This Deluxeware Special Alaska Sukajan is not a reproduction. It is a direct continuation of a craft tradition — built from materials that barely exist anymore, assembled by hands that have spent decades learning a single technique. Limited to 30 pieces worldwide, this is the rarest garment in the Deluxeware catalogue, and one of the most labour-intensive jackets produced in Japan today.

The history of the souvenir (Sukajan) jacket in Japanese goes back to the very end of the world war two, when American soldiers that were stationed in Japan began to get traditional Japanese designs hand embroidered on the inside of their jackets as a symbol, memory and souvenir to remind them of their time in Japan. This kind of jacket was produced as a mixture of traditional Japanese textiles and an American baseball jacket and they were commonly made to be reversible. The American soldiers had these jackets made to bring with them when home either to wear for themselves or as a gift to friends and family back in USA. Even among the already rare Alaska jackets, this one is incredibly rare.

The body is constructed from Kanpachi Betsuzhen — a 100% cotton horizontal velvet cloth manufactured exclusively in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, using a weaving technique known as shearing. The process involves building weft pile fabric with horizontal yarns, then cutting the pile threads to create a dense, fluffy surface with a characteristic lustre and hand feel. The number of craftsmen and looms capable of producing this cloth has dwindled to a critical few — its scarcity is not a marketing claim but a manufacturing reality. The result is a fabric that cannot be sourced off a shelf, in a weight and texture that defines what a sukajan should feel like.

The jacket is fully reversible — red on one side, navy on the other — offering two complete aesthetics in a single garment. Every piece of embroidery is executed entirely by hand on a horizontal swing Yokofuri embroidery machines by specialist craftsmen in Kochi Prefecture. Each jacket requires three full days of embroidery work, limiting annual production to just 30 pieces per season — roughly three months of continuous work. Final assembly takes place in Odate, Akita Prefecture, completing a production chain that touches four distinct regions of Japan and involves skills that exist in vanishingly small numbers.

Fit Notes: This jacket fits true Japanese sizing — which runs notably smaller than most global American brands. Compared to most global American brands, we recommend sizing up one size for a standard slim fit, or two sizes if you prefer a relaxed, authentic vintage drape. Deluxeware also offers USM and USL sizes, which are larger than XL and feature a more regular, less tailored cut. As a reference, we strongly recommend checking our size chart and comparing it with your best-fitting jacket to ensure the right fit.The structured Betsuzhen cloth has minimal stretch.