nakamura. Hiroki liked v-lettered logos, and browsed through the “v” section of a Latin dictionary until he came upon “vis” and “vim” and liked how the two words looked together. A bit like Kodak, Pantone and Setec Astronomy (one for you film buffs) all the great words means absolutely nothing. Visvim is an international brand and the UK stockists are listed on their website here.

Nonnative 

Nonnative is a contemporary menswear label based in Tokyo, Japan; founded by Satoshi Saffen in 1999. At the height of the Ura-Harajuku movement, nonnative began with a single T-shirt design. That's the dream isn't it? For those that have the great idea of starting a t-shirt brand, with the hopes of it going on to be a multi-million pound empire. Sadly it always ends up with sitting on heaps and heaps of inventory because we were obsessed with the designs and not the marketing strategy. Little is found online when it comes to reviews of Nonnative, but you can peruse the collections yourself on their own website and through 3rd party resellers like End Clothing.

Beams Plus 

One of my favourites from the list. Started in 1999 to house timeless men's clothing, remembering the good-old American styles that BEAMS grew up on. The original Beams started as a small shop in the Harajuku district of Tokyo in 1976. Such original styles are kept alive in a lineup of original, import, vintage pieces and accessories. Certainly one of the more commercial and ubiquitous of the listed Japanese brands here, yet has not fallen-fowl of diluted, mass-market nothing-designs attempting to please everyone. View the sumptuous jacquard knitted cardigans, Riviera-esque long sleeve polos and ebullient camp collar shirts on the Mr Porter capsule collection.

FDMTL 

What I love most about FDMTL is the flat lays on their INSTA account. Denim on Denim, which sounds like a forgotten Bruce Springsteen record. A lot of their handwriting have a patchwork quilt aesthetic which only speaks to how authentic and esoteric their approach is manufacturing. "FDMTL" produces mainly denim garments which are made in Japan, the world-wide manufacturing capital for denim. Those uncompromising products are carefully made with such incredible detail that is difficult to obtain by mass production means. Stockists available here.

Kapital 

KAPITAL takes its name from Kojima, Okayama, an area known as Japan’s ‘Denim Capital’. Their Instagram account is less product overlays as it is, a brand biopic. A journey through distressed-designs, working-class champagne sprays, and bottled snake sake (trust me, I've seen it). It reimagines mid-century Americana using heritage production techniques to create an authentic workwear feel. The aesthetic is eclectic and handicraft-inspired.

Needles 

Needles are under the Nepenthes umbrella, one of the first brands in their portfolio. All the garments are produced in Japan and the tracksuits are currently what all the cool kids are wearing. (This was recommended by a friend who used to be in the rag trade. Arguably I would say that we're all cool kids that just never grew up). Out of all the Japanese brands this is the one that has the least appeal to me personally, but then I've never been a cool kid.

OrSlow 

Editors Pick. Thank you Craig for introducing me to OrSlow. A brand that embrace and practice the philosophy of delayed gratification. Careful and slow craftsmanship. Presenting the antithesis of a fast-moving modern society and fashion industry. Denim sandals check. Selvedge dungarees check. Chino cloth bunker hats check. All the stuff my partner despises that I secretly love. Does any married man wear dungarees? Check out the website here and slowly fall in love for yourself.

Follow up: 

No Follow Up is not a Japanese Denim brand, but a note I got from my Japanese friend Eisuke Ochiai who has penned many articles on the suits of James Bond, I thought it would be worth noting here. “Honestly, I’ve only really seen Orslow amongst these in real life. They do great rip stop chinos. Many brands here perceived as a step up from Uniqlo into the clothing world. I would recommend Barnstormer for casual trousers.”

Visvim, Nonnative, Beams Plus, FDMTL, Kapital, Needles under Nepenthes, and OrSlow are the 7 Japanese Brands You Should Know.