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Going to Osaka Japan next month. Where to buy leather jackets?

Robbie79

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,163
Thanks guys.

I'd hate to be not feeling well there and I think they are screening people for body temp/fever when you come in due to the coronavirus hysteria, so the last thing I want is to be turned away when we land in Tokyo. That would be a serious bummer. We have until Feb 2 to be able to cancel our flights and get our cash back so I don't have much time. Especially since my Dr appt isn't until Jan 31 so it does not leave me much time to get feeling better.
I'll cross my fingers that you will recover till then, will get your doctor's approval and will be able to fly!!
 

Colin G

One Too Many
Messages
1,202
Location
Canada
Thanks Robbie. I am crossing all of my fingers. I feel ok today so maybe I'll bounce back in time. I will certainly be very disappointed if I am not well enough in time. I have been looking forward to this trip for months.
 

steve u

A-List Customer
Messages
408
Location
iowa
Get Well soon!
I went to a nice motorcycle jacket shop(bike shop next door with lots of bikers around) in Niigata years ago, having trouble finding it now. if I can get the name i'll let you know. All I remember is "no jacket your size".
 

Colin G

One Too Many
Messages
1,202
Location
Canada
I did not get to see Y2 on this trip but did check out Double Helix which was nice. I only saw about three models since in Osaka, it is sold out of a storeroom of sorts by a clothing shop Called Organic Blue. I guess he is good friends with the Double Helix guy so has some samples and a few sales jackets. I was not allowed to try on the new jackets, just a few samples which I found odd but some of that Japanese horse hide wrinkles up easily so I understand why. It rained the day I planned to go to Y2 and had to bail out on that plan, since the shop was a bit off of the beaten path of our itinerary that day.

The Lewis Leather shop was a really nice place stuffed full of product. I have never seen any LL in person and always wanted a pair of their gloves and motorcycle boots but was underwhelmed with the flimsy feel so I unfortunately I was let down from what I had built up in my mind for all those years. I was also disappointed with the jackets but the other trinkets seemed nice and the shop was a really cool place and a nice experience to visit and look around. I asked about taking a photo but they did not allow any inside, just an outside photo if I wanted.

I thought I read rumors here about Flathead closing but their shop is across the street and down from Lewis and was open for business and stocked full of goods. There was not a lot of leather, just some cross zips, belts, shoes, boots and leather jeans, but I did try on a really neat deer skin shirt/jacket but was a bit small but still really nice.

Next that day ws Real McCoys which had a ton of leather jackets and well........just a ton of everything cool. I looked into their G-1 was was very nice and top-shelf quality. The sizing was unfortunately off for me. A 38 was too tight in the chest and the 40 was too long and a bit big in the body so not for me. I could have spent a lot of money in this place and looked at a few items in case I did not pick up a leather jacket.

I also had the chance to check out Hinoya which sells a lot if various brands like Lone Wolf, Sugar Cane ect and I picked up a nice Iron Heart denim shirt. I ended up coming back to this place later in week and grabbed something else. Nice shop and nice people working there. Trying thing on here was no issue while in a few other shops you could not try anything on.

A lot of women's clothing here is just one size so my wife did not make out as well as me. She is not a small woman so things were just a tad small in the waist or too large so she was jealous I made out. Usually she is the one who lucks out on trips and gets to buy things.

I looked at a couple used places and found a nice Freewheelers Brakeman coat at a decent price. It had a nice earthy brown oil tanned horse hide and was a size 40 like I am. It fit very well but I could not jive with flared out cut at the bottom so I passed on it. A very nice coat and I can see why guys like them but I think I am too short at 5' 8" to pull that kind of jacket off. I went to another vendor that had Freewheelers and got to check out a black Mulholland in my size. I thought I would have loved it but I kind if hated it. Can't win them all.

I went to Jelado West/Clutch Cafe and can not say enough nice things about the crew they have working there. I was on a mission to find a Colimbo Stockmans coat but they had none. I inquired with the fella there and the lady who was working there also acted as interpreter. He made a call to the Tokyo store to see what they had. I brought a tape measure with me on this trip so I took off a Langlitz I was wearing and measured it in front of him while he barked out the numbers to the Tokyo store to see what would compare in size.

He offered to bring in a Colimbo Stockman and a Rainbow Country car coat from the Tokyo store by the next day no strings attached. If I did not like them or the or the sizing was off, there were no obligations on my part which I thought was above and beyond. We were headed to Kyoto that next day so I said I'll be back in 2 days.

I show up two days later and a different fella and lady were working but as soon as I walked in she asked "leather jacket?" I nodded and she grabbed three coats. They brought in another Colimbo in black deer skin just for the heck of it. The Colimbo Stockman was just a bit tight in the chest which was a bummer since even though this was my first time seeing one, all expectations were met and I loved it. A 42 measures too large so that dream was shattered and I seem to fall in between sizing on that jacket.

