Tailor Toyo Reversible Sukajan, Japan Map & Dragon Sleeves, Black Velveteen, Quilted Green Satin Tiger, Size M

Two complete souvenir compositions share one Tailor Toyo construction. Black velveteen carries an embroidered map of Japan, a dragon in clouds, dragon sleeves and a tiger-and-eagle chest; reversed, quilted emerald satin presents a roaring tiger beneath Mount Fuji with dragon and koi. A tagged Medium, it gathers the brand’s most recognizable motifs.

The Piece

The black velveteen face is built around an embroidered map of the Japanese archipelago. A pink outline traces the country from Hokkaido through Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu, with cities and historically significant locations marked across the islands: Sapporo, Aomori, Sendai, Tachikawa, Tokyo, Yokohama, Yokosuka, Nagoya, Kyoto, Osaka, Nara, Hiroshima, Kure, Shimonoseki, Hakata and Sasebo. Above the map a blue dragon emerges from gold, white and blue clouds, a multistoried pagoda rises beside the eastern coastline, and a large stylized flower anchors the lower composition. “Japan” is embroidered across the upper back in flowing script, the unmistakable language of the classic souvenir garment.

Both black sleeves carry long dragon-and-cloud compositions that descend through scrolling clouds outlined in cream, pale gray and gold, giving the jacket movement from shoulder to cuff. On the chest, a roaring tiger head in orange, black, cream and pink faces an eagle in flight rendered in pale thread with wings extended: the tiger’s courage and grounded strength set against the eagle’s freedom, vigilance and military Americana, the cultural fusion at the heart of the sukajan. The dark velveteen absorbs light, so the embroidery seems to float above the fabric.

The reverse body is deep emerald-green satin with diamond quilting, paired with pale champagne sleeves and burgundy, cream and mustard striped ribbing. Across the back, “JAPAN” in large collegiate-style lettering stands above a vividly illustrated, snow-capped Mount Fuji, and a roaring tiger in a dynamic, open-mouthed stance dominates the lower composition, crouched among bamboo, foliage and rocky terrain, with koi around the Fuji scene. The embroidery runs in wine red, turquoise, cream, gold, brown and black against the jewel-toned ground, and the quilting adds structure and shifting highlights as the jacket moves. On the chest, a coiling dragon faces a roaring tiger, one of the most enduring pairings in East Asian visual culture: heaven, rain and transformation opposite earth, instinct and controlled force.

Though not native to Japan, the tiger became a powerful subject in Japanese painting, tattooing, textile art and martial imagery as an emblem of courage, authority and protection. Mount Fuji adds endurance and spiritual grandeur, bamboo bends without breaking, and the koi, associated with persistence, ambition and transformation, is a celebrated motif of Japanese art and tattoo culture. Together with the map and eagle, they form a compact universe of souvenir symbolism, a story of travel, courage, identity and remembrance.

Tailor Toyo’s official archive continues to document Japan Map, tiger, dragon and eagle compositions as central motifs of its sukajan collections. The materials, reversible construction and embroidery language here are consistent with a later twentieth- or early twenty-first-century revival of mid-century design rather than an original 1940s or 1950s military-base souvenir jacket, carried out with quality velveteen, satin quilting and complex embroidery.

Details

• Maker: Tailor Toyo
• Era: Later twentieth- or early twenty-first-century revival of mid-century souvenir-jacket design (assessment)
• Origin: Japan
• Material: Side A soft velveteen or velvet-finish body; Side B glossy diamond-quilted satin, lightly padded; dense multicolored machine embroidery; striped knit ribbing
• Color: Side A deep black with cream, gray, gold, yellow, pink, blue, red and green embroidery and cream, navy and mustard trim; Side B emerald or forest green with champagne-ivory sleeves, burgundy, turquoise, brown, cream, gold, black and red embroidery and burgundy, cream and mustard trim
• Size: M (manufacturer’s tag)
• Measurements: A 60 cm · B 54 cm · C 77 cm · D 55 cm · E 41 cm (A–E method as shown in the Sukajan Sizing Guide)
• Construction: Fully reversible; central reversible metal zipper; slanted welt pockets on both faces; striped rib-knit collar, cuffs and waistband
• Fit: Unisex vintage bomber silhouette

Condition

• Vintage pre-owned condition with age-appropriate signs of previous wear, handling and storage; the embroidery remains strong, colorful and highly expressive on both sides.
• Natural fabric creasing, variations in the velveteen nap and gentle satin wrinkling.
• Possible light marks and minor thread wear.
• Some relaxation or wear around the rib-knit trim.
• As with all vintage reversible jackets, the two faces may show subtle differences in wear; the photographs form an essential part of this condition record.

Sizing Guidance

Measured flat by the A–E method shown in the Sukajan Sizing Guide image: A 60 cm, B 54 cm, C 77 cm, D 55 cm, E 41 cm. Vintage Japanese sizing often differs from present-day Western sizing; on these figures the jacket may suit a modern Small to Medium, depending on body shape, layering and preferred silhouette. Compare with a jacket that already fits comfortably.

Display and Storage

• Specialist cleaning is recommended; avoid machine washing, prolonged soaking, aggressive stain treatment, tumble drying and direct ironing over the embroidery.
• Store on a supportive padded hanger or folded in breathable textile storage, away from extended direct sunlight and damp to protect the velveteen, satin, embroidery and ribbing.
• Additional photographs of specific embroidery, fabric, trim or condition details may be available on request.

Authenticity & Care

Tailor Toyo reversible sukajan with manufacturer’s tag size M; a Japanese heritage revival of mid-century souvenir-jacket design, not an original 1940s or 1950s military-base jacket. 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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