T Magazine: Making Waves in Japan

Written By Unknown on Jumat, 03 Mei 2013 | 17.35

It's little surprise that the Japanese, who have a way of perfecting culture imported from abroad, would be drawn to the art of surf. Josh Rosen, a co-owner of the tastemaking lifestyle brand Saturdays Surf NYC, which opened a store in Tokyo last year, is frequently impressed by the meticulousness of "all the little accouterments": cars outfitted with slots for surfboards and luggage racks that fold out as surfboard caddies; wet suits on hangers; and blankets to change on.

When he first surfed in Japan, Morgan Collett, Rosen's business partner, was surprised by just how crowded the breaks were. The past five years have seen a major resurgence of interest in the sport, and in the breezy style that goes along with it. Takashi Kumagai, a stylist and photographer, notes that even nonsurfers love the laid-back look. In the 1970s, Tokyoites with no intention of getting in the water went so far as attaching boards to the roofs of their Volkswagen Beetles; these days, they might wear brightly striped pocket tees and beachy, slim-fitting chinos, like those sold at Saturdays — which, conveniently, just unveiled a second international outpost in the port city of Kobe. Junji Uchida, who edits two Japanese surf magazines, says the sport increasingly attracts urbanites who appreciate the outdoorsy lifestyle but aren't necessarily interested in surf's high-performance, competitive side, which dominated the culture in the '80s and '90s. These days, he says, it's about being "fashionable, organic and healthy. During the week you work in the city, and on the weekends you go and hang out at the beach."

Luckily, there are two great surf destinations about an hour by train from Tokyo. To the southeast, the east coast of the prefecture of Chiba has miles of beach with consistent, year-round waves. Largely rural and undeveloped, it feels a bit like Montauk — before the era of boutique hotels and beer gardens. "We walked along this one-lane highway to get to the beach," Collett says. "And there's like no houses. And it's just these breathtakingly beautiful rolling mountains that go to the ocean."

To the southwest of the city, on the Shonan coast, the town of Kamakura has reef breaks that can produce great swell (most consistently during typhoon season in August to October). When the waves are bad, Kamakura compensates with bustling beach bars and restaurants. Kumagai predicts more stylish businesses will soon open. This spring, a gallery called Greenroom that focuses on surf art had its first show. Last fall, a chic concept store and locavore restaurant called Garden House opened. Kumagai, who masterminded the retail concept for Adam et Rope Biotop, a trendy fashion and lifestyle store in Tokyo, is considering trying to bring a version to Kamakura — perhaps incorporating a smoothie shop and a farmers' market.

"To me it felt very much like Malibu," Rosen says of Kamakura's vibe. But it's hard to forget you're in Japan. The first clear day he surfed there, he says, "I was literally putting my wet suit on, and I looked up and to the right, and there was Mount Fuji."


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