The star of the three was the Rainbow Country car coat, which was in a dark brown horse hide and a longer length like I was after. It fits great with it being just a bit wider in the body than my other jackets by about 1/2" pit to pit so I can wear a thick long sleeve shirt, a fitted sweatshirt or denim shirt underneath and still be able to move. I ended up buying the Rainbow Country and am happy with my purchase. I only wish the cuffs were leather lined but that was not a deal breaker. The half belt is nice but I prefered the buttoned side adjuster tabs of the Colimbo. However, the bi-swing back on the Rainbow Country is a great added bonus that the Colimbo did not have. I am a big Rainbow Country fan anyway and planned on searching them out also.

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Japan was great and I'd go back again without any hesitation. It is very clean and quiet and I think the western world could learn from that.

I ducked into a few furniture shops and the Japanese are making some really nice, very high quality and affordable furniture from solid wood. We looked at some really beautiful things.
 
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ai00344

One of the Regulars
Messages
299
Location
Canada
Glad to hear it went well overall, and beautiful jacket! :)
Sounds like a great trip and as a fellow Canuck I’m very jealous you got to see all these brands in person. I love the Mulholland (at least I think I do) so I gotta ask why seeing one in person changed your opinion??
 

Colin G

One Too Many
Messages
1,202
Location
Canada
Sounds like a great trip and as a fellow Canuck I’m very jealous you got to see all these brands in person. I love the Mulholland (at least I think I do) so I gotta ask why seeing one in person changed your opinion??

I did not like the collar, which I knew would be either love or hate before even seeing it. It was nice but it didn't wow me or anything. It was a bit small also but it was the collar for me. The two Brakeman coats I tried were quite nice but I just could not mesh with the flared cut.

Anything else I looked at seemed just as nice in comparison. From what I own and what I saw/tried/felt there I think pretty much all of those top tier Japanese brands are on par or pretty close with each other. I did not try any of the Real McCoy's Buco jackets. We ran out of time and I was not after that style of jacket anyway, but everything else like their G-1 and all the other products in the store was really nice. IMy wife wanted a flight jacket but was not into spending $600+ but shen tried a small tanker jacket they make that looked good and was also very high quality and construction. I liked it too and was checking for future reference and I seem to have forgotten what size I tried on.

I really liked Double Helix. The two I looked at were nice. Their sizing is different on a few models (40 in one and a 42 in another) so trying before buying would have been nice to check out different styles. At that point I did not see the Rainbow Country yet so if they had my size that I could actually try, I may have have walked out with a jacket. Either way, Jelado West came through by bringing in those jackets for some foreigner they never even met before so that alone needs to be mentioned. They had some nice gear in there.
 
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dudewuttheheck

I'll Lock Up
Messages
4,422
That Rainbow Country jacket is gorgeous! Pretty unique design as well. Thanks for the detailed recount of the trip and I am so glad that you ended up with a great leather jacket out of the whole experience!
 

LaymanX

One of the Regulars
Messages
176
Location
Toronto
Dude I just saw this thread. As a fellow Canadian, I'm so glad you ended up going!

I always go nuts in Kyoto, Ueno and Osaka shopping. Best shopping in the world for my particular tastes, hands down.
 

Colin G

One Too Many
Messages
1,202
Location
Canada
Colimbo Stockman coat which was too small. It was my favourite out of all the jackets I saw on this trip. This was the belle of the ball for me and too bad it was a bit tight.

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Deerskin Colimbo car coat. It was nice but deer is not my thing for a jacket and the sleeves were kind of large in diameter.

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Mawashi

One of the Regulars
Messages
225
Hi Guys,

This thread is amazing and it is perfect as I too am looking for a travel jacket although, I'll likely hunt for a 2nd jacket since the 1st hand prices are rather out of reach for me. The jacket you bought is really awesome looking!

Colin G i'm glad you recovered in time and had a blast in Japan. I had a Japanese girlfriend and loved the culture, food, people and the travel. Too bad I wasn't in jackets then lol.

I'll email the Junk Vintage shop to see if they have some decent stuff in my size!
 

Colin G

One Too Many
Messages
1,202
Location
Canada
Hi Guys,

This thread is amazing and it is perfect as I too am looking for a travel jacket although, I'll likely hunt for a 2nd jacket since the 1st hand prices are rather out of reach for me. The jacket you bought is really awesome looking!

Colin G i'm glad you recovered in time and had a blast in Japan. I had a Japanese girlfriend and loved the culture, food, people and the travel. Too bad I wasn't in jackets then lol.

I'll email the Junk Vintage shop to see if they have some decent stuff in my size!

I was at Junk Vintage in Osaka and they had a nice selection of leather. One of the Brakeman coats I tried was there.
 

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