In what seems to be a rite of passage in the world of menswear, I recently returned from a trip to Japan. All roads inevitably end here when it comes to niche hobbies—it doesn’t matter if you’re into fashion, food, or flower arrangements. I split my time between Tokyo and Kyoto, and found both cities to be wonderful and absolutely packed with things to explore.
As one might expect I kept my packing light, though this was more important than ever because I wanted to be able to do some shopping while there. Like my Europe trip last year, the dollar is currently strong against the yen so it was a great time to stock up on all these wonderful niche Japanese products.
Originally, my trip was supposed to be in early March but was postponed at the last minute. Fortunately, I was able to reschedule to October and was able to catch the beginning of the change from summer to fall. The weather ended up being warmer than expected so right before departure I switched my leather jacket for a lighter suede option and the flannel tailoring for some wool/silk/linen blends. Regardless, I think this assortment would work well for an autumnal trip:
- A statement leather jacket
- A do-anything sportcoat
- Trusty 501s
- Heavy-duty chinos
- Roomy flannel trousers
- Denim and flannel shirts
- Well-worn tees
- Suede loafers
- Trusty trainers
- Statement sunglasses
- A fun fragrance
- A good leather belt
Japan definitely lives up to the hype and I look forward to sharing my menswear-related experiences and discoveries in the coming weeks!
