Up for sale here is a jacket from Mountain Research, one of those cult labels that doesn’t get the exposure it deserves outside of Japan. Before getting into the specifics of this jacket, first some background on the label. Mountain Research is a line of “….. Research”, designed by Setsumasa Kobayashi, and started in 2007. Before …… Research, Kobayashi was the designed for a label called General Research, also a cult label in Japanese streetwear, very much a peer of Undercover, Bathing Ape and the like. General Research ran from 1993 to 2006. After that Kobayashi wanted to branch out into various types of clothing, hence the ….. Research label.
….. Research actually encompasses several labels, depending on where Kobayashi decides to focus. The longest running is Mountain Research. Other branches with intermittent releases have included Naval Research, Prisoner Research, War Field Wear Research, Horse Blanket Research, etc., etc.
With Mountain Research you essentially have the combination of a very forward-thinking punk aesthetic with more traditional outdoor wear. Kobayashi and Mountain Research have a lot of similarities with Undercover actually, where they’ve both got a pretty strong punk influence that they often apply. The idea here is to tweak classic outdoor blazers and jackets to a more modern fit, often with interesting details and quality materials.
This jacket comes from the fall-winter 2021 collection. It is called the “track jacket” as you can see on the label, and silhouette does indeed follow the classic track jacket. The big draw here, at least in my opinion, is the fabric. The main material is a 54% wool, 33% polyester, and 13% nylon blend, done in a highly textured fleece. Waistband, cuffs and collar are ribbed, with white strips on both arms. Collar zips up high, allowing it to be worn open or closed. Jacket is pretty warm and very comfortable with a somewhat relaxed silhouette. This is an ideal piece for the colder weather.
Like many of these smaller Japanese labels, Mountain Research produces in very limited quantities (they only have one shop in a residential Tokyo neighborhood). This particular model is now long gone. Japanese retail was around $600. As far as I know these weren’t available at all outside of Japan, but it definitely would have run quite a bit more if you could find it.
Size is labeled a large and has a relaxed fit. I measure the chest at 24”, shoulders at 20”, length at 27” and sleeves at 27” from the shoulder. The jacket comes in lightly used, very good shape with no holes, tears or stains. Made in Japan.
Shipping from Japan to anywhere will be $30.