There is no longer a need for a person like me to hunt images and make an archive of Japanese labels.  The impact of these labels is established – many have broken well into the mainstream.

High-craft Japanese labels are comfortable in US accounts.  The outdoorsman, railroad, tech sherpa, workwear, punk etc etc etc influences are well represented globally by the Japanese labels that pioneered them.

Mass media (Hypebeast et. al.) and mainstream retail all provide enough of a window – they won’t offer the newest or most obscure, but blogging about this microniche is now less about discovery and anthropology, and more of a trend-hunting activity.  It’s better suited to retail buyers and designers.  Which are both fine professions, but not my job.

There will always be further to dig though, and without digging, you will not find the #veryrare.