Tatami-making is one of Japan’s oldest craft trades. For centuries, it shaped the interiors of homes, temples, and tea rooms across the country. The craftsmen who practiced it wore a uniform that was never sold, never mass-produced, and never intended to leave the workshop — a shirushi hanten, a short cotton coat bearing the mark of the shop on its back.

This is one of those coats. It dates from the mid-Showa period, roughly the 1950s to 1970s, and it was worn as daily workwear by a tatami craftsman whose shop mark is still visible, bold and legible, across the entire back panel. That mark was not decoration. It was identity — a way of saying, without words, which workshop you belonged to and what trade you were proud of.

Shirushi hanten are now actively sought by collectors and slow fashion advocates outside Japan, precisely because they cannot be reproduced. The graphic quality of the back emblem, the weight of the aged cotton, the quiet evidence of real use — none of it can be faked. This piece shows no excessive fading or major damage. Its calm, settled presence is the result of time, not neglect.

Wear it open over a white T-shirt. Display it. Take it apart and remake it. However you use it, you are working with something that was made to last and did.

Product Details

• Item: Shirushi Hanten (Japanese Workwear Coat)
• Era: Mid Showa Period (circa 1950s–1970s)
• Material: Cotton

Size

• Length (Back neck to hem): approx. 63 cm / 24.8 in
• Chest (Pit to pit): approx. 66 cm / 26.0 in
• Shoulder width: approx. 66.5 cm / 26.2 in
• Sleeve length: approx. 33 cm / 13.0 in
• Sleeve width: approx. 29 cm / 11.4 in
• Cuff width: approx. 24 cm / 9.4 in

Please allow slight measurement differences.

Condition

There is a repair on the garment.

Please note that this is a vintage item. Those who are not comfortable with aged garments are kindly asked to refrain from purchasing.

The item has been washed twice by us. However, a slight vintage odor may remain.

Please note that any damage or odor returning after washing or wearing will not be eligible for refund or exchange. Please purchase only if you understand the nature of vintage items.

The item will be shipped compressed, which may cause wrinkles. Items worn by the model or props used in the photos are not included.

Buying From Japan

Every piece at NAMBA SHOUTEN is sourced, inspected, photographed, and shipped by us from Japan. We describe condition honestly, including the flaws, because a vintage garment that hides its history is not worth owning. Orders ship worldwide with tracking.

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