Karakuri Tamashii Iki 254803 Oni Fūjin Raijin Reversible Sukajan, Great Wave Embroidery, 100% Rayon

A spectacular reversible sukajan from Karakuri Tamashii's Iki line, reimagining Fūjin and Raijin, the Japanese gods of wind and thunder, as fierce oni-like figures amid crashing waves, storm clouds, lightning and Mount Fuji. The embroidery does not so much decorate the jacket as consume it.

The Piece

The maker describes the design as using enormous quantities of embroidery, with the demonized Fūjin and Raijin composition extending across the body and sleeves to create a more three-dimensional effect when worn, on a garment of 100% rayon satin. The composition folds the language of ukiyo-e into contemporary wagara streetwear: Hokusai-inspired waves surge across the lower body, Mount Fuji rises in the distance, storm spirits hover above the sea, and black, ivory, cobalt blue, olive, orange and white embroidery turns the satin into a moving Japanese picture scroll.

Rather than placing a single motif neatly at the center of the back, the artwork spills outward. Waves cross the torso, clouds drift onto the sleeves, lightning interrupts the negative space, and the deities hang over an ocean that seems to continue from front to back. The effect is theatrical without becoming random, because everything circles around elemental forces: wind, thunder, sea, mountain and storm. On the rear, Fūjin seems to explode forward from a halo-like form while stylized clouds curl beneath him, in olive and yellow-green thread with white outlines, black shadow, orange accents and sweeping movement around the body. On the front, the demonic Raijin stands beside the circular drum motif as jagged lightning cuts the darkness; the orange-red drums answer the predominantly blue-and-white ocean and look almost illuminated against the black rayon satin. Storm, wave and figure form one continuous environment.

Across both front and rear runs an unmistakable interpretation of Katsushika Hokusai's Great Wave off Kanagawa. Deep cobalt water rises into towering white-crested forms with innumerable claw-like tips breaking from the foam, and because the image is rebuilt in thread rather than printed, it has visible texture, dimensional foam, layered blue tones, raised white crests, directional stitch work and strong contrast against the black satin, an almost sculptural quality. A comparatively tiny Mount Fuji sits at the horizon, distant and immovable, the still point amid all the movement. White clouds travel across the black field, green lightning bolts make sharp angular interruptions, the ocean sweeps horizontally across the waist, and the ivory sleeves provide negative space into which smaller clouds migrate, so the viewer receives an entire atmospheric landscape rather than a set of motifs.

Large sections of the lower body are almost transformed from satin into embroidered textile, the ocean alone covering an enormous area while further threadwork builds Fūjin, Raijin, the thunder drums, clouds, lightning, Mount Fuji, wave foam and sleeve ornamentation; here the embroidery is the garment's visual architecture. Rayon satin suits the sukajan for its fluid drape and responds dramatically to light, the black moving between jet, charcoal, blue-black and graphite, and the ivory sleeves between cream, champagne, pale silver and warm ivory. The reverse was intentionally designed more simply, with restrained cherry-blossom embroidery that allows easier everyday coordination and gives the wearer two personalities in one garment.

This is a contemporary Karakuri Tamashii heritage-streetwear sukajan rather than an original postwar souvenir jacket, yet it belongs to the long evolution of the form, Japanese imagery translated into satin bomber construction and reinterpreted through amekaji, biker culture, wagara clothing and modern Japanese streetwear. The 254803 design originally retailed in Japan at ¥38,500. Its black and ivory palette makes it easier to wear than the complexity of the artwork suggests, and it works best when the rest of the outfit stays quiet.

Details

• Maker: Karakuri Tamashii (絡繰魂)
• Model: 254803
• Line: Iki (粋), the maker's premium line
• Design name: 鬼風神雷神リバーシブルスカジャン (Oni Fūjin Raijin Reversible Sukajan)
• Era: Contemporary
• Material: 100% rayon satin; embroidery thread; rib-knit trim; metal zipper
• Color: Black × ivory/cream with multicolor embroidery
• Size: Tag size not visible on the photographed label
• Construction: Reversible; front zipper; rib-knit bomber collar, cuffs and hem; raglan-style sleeves
• Original retail: ¥38,500 in Japan

Condition

• Pre-owned collectible garment that presents attractively in the photographs.
• Strong embroidery color, substantial surviving thread detail and a glossy rayon appearance; ribbing and zipper are visibly intact, and no large tear is immediately obvious in the photographs.
• Natural creasing, minor surface variation and signs of previous wear or storage may be present.
• The pale ivory sleeves can make very subtle age or handling marks more visible under photographic lighting, so all photographs should be inspected carefully.
• Embroidery-dense rayon should be handled with more care than cotton or polyester jackets, as both the satin surface and the raised threadwork can be sensitive to abrasion and snagging.

Fūjin and Raijin

Fūjin (風神) is the Japanese deity of wind, commonly shown as a wild, muscular figure associated with violent air currents and the enormous bag from which the winds are released. Raijin (雷神) represents thunder and lightning and is identified by the ring of drums around him. Here both are pushed toward an oni-like interpretation, the faces, bodies and movement exaggerated until Fūjin seems almost airborne over the sea.

They are among the most recognizable paired supernatural figures in Japanese visual culture: one drives the atmosphere, the other fractures it. Presented together, the design becomes less about two characters than about the violence and beauty of a Japanese stormscape, and the pairing suits a sukajan because the satin shifts, folds and reflects light as it is worn.

Published Size Chart

Flat measurements of this example are to follow. For reference only, the maker's published sizing for model 254803 is given below; these are model specifications, not measurements of this individual jacket, so compare actual measurements with a well-fitting jacket before relying on a letter size.

• M: length 65 cm, width 55 cm, sleeve 86 cm
• L: length 67 cm, width 57 cm, sleeve 88 cm
• XL: length 70 cm, width 60 cm, sleeve 91 cm
• XXL: length 73 cm

Styling Notes

• Black or indigo denim, wide Japanese workwear trousers, military chinos or monochrome trousers
• Engineer boots, combat boots or vintage sneakers
• A simple white or black T-shirt

Authenticity & Care

The care label visible in the photographs confirms 100% rayon construction and shows the Karakuri Tamashii branding; the design corresponds to model 254803 of the Iki line. Every piece is examined and documented in Japan before dispatch and is offered with the Japonista authenticity guarantee.

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. Returns follow our published policy.

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