1950s Reversible Sukajan, Eagle on Green Satin, Japan–Korea Map with Mount Fuji, Navy Reverse, TTS Zip

A reversible souvenir jacket of the late 1940s to 1950s with a TTS zip: an eagle on pine under Japan on emerald satin, and a map of Japan and Korea beneath Mount Fuji on quilted navy.

From Occupation Bases to Collector Cabinets

The souvenir jacket was born in the years after 1945, when American servicemen stationed in Japan began commissioning embroidered satin jackets from local tailors near the bases, Yokosuka above all, which gave the garment its Japanese nickname, sukajan, from Yokosuka and jumper. The motifs were chosen for an American eye: tigers, eagles, dragons, Mount Fuji and the word Japan in looping script, stitched by craftsmen who had worked on kimono and obi embroidery before the war.

The Korean War of 1950 to 1953 turned the souvenir jacket into a record of service. Men on rest and recuperation leave in Japan ordered jackets with maps of Japan and Korea, city names and unit details, and the jackets went home as keepsakes. Original 1950s examples survive in far smaller numbers than the reproductions that followed, and collectors read them by their details: reversible construction, hand-guided embroidery, rayon or acetate satin and velveteen, and the zip makers of the period, TTS among the most sought after.

TTS Zips and Dating

Collectors read souvenir jackets the way denim collectors read rivets and buttons. Zips are the most reliable clue: TTS zips are associated with jackets of the late 1940s and 1950s, while later jackets more often carry YKK and other makers. Combined with map embroidery naming Korean cities, a TTS zip places a jacket firmly in the Korean War era.

The Piece

Green satin with ivory sleeves is one of the classic colourways of the early souvenir jacket, and this example is bright and well preserved. The back shows Japan in white script over a great eagle with spread wings, perched on a pine branch with blue blossoms, worked in brown, cream and gold. Twin eagles wreathed in pink blossom sit on the chest.

Reversed, it becomes a quilted navy jacket with ivory sleeves. On the back, Mount Fuji stands over a map of Japan and Korea outlined in gold and violet, the place names in pink: Korea, Seoul and Pusan, and Sapporo, Tokyo, Kyoto, Hiroshima, Osaka and Sasebo across Japan, with cherry blossom scattered across the islands. Fuji and blossoms are repeated on each side of the chest.

The zip is by TTS, the Japanese maker whose zips appear on many of the best early jackets and are a favourite dating marker for collectors. There is no maker's label.

Measured flat: chest 56 cm, length 57 cm, sleeve from centre back 85.5 cm, a modern medium.

Details

• Designer: Unlabelled Japanese workshop
• Season: Late 1940s to 1950s
• Model / ref: Reversible satin souvenir jacket
• Material: Rayon or acetate satin; padded lining; knit rib
• Colour: Emerald and ivory / navy and ivory
• Made in: Japan
• Tagged size: No size label
• Measurements: Chest (pit to pit) 56 cm · Sleeve from centre back 85.5 cm · Length 57 cm
• Included: Jacket only

Condition

• Fuzzing, soiling and rubbing overall, with marks on the ivory sleeves.
• Tears at both sides, around the neck and in the hem lining.
• Fraying at the back of the sleeve heads, neck and hem.
• Small scratches and dulling to the zip hardware; embroidery bright on both faces.

Condition grade BC on the Japanese scale; see Japanese condition ranks, explained.

Authenticity & Care

The labels, materials, stitching, hardware and construction are examined together and documented in Japan before dispatch; anything that cannot be confirmed is stated plainly in the description. Every piece carries the Japonista authenticity guarantee. Air it rather than washing, and store it on a padded hanger out of direct light.

Delivery from Japan

Packed by hand in Japan and shipped insured and tracked by EMS or an equivalent express service. Import duties and taxes, where applicable, are payable on arrival. Every sale is final; please ask anything before you buy, and see our published policy.

Collectors also search: TTS zip sukajan · vintage Korea map souvenir jacket · 1950s eagle sukajan green · Japan Korea map jacket vintage · original 50s sukajan reversible · vintage souvenir jacket Mount Fuji map · Korean War sukajan · 1940s souvenir jacket