Since March, the "Artisan Model" has been available at the custom shirt corner on the 5th floor of Isetan Shinjuku. "Artisan" means "craftsman." Two of Japan's leading shirtmakers were commissioned to supervise the project, and the sewing is done by a domestic factory with high technical skills that has been handling Isetan Men's custom shirts until now, making it possible to order a shirt with meticulous attention to detail. This time, we had the opportunity to hear from Assistant Buyer Miyajima, who led the realization of this Artisan Model, and the aforementioned craftsmen about the journey to its creation and their renewed passion for shirts.

Bringing the solitary artisan into the light of day

While bespoke suit makers are often seen as the stars of the show, bespoke shirt makers tend to be more behind the scenes, and their names are rarely mentioned as craftsmen. However, among classic fashion enthusiasts, there are two craftsmen whose names are always mentioned as representative of Japan's top shirtmakers. These two masters of TOP OF TOP bespoke shirts are Yuta Minami and Masanori Yamagami.


Yuta Minami's shirts are "shirts that fulfill the customer's wishes." He honed his skills at a factory that produces high-end custom-made shirts for department stores, and as soon as he became independent, word of mouth spread among classic style enthusiasts. In the age of social media, when word of "Minami Shirts are amazing" spread throughout the industry, he began to receive inquiries from select shops and high-end department stores. Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi, in particular, made contact early on and opened a permanent order counter for him. Even now, Minami's atelier is within walking distance of Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi, making it easy to visit frequently, and since the renovation of Isetan Shinjuku Store, Men's Building it has also become possible to order Minami Shirts in Shinjuku.


"My house style is that there is no house style," says Mr. Minami, who skillfully handles both dress shirts and casual shirt orders. A distinctive feature of the shirts he tailors is the use of gathers, a sewing technique rarely seen in Japan. This method of creating uneven wrinkles—gathers—at the seams of the back yoke, shoulders, and sleeves to increase range of motion is a technique frequently used in handmade shirts in Europe. Mr. Minami, possessing this skill, uses these gathers in the specifications of his custom-made shirts tailored to his customers' wishes, making it an iconic feature. When you take off your jacket for a moment, the gathers will reveal that you are wearing a shirt made by Mr. Minami, eloquently telling the story that it is a custom-made shirt.


Assistant buyer Miyajima commented on Minami's shirt as follows:

"Mr. Minami's shirts have a certain allure. Beyond the gathers, for example, his button-down collars have sharp points, creating an original sense of balance that sets them apart from both American traditional and Italian classic styles. The curve of the collar's roll is also incredibly graceful and beautiful. He's skilled not only in dress shirts but also in casual shirts, which explains his excellent sense of balance. His formal wing collars are meticulously crafted, with careful consideration given to the size of the points and the angle of the stand. They fit perfectly with a bow tie, and can even be worn casually with jeans without a tie. These are classic dress shirts, yet also modern designer shirts; Mr. Minami's individuality is so clearly embodied that I don't think you could find another shirt quite like it."



Another artisan, Masanori Yamagami, has been making shirts on his own, but believing that "you can't make shirts without knowing suits," he has dedicated his life to shirt making from various angles, including working in a tailor's workshop and studying ergonomics to "understand human skeletons and physiques." He worked in the shirt order department of Strasburgo Minami Aoyama store and created ready-to-wear shirts under his own name, but became independent two years ago. Currently, Yamagami's bespoke shirts are available on a membership basis, and can only be ordered by joining his salon.


"I've been posting on social media that I change my shirt between the morning and afternoon," says Yamagami, who is basically always in a three-piece suit. He's also known for spending his days off in a suit, and anecdotes about him participating in parent-child events at his child's nursery school sports day in a suit, or going camping in a suit, have become legendary. "I only need a shirt because I wear a suit," he laughs, but it is his meticulous attention to detail in his shirts, down to the millimeter, that reflects his pride as an artisan. Those who know him secretly call him the "Shirt Demon."


"I first introduced Mr. Yamagami and Isetan at the Tanseikai event about two years ago, but I had been keeping an eye on them for some time. Immediately after going independent, I continued to explore the possibility of working together, and it has finally come to fruition. In an era where the demand for suits is said to be declining, I feel that the value of suit style has increased. That is why there is a growing number of customers who seek high-quality, sophisticated shirts for rare occasions, and this is reflected in the numbers. At Isetan Men's, we hope to create opportunities for customers to enjoy a single, carefully crafted dress shirt while reflecting their preferences," Miyajima says.

From handcrafted bespoke shirts to factory-made production

Miyajima 's Artisan Model, which started in March, has already become a hot topic. For an additional 5,000 yen on top of the regular Isetan Men's Original shirts, you can get a shirt made by a famous shirtmaker. While it was previously possible to order Mr. Minami's shirts at Isetan Shinjuku Store, Men's Building , this time it's an upgraded version.


We've worked together at Minami Mitsukoshi, and now at Isetan. The sewing factory is still in Koriyama, Fukushima Prefecture, and we've been able to continue using the "SEWN IN KORIYAMA" tag. This time, we were also able to add gathers to the shoulder area where the sleeves attach, so I think the finished product is closer to a bespoke, one-of-a-kind shirt.

I had many meetings with Mr. Miyajima Yamagami, and it took two years to finally get to this point.
Yamagami: I've received offers from various places before, but I just couldn't make it happen. This time, the sewing factory in Nagano that Miyajima-san introduced me to worked really hard and accommodated my requests, for which I am very grateful.


Miyajima Factory is currently undertaking various challenges. We were very inspired by the fact that you two took the lead in our efforts to reproduce the dedication of shirt craftsmen, enabling us to realize our commitment to tailoring.

The collar style, which is the most important aspect for Minami Shirts' craftsmen, is reproduced with meticulous care and is easily recognizable to customers. Even the parts that rely heavily on handwork are covered by their technical skill, and it made me realize once again how amazing Japanese factories are.

Yamagami: My previous job was at an Italian select shop, so I've seen a lot of Italian shirts. Italian shirts are very soft, and I've always valued softness just as much, or even more, but I was able to learn that Japanese factories can achieve this level of softness