Dobuita Street, Yokosuka: A Visitor's Guide to the Birthplace of the Sukajan

Every collector of souvenir jackets eventually wants to stand on Dobuita Street. It is a modest place: a straight, three-hundred-metre run of shops and bars in the naval port of Yokosuka, an hour south of central Tokyo. But it is where American sailors bought embroidered jackets after the Second World War, where the jacket got its Japanese nickname, and where shops still make and sell it today. In 2018 the street formally named itself the birthplace of the sukajan.

This is our visitor's guide: how to get there, what to look for, where the history is still visible, and how to buy well.

Why this street, and why that name

Yokosuka has been a naval port since the nineteenth century, and after 1945 its former Imperial Navy base became a United States Navy base. Dobuita Street sits just outside the main gate, so it became the first stop for sailors on leave. Shops quickly learned what their customers wanted: tailoring, souvenirs, and jackets embroidered with the Japan of their imagination. In the 1950s a sign reading "Souvenir Street" hung across the road.

The name Dobuita (ドブ板) means, roughly, "ditch boards". The usual explanation is that the street once ran beside an open drain, which was covered with planks so that people could walk over it. The planks are long gone, but the name stuck, and it has become as much a part of the jacket's story as the word Yokosuka itself. "Sukajan" is a clipped form of "Yokosuka jumper".

For the street's history through its shops, read Dobuita, then and now. For the jacket's whole story, start with History and Origins of the Sukajan.

Getting there

• By Keikyū line: from Shinagawa or Yokohama, take the Keikyū main line towards Yokosuka. The nearest station is Shioiri, about five minutes' walk from the street.
• By JR: the JR Yokosuka line from Tokyo, Shinagawa or Yokohama runs to Yokosuka Station, about fifteen minutes' walk away along the waterfront.
• Time: allow roughly an hour each way from central Tokyo.
• Finding it: the street runs parallel to Route 16, close to the main gate of the naval base. The Dobuita Station visitor centre on the street has maps and information.

What you will find on the street

Dobuita today is a mix of eras. Souvenir and jacket shops stand beside military surplus stores, American-style diners, bars with English signs and small Japanese restaurants. Some shopfronts look much as they did in the 1960s; others are new. The atmosphere is relaxed, with a slight edge of the base town that gave the jacket its swagger.

Jacket shops

Several shops sell sukajan, from inexpensive new jackets to carefully made pieces with hand-guided embroidery. The long-established names include MIKASA, which has sold souvenir jackets on the street since the early 1950s, and Prince Shokai, founded in 1947, whose founder created a famous set of hawk, tiger and dragon designs. Some shops take custom orders, embroidering names or motifs to your design.

Food

Yokosuka is known for two dishes with naval roots. Navy curry, based on the curry served to the Japanese navy, is offered across the city, and the "Yokosuka Navy Burger", an American-style hamburger made to a recipe shared by the base, is served in several diners on and near the street.

Nearby

• The naval port: harbour cruises from the waterfront near Yokosuka Station pass close to the moored ships, an easy way to see the port that made the jacket.
• Mikasa Park: a short walk away, it preserves the battleship Mikasa, flagship of the Japanese fleet in 1905, as a memorial ship.
• Yokosuka Museum of Art: on the coast at Kannonzaki, a bus ride away. It held the landmark exhibition PRIDE OF YOKOSUKA in 2022.

Buying a sukajan on Dobuita

• Know your measurements. Bring the chest width, back length and sleeve length of a jacket that fits you well. Sizes vary widely between makers and eras.
• Ask about the embroidery. Shops can usually tell you whether a jacket's embroidery was hand-guided or computer-made. Both have their place; hand-guided work costs more and looks more painterly.
• Look at the fabric and ribbing. Rayon and acetate satins have a richer shine than polyester. Ribbing should be firm and springy.
• Consider a custom piece. If you have time, a jacket embroidered to order is the most personal souvenir you can bring home, and true to the street's tradition.
• Vintage needs a close look. If a shop offers older jackets, check seams, satin splits and cuffs carefully, and ask what has been repaired. Our collector's guide explains condition in detail.

Tips for a good visit

• Come on a weekday if you can. Shops are quieter, and owners have more time to talk about their stock.
• Many small shops open late in the morning and close one day a week, so check hours before you travel.
• Be respectful of the base. Photography near the gate and of military facilities is restricted.
• Combine the street with a harbour cruise and a meal; together they make a full and rewarding day out from Tokyo.

Questions readers ask

How do I get to Dobuita Street from Tokyo?

Take the Keikyū line to Shioiri Station, about five minutes from the street, or the JR Yokosuka line to Yokosuka Station, about fifteen minutes on foot. Allow around an hour from central Tokyo.

Can I buy a sukajan there?

Yes, new and sometimes vintage, and several shops embroider to order. If you cannot visit, our Hunting Salon™ can search Yokosuka and the rest of Japan for a particular design, shop or era.

Is the street worth visiting if I am not buying a jacket?

Yes. It is one of the few places in Japan where the postwar meeting of American and Japanese cultures is still visible in the streetscape, the food and the shops.

Are Dobuita jackets better than others?

Not automatically, but jackets from the street's long-established shops carry a direct link to the tradition, and their hand-guided embroidery is among the finest made today. Our sukajan collection includes pieces from Dobuita shops alongside vintage and heritage makers.

The sukajan reading path

This article is one of a series on the souvenir jacket. Each takes a different angle; together they form the most complete account we know of.

• What Is a Sukajan?: the starting point: materials, motifs and how to choose one.
• History and Origins of the Sukajan: from postwar Yokosuka to global icon.
• Kiryu and Sukajan: the embroidery town behind the jacket.
• How to Read a Sukajan: what the dragons, tigers and maps mean.
• The Sukajan as Cultural Artifact: a collector's guide to vintage pieces.
• The sukajan collection: vintage, modern and collector pieces, each examined in Japan.
• 10 Recommended Sukajan Brands: popular patterns and high-end labels.
• PRIDE OF YOKOSUKA: inside the museum's sukajan exhibition.