A sukajan is a satin bomber with big embroidery on the back, usually a tiger, a dragon, an eagle or a koi, with smaller motifs on the chest and sleeves. It's also called a souvenir jacket or a tour jacket.
Where it comes from
- Sukajan started in occupied Japan (1945–1952), around the US Navy base at Yokosuka, south of Tokyo.
- They were made for American servicemen to wear themselves, often with unit names, maps of Japan or places they'd served embroidered in.
- Many were made by craftspeople from the kimono trade in Kiryū and Ashikaga. One company, Kosho & Co. (later TOYO Enterprise), made most of the early post-war jackets.
- Silk came first, then rayon, and nylon or acetate when silk ran short.
- Japanese youth picked the style up in the 1960s, and it went global again in the 2010s. The scorpion jacket in the film Drive (2011) is the famous modern example.
What to look for
- The embroidery. Dense, even stitching on the back panel is the whole point. Check for pulled threads and loose areas.
- The satin. It snags and wrinkles easily. Some wrinkling and light marks are normal on a vintage piece; tears are not.
- The label. Made in Japan pieces are the classics. Many later souvenir-style jackets were made elsewhere and sold as “sukajan-style”. We say which is which on each listing.
- The fit. Japanese sizes run smaller. A tagged M often fits like a US S to M, so compare the chest measurement with a jacket you own.
In stock
These are the souvenir jackets we have right now, each one of one and photographed as it is.
