SCRIPT Hanatabi Gakudan SSJ-704 Butterfly & Flowing Chrysanthemum Reversible Rayon Sukajan, Size M

A garden in motion, embroidered across an entire jacket. Oversized butterflies drift among flowing chrysanthemums over black rayon on this SCRIPT Hanatabi Gakudan SSJ-704 sukajan, which reverses to a quiet, almost ceremonial pale-pink jacquard woven with Japanese landscape imagery.

The Piece

The original label reads Japanese Classic SCRIPT, and the model corresponds to Hanatabi Gakudan's SSJ-704 蝶流菊刺繍スカジャン, Chō Nagare Kiku, the Butterfly and Flowing Chrysanthemum embroidered sukajan, produced in black with a rayon outer face and polyester reverse. Where many sukajan concentrate on a single back image, this model takes an immersive approach: chrysanthemums spread from the shoulders toward the hem, butterflies travel across torso and back, and elongated white flight lines connect insect and flower into one continuous current. Flowers cluster densely along one shoulder, disperse across the back and reappear near the hem, giving an almost hand-painted rhythm, as if the garment had captured a moment of movement. The black ground lets lavender, coral, pink, blue, ivory and muted green glow, ornate without becoming chaotic.

The front is unusually complete for a sukajan. Large butterflies occupy both sides of the zipper amid chrysanthemums and foliage, their white flight lines crossing the center opening so the composition stays connected when zipped. Champagne-colored raglan sleeves offer a subdued counterpoint, edged by patterned black textile bands that run from the neckline along the raglan seams like a narrow brocade border. The back expands the imagery into a panoramic field: chrysanthemums grow from the shoulder line, cascade diagonally and gather across the lower half, with butterflies at different heights. There is no central dragon, tiger or eagle; the whole surface behaves like a Japanese textile garden, attractive to collectors of floral wagara, kimono-inspired ornament and the more poetic side of sukajan design.

The butterfly, chō or chōchō, is a motif of movement and metamorphosis, its brief, delicate life an emblem of transformation, beauty and the changing nature of existence; in pairs or groups it can suggest companionship and harmony. Here the wings are layered textile ornaments with scalloped edges, floral interiors and vivid blocks of red and violet, silver-gray, coral, blue and pink. The chrysanthemum, kiku, long associated in Japan with autumn, refinement, longevity and renewal, appears throughout court art, textiles and ceramics; on this jacket the blooms range from nearly white to lavender and coral-tipped, their radiating petals worked in tightly controlled stitching that creates dimension without heavy padding. The chrysanthemum is rooted and enduring, the butterfly weightless and moving: one anchors the composition, the other carries it forward.

The reverse offers a different wearing experience. A dusty blush-pink polyester jacquard body is woven with subtle tonal scenery of trees, distant architecture and landscape that emerges as light moves across it; the sleeves shift to pale champagne or ivory jacquard with woven landscape details, black patterned stripes travel along the raglan lines, and pink and gray ribbing replaces the black, ivory and gray of the embroidered face. From a distance it reads as a pale pink Japanese jacquard bomber, softer and standalone. The rayon face gives fluid drape and a deep, liquid sheen shifting between charcoal and jet black, while the jacquard is slightly more structured.

Hanatabi Gakudan, commonly presented under the SCRIPT label and produced by Switch Planning, has specialized in Japanese-pattern sukajan since its foundation, with a catalogue exceeding 150 souvenir-jacket designs and a reputation for intricate embroidery and designs that cross garment seams; its subjects range beyond dragons, tigers and eagles to courtesans, goldfish, birds, Buddhist subjects, famous Japanese artworks, flowers and seasonal landscapes. The SSJ-704 is a modern Japanese revival sukajan: it pays tribute to postwar sukajan, but its floral arrangement, advanced machine embroidery, jacquard reverse and model identification place it in the later wagara fashion movement rather than the 1940s or 1950s, showing how the souvenir jacket evolved into wearable decorative art. The black face pairs with black wide-leg trousers, dark indigo or Japanese selvedge denim, cream or ivory jeans, minimal monochrome, leather boots, canvas sneakers, long skirts or fluid trousers; the pink reverse with charcoal trousers, faded denim, ivory knitwear, dusty rose or gray layers, neutral workwear and antique textile accessories. Beside a tiger or dragon jacket it introduces softness without sacrificing density and craftsmanship.

Details

• Maker: SCRIPT / 花旅楽団 Hanatabi Gakudan; parent company Switch Planning
• Model: SSJ-704, 蝶流菊刺繍スカジャン (Chō Nagare Kiku, Butterfly and Flowing Chrysanthemum)
• Line: Japanese Classic SCRIPT (label)
• Era: Modern Japanese revival sukajan
• Origin: Japanese brand production
• Material: Primary face 100% rayon; reverse 100% polyester jacquard; multicolor embroidery thread; woven brocade-like patterned textile sleeve inserts; knitted ribbing; metal zipper
• Color: Black with champagne-gold sleeves; reverse dusty pink, ivory and black
• Size: M (tag); Japanese men's M, generally a fitted Western men's medium, a relaxed Western men's small, or a women's medium to large depending on styling
• Measurements: Published reference sizing for this model in M (not measured on this example): body length 59 cm · Chest width 52 cm · Raglan sleeve length 83 cm
• Construction: Fully reversible; raglan sleeves; reversible metal zipper; angled hand pockets on both faces; striped knitted collar, cuffs and waistband; lightweight, unpadded; compact sukajan silhouette

Condition

• Pre-owned condition with natural signs of previous wear and storage.
• The embroidered artwork remains visually strong, with vivid color and substantial coverage front and back; no major areas of embroidery loss are apparent in the photographs.
• Natural creasing expected of rayon and jacquard; subtle tonal variation, light surface wear, small thread irregularities and minor marks may be present, particularly on the pale reverse and sleeve areas.
• Ribbing, reversible zipper and overall structure appear intact. Sheen shifts with lighting and pile direction, creating darker and lighter areas characteristic of the material rather than uniform discoloration.
• Offered as photographed; the photographs form an essential part of the condition description.

Sizing Guidance

Individual pre-owned garments vary slightly from the published reference through manufacturing tolerance, wear and storage. The silhouette fits more compactly than many Western bombers; the raglan construction gives flexibility through the shoulders, and the knitted waistband creates the rounded blouson shape of the sukajan. When displayed, a broad padded hanger lets the floral arrangement settle naturally.

Authenticity & Care

Original Japanese Classic SCRIPT label; design, materials and colorway correspond to the official Hanatabi Gakudan SSJ-704 specification. 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.

Collectors also search: hanatabi gakudan butterfly sukajan · ssj-704 sukajan · cho nagare kiku sukajan · chrysanthemum embroidered sukajan · script japanese classic sukajan · floral reversible sukajan · pink jacquard sukajan