Tokyo | Inazuma Festival

A discussion on Japan’s Inazuma Festival is one usually left to the forums of Supertalk – this is their territory in many ways. But after visiting the festival, which is a double bill promotion between Lightning Magazine and Club Harley, you immediately get the sense that you are walking into a celebration of America’s greasemonkey and workwear past, present, and future.

Inazuma brings together in a swap meet style environment some of Japan’s finest craftsmen who are kicking out everything from denim, shirts, motorcycle jackets, leather goods, and even customized Radio Flyers. Walking the Inazuma grounds which occupies a parking lot on the outskirts of the Tokyo may be as Self Edge’s Kiya mentioned, “like walking through the Rose Bowl Flea,” except we’re in Japan. It was also a very family oriented event with parents outfitting their children in the proper attire.

Anyone obsessed with top notch quality and production of Japanese denim, leather goods, and jewelry would have nothing short of a field day at Inazuma. Prices on some of Japan’s best were slashed for the festival resulting in this writer walking away with his own bag stuffed with Japan knitted crews, denim, and workshirts.

A wide of brands via their local Japanese representation were on hand including Luminox, Avirex, Buell (now defunct in the USA), Samurai, Dry Bones, Iron Heart, and many others. If you decide to venture to Tokyo for next’s year event, be sure to bring a lot of cash. While many vendors accepted plastic, you’ll be safer with fistfuls of yen.

Many more  looks from Tokyo’s Inazuma Festival 2009 after the jump.