history and features of the stylish bomber  

The Sukajan Jacket is a brightly colored bomber jacket with traditional Japanese embroidery on the back. The embroidery can be very varied and the most popular patterns are:

• Mt. Fuji
• floral patterns
• tigers and dragons
• Japanese koi carp
• cherry blossom trees
• traditional Japanese art, like Hokusai’s ukiyo-e prints
• And even anime characters and more!

The first Sukajan jacket appeared in the Japanese port city of Yokosuka after World War II. It was a former Japanese naval base, which was occupied by the Americans after Japan’s surrender. For many of the American sailors who served there, the trip was an unforgettable experience. They wanted to bring home a souvenir that would remind them of Japan and its unique culture.

The Americans liked traditional Japanese embroidery, so at first they ordered small patches from local craftsmen for their uniforms. Then they began to add embroidery directly on their military jackets, which created the first Sukajan bomber with embroidery. The U.S. military themselves called the Sukajan a souvenir jacket.

One of the first places that started producing these jackets was Dobuita Street in Yokosuka. In the 1950s, Japanese craftsmen began not only embroidering military jackets but also producing their own designs. To this day, this place is considered the birthplace of Sukajan souvenir jackets. The first Sukajans were American-style synthetic jackets, often made from affordable materials such as leftover parachute fabric from the U.S. military. 

Embroidery is the main element of the Sukajan souvenir jacket – the material did not matter. Shiny ornaments embossed deliberately on inexpensive synthetic material or cheap silk were the main features of the first Sukajans. 

They became so popular that more and more Japanese ateliers started making these new fashionable bomber jackets. For this purpose, craftsmen from Japan began to use the traditional yokofuri technique (横振り刺繍, yokofuri shishuu), the same technique used for embroidering kimonos and obi belts.

Yokofuri was used to embroider the back of the bomber jackets with incredibly detailed and beautiful Japanese-style designs. Designs not only included Japanese-inspired patterns, but some American customers would also order the designs of their country’s national flag or the symbolic white-headed eagle. 

The embroidery was done with a sewing machine, creating unique three-dimensional designs. American military personnel brought these jackets home as souvenirs to remind them of Japanese culture and their time in this wonderful country.

In the 1960s, American fashion became incredibly popular in Japan, and American-style clothing even got its trend term, ametora (short for American traditional). The Japanese were wearing popular American clothing trends, and also listening to Western music. Young people were increasingly into rebellious and military themes. And so the Sukajan bomber worn by the American military also became increasingly popular. In Yokosuka, there were even gangs in Yokosuka whose members dressed in the style of the American military.

In 1961, the trend for Sukajan jackets spread throughout Japan after the release of the movie “Pigs and Armadillos” (豚と軍艦, Buta to gunkan) from Japanese director Imamura Shohei. Its main character is a yakuza who wears a sukajian. This trend became so popular that later it developed from just a fashion trend to becoming a sub-culture – and Japanese youth began to wear Sukajan bomber jackets. Gradually, the jacket lost its original connection to the military and turned into a stylish and iconic fashion item for young rebels, gangsters, and even rock musicians started wearing Sukajans too.

The Sukajan bomber jacket gained so much popularity that in the 80s it was also produced in the USA and Europe. However, at the beginning of the 21st century, its popularity waned – when Sukajan became mostly associated with the image of yakuza in Japan.

Sukajian today

The Sukajan bomber jacket gained a new wave of popularity in 2011 – and again thanks to movies from the West. The fashion trend for the bomber jacket returned after director Nicolas Winding Refn dressed the main character of his movie “Drive”, played by Ryan Gosling, in Sukajan. 

This iconic white sukajian with a golden scorpion embroidery on the back became so popular around the world that the bomber jackets began to sell out like hotcakes. Also during 2010s, Western audiences became particularly interested in Japanese culture and anime, and the Sukajan bomber jacket was not only a perfect souvenir from Japan but also an iconic and rare fashion item.

Sukajan souvenir jackets come in several designs:

1. New Ready-made Designs

The price of a souvenir Sukajan jacket depends on the number of embroidered sides, the complexity of the embroidery, and the material. While vintage Sukajan were made mainly of cheap synthetics, today you can find them made of more expensive materials, such as silk, satin, and viscose. 

On average, the price of a Japanese sukajan bomber jacket varies from 10 thousand yen to 100 thousand yen. However, rare designs or styles from famous brands can cost even more.

In general, one embroidery on a jacket consists of 500,000 stitches. A sewing machine makes about 800 stitches per minute, and one embroidery on the whole back takes up to 12 hours of skilled craft. Therefore, if you decide to buy a customized sukajian design, prepare for it to be expensive, and the production can take a month or more – sometimes even longer if the store has a lot of orders in queue. The more stitches on the embroidery, the more detailed the pattern, at the same time the bomber jacket will cost more. On the contrary, jackets with fewer stitches and simpler embroideries will be cheaper. Note that the more embroidered Sukajan bomber jacket is, the heavier the weight – double-sided jackets are the heaviest.

Stylish Japanese bombers can be bought from a variety of brands. Here are some interesting brands for every budget:

Hanatabi Gakudan (花旅楽団)

Hanatabi Gakudan is a Japanese brand of Sukajan souvenir jackets, which produces bomber jackets of the highest quality. They pay special attention to Japanese patterns and ornaments, and the number of styles at Hanatabi Gakudan exceeds 150. The average price ranges from 40 to 60 thousand yen.

If you decide to buy a Sukajan bomber jacket, keep in mind some important tips:

• Choose your jacket size carefully.
  To be sure, you can measure the length of your regular jacket and use the measurements as a reference when choosing a size. It is best to avoid small sizes, as Japanese M, L, and XL sizes are usually smaller than European sizes – it is better to go by centimeters if they are indicated. Or select a size larger than your usual size.
• Before you buy a stylish Japanese bomber, remember that this jacket will not protect you from harsh weather conditions. Therefore, if you want to wear sukajian in cold weather over warm clothes, it is better to buy a size larger – so that they fit freely under it.
• Sukajian requires special handling care. To avoid damaging the embroidery, hand washing is recommended. If you need to machine wash, choose the most gentle settings: low water temperature and low spin.
• If you don’t want to stand out too much, you can still find the right Sukajian. The Sukajan bomber jacket can fulfill both flashy fashion desires and subtle design tastes. You can choose the embroidery design: styles with fully embroidered backs or with only one embroidered pattern. Sukajian comes in different colors – from bright pink, gold, and purple to black and white. A brightly embroidered Sukajan bomber jacket will definitely be considered an eye-catching fashion piece, while more subtle styles are easier to mix and match.

The Sukajan bomber jacket should fit a little tighter than other jacket styles. When choosing a size, expect the cuffs to cover at wrist level and the hem to be at waist level.

The embroidery on the back should be the centerpiece of your look when you wear the sukajian. So don’t distract attention from it by pairing it with other flashy items. For men, a simple T-shirt, pair of jeans, and sneakers are best, while for women, matching with a plain sweater and bottoms are recommended.

You can match your outfit’s color tone to the colors of the bomber jacket or the embroidery design, or wear something with a matching print. You can even buy a matching set of clothes in the style of the same patterns as on your jacket!

• Sukajian is a unique piece that will make you stand out from others and become a collectible fashion item in your closet
• is a special gift from Japan, which can surprise your friends and relatives
• is a great souvenir that will remind you of Japanese culture
• these jackets are exclusive collectibles, no matter new or vintage

Sukajan jacket is a really cool fashion piece that will appeal to both fans of Japanese culture and connoisseurs of fashionable clothes. Choose a stylish Japanese bomber jacket with ZenMarket!