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This one-of-a-kind piece has found its owner and is no longer available. Our current Japanese vintage kimono and padded jackets are below.

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■ Product Details

• Era: Taisho to early Showa
• Material: Cotton, padded
• Origin: Japan

A tanzen is a padded winter kimono — a thick, wadded outer robe worn over ordinary clothing in the cold months of pre-war and mid-century Japan. It is heavier than a standard kimono, cut generously, and built for warmth rather than ceremony. Outside Japan it is increasingly worn as a coat, and that is exactly how it works best.

The outer face carries a generously scaled ka-gasuri (mosquito kasuri) pattern — one of the most beloved of all Japanese ikat weaves, named for the fine flecked motif that scatters across the cloth. The reverse is a deep plain indigo, with a depth and atmosphere all its own. (The reverse is not indigo dyed.)

The reverse side is where the real history sits. Black cotton has been set into both shoulders and upper sleeves, secured with white hand stitching that is still clearly visible. These are repairs — the shoulders take the most wear on any padded robe, and rather than discard the garment, someone patched it and kept wearing it. This is the same instinct that produced boro and sashiko: cloth was valuable, and a worn garment was mended, not replaced.

Garments like this were made inside ordinary households, not by ateliers. Someone cut the cloth, wadded it, and stitched it for a specific person to get through a specific winter, then repaired it when it wore through. That is the whole appeal of Japanese vintage: it was never designed to be admired, only to be used, and the beauty arrived anyway.

It also serves as excellent base material for remake and customisation projects.

Note: the 1st to 3rd images show the outer kasuri face. The 4th and 5th images show the plain indigo reverse with its black shoulder repairs.

■ Size

• Length (back collar base to hem): approx. 125 cm / 49.2 in
• Chest (underarm horizontal line): approx. 59 cm / 23.2 in
• Shoulder width (both shoulders, horizontal line): approx. 61.5 cm / 24.2 in
• Sleeve length (shoulder apex to sleeve end): approx. 32 cm / 12.5 in
• Sleeve width: approx. 36.5 cm / 14.3 in
• Sleeve tip width: approx. 20 cm / 7.8 in

Please allow for slight measurement errors.

■ Condition

• Black cotton repair panels are set into both shoulders and upper sleeves on the reverse side, with visible white hand stitching. These are period repairs and are part of the garment's history.
• Yellowing and wrinkles are present.
• This is an antique item. Please refrain from ordering if you are not comfortable with the character of aged textiles.
• Washed twice in-house. A scent characteristic of antique cotton remains.
• Any damage or return of odor resulting from washing or wearing after purchase is not eligible for refund or exchange.

■ 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.

For questions about sizing, international shipping, customs, and returns, please visit our FAQ.

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Browse more Japanese vintage: Noragi · Haori