13 Japanese Outdoor Brands You Need to Know About

When we think of Japanese clothing brands, images of Uniqlo’s no-frills offerings or streetwear giants like A Bathing Ape often come to mind. Maybe Kapital or Beams if you’re into style. But for those with an interest in the outdoors, the list of impressive brands that align both with the country’s beautiful natural landscapes and the megacities like Tokyo is impressive.

Because here’s the thing about outdoors gear in Japan—city folks love these brands just as much as the nature nerds do. Japan is full of juxtapositions with ancient temples amidst modern skyscrapers. It’s no wonder that these retailers create gear that effortlessly merges the urban landscape with the great outdoors, a movement that has, unsurprisingly, gained plenty of traction in the U.S. over the past decade (ahem, gorpcore).

And with Japan’s increased investment in building long trails for thru-hiking—like the Michinoku Coastal Trail, which we hiked this past September—local opportunities for taking this design-driven gear to the trail are only growing.

Source: https://fieldmag.herokuapp.com/articles/japanese-outdoor-brands