1.Prologue
Many of the brands I wrote about last time are, by no coincidence, located in the Minami-Aoyama area bordered by Aoyama-dori, Miyuki-dori, and Kotto-dori.
This area is where you’ll find high-end brands like Prada and Dolce & Gabbana, as well as many Japanese designer brands like Issey Miyake and Comme Des Garçons. Just walking around to glimpse the latest collections is an adventure in fashion.
As an aside, I have to address Minato Ward’s plans to build a welfare facility in this area. From a branding perspective, I am skeptical of the announced plans. Far from helping those in need, building such a facility in a neighborhood like Minami-Aoyama is itself a kind of discrimination, if not outright disdain.
Minami-Aoyama is an area where imported cars worth tens of millions of yen are a common sight, and there is a store selling 200,000 yen down jackets on every corner. If you ask me, building a facility smack dab in the middle of such a neighborhood for people who live a day-to-day existence is an act of persecution.
In this article we will feature outerwear brands in the Harajuku/Shibuya area.
The area where Meiji-dori meets Omotesando (around La Foret Harajuku) is home to many famous brands. There are outdoor clothing brands like The North Face, Patagonia, and Arc’teryx, as well as sportswear brands like Nike, Adidas, New Balance, Asics, and Under Armour.
While these shops sell highly functional outerwear, I’d like to write about these another day.
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The North Face Harajuku
Patagonia Shibuya
Arc’teryx Harajuku Brand Store
Nike Harajuku
Adidas Brand Core Store Harajuku
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New Balance Harajuku
Asics Harajuku Flagship
2.Shops That Specialize in Leather Jackets and “American Casual" Fashion
I often see young women these days with a faux leather jacket draped over their shoulders. Maybe it’s just me, but the actress wannabe look sends shivers down my spine.
To remedy this state of affairs, here are several shops that sell real leather jackets and ame-kaji (American casual) styles in the area between Shibuya and Harajuku.
3.Avirex
Avirex is a military wear brand founded in 1975 as a contract supplier to the U.S. Air Force. It manufactured many flight jackets for the Air Force at a time when fighter planes did not have heaters. Later, it introduced a line of flight jackets and other military-style clothing infused with ame-kaji elements as clothes for urban living.
In terms of leather jackets, the brand also sells classic flight jackets—like the G-1 lambskin jacket worn by Tom Cruise in the film Top Gun, and cowhide A-2, and the sheepskin B-3—in a more urban-friendly design.
Avirex also sells their take on the M-65 field jacket used by the U.S. military, which in modern times has become a staple for the fashion-savvy.
Side note, the brand’s name is a mix of “aviator"—someone who flies a plane—and the Latin word for king, “rex". In other words, Avirex means “king of the skies".
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Avirex Harajuku
4.Schott
Schott is an American leather brand that was founded in 1913. In 1928, in order to protect bikers from winds and injury, it introduced the Perfecto series of motorcycle jackets, said to be the first in the world to have adopted a zipper front (instead of button-up). To this day the jackets are individually handmade using heavy steer hide by seasoned craftspeople in the U.S.
The 618 and 613 double-breasted motorcycle jackets, which were both introduced in the mid-20th century, became a symbol of bikers and outsiders, and they are best-sellers to this day. Especially popular was the 613, which became synonymous with leather jackets when Marlon Brando wore one in the 1953 film The Wild One. The jacket was given the nickname “One Star" due to the star on each of the epaulettes (ornamental shoulder pieces).
If you’re looking for a more urban, contemporary shape, I recommend the single-breasted 641 with stand-up collar, which comes with detachable boa vest inner.
The Shibuya flagship is located in the Jinnan area—known for being home to many select shops. The shop carries a wide selection of leather jackets, as well as t-shirts, knitwear, and other casualwear, bags and accessories, and even kids wear. There is also an in-store repair workshop.
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Schott GRAND STORE TOKYO
5.The Backdrop (now closed)
*The Backdrop closed in 2020, but they continue to operate an online store.
The Backdrop is a sacred 40-year-old haven for ame-kaji, currently located up a hill off of Fire Street in Shibuya. (The store was originally located on the street connecting Tower Records and Parco.) During the amekaji craze of the 80s, anybody who was anybody owned a custom-made letterman jacket (which is called a “stadium jumper" in Japan) from The Backdrop.
Today you’ll find a rich selection of t-shirts and sweats brandishing college and sports team logos from American sportswear makers. For the fall/winter season, I recommend The Backdrop’s original flannel shirts, thermal wear, and chambray shirts.
In terms of outerwear, you’ll find Hewitt letterman jackets, Sierra Design parkas, and Rothco flight jackets—all amekaji classics.
For leather aficionados, the highlight will be the store’s selection of Vanson leather jackets. Other than the standard “B" type, you can find a range of iconic Vanson models custom ordered for The Backdrop: the collared Enfield, simple 9TJV, double-breasted biker jacket “9C with fur". Some of these models have proved so popular that Vanson has added them to their official lineup. What they all share is heavy cowhide material and made-in-America craftsmanship. Although the leather is stiff at first, it’ll become softer as you break it in, so I recommend a tighter fit to start off with.
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The Backdrop
6.Alpha Industries
Alpha Industries is an American apparel maker founded in 1959. For over half a century it has made well-designed, highly-reliable jackets for the American military. Currently it mostly makes military-style clothing and ame-kaji (American casual) wear for civilians.
The brand has reinterpreted classic designs like the MA-1 flight jacket, CWU-45 flight jacket with collar, and N-3B cold-weather parka in tighter sizes for Japanese customers—who prefer slimmer silhouettes. Their nylon jackets offer superb heat-retention and are windproof, and at the same time have a reputation for being a stylish item to have in your wardrobe. The affordable pricing makes this a great brand for those looking to get into ame-kaji fashion.
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Alpha Shibuya
7.Epilogue
You see the strangest things when you ride the Tokyo subway in winter.
I’ve seen sweaty 30-something apparel-industry types wearing 200,000 yen extreme-weather down jackets and leather shoes with no socks. I’ve also seen 40-something women waiting alone for the train wearing 300,000 yen high-end down jackets and munching down on convenience store rice balls.
These folks are always wearing the kind of down jackets sporting logos that announce to the world their brand of origin.
It’s important to remember that what you spend your money on speaks volumes about your intellect and sensibilities.
Fashion is not purely external—it is a manifestation of what you have inside.
