Whenever people talk about the Japanese “Urahara” movement, a period characterized by the proliferation of Japanese streetwear brands and the transformation of Harajuku’s backstreets from affordable real estate into a modern shopping mecca, much of the conversation is usually dominated by Hiroshi Fujiwara, NIGO, and Jun Takahashi.
And true, without NIGO and Takahashi’s NOWHERE store, we wouldn’t have BAPE or UNDERCOVER, but Fujiwara’s status as the de facto “godfather of Japanese streetwear” was further cemented by the numerous other labels he helped bring into the Urahara neighborhood. One of which, ironically, was Shinsuke Takazawa’s NEIGHBORHOOD.
Established on October 28, 1994, Takazawa’s label characterized itself through an obsession with American biker culture and heritage Americana with a rebellious, outlaw tinge. Its “craft with pride” slogan and recurring motifs like skulls and typographical logos has made everything from coaches jackets to selvedge denim to leather jackets part of the core NEIGHBORHOOD uniform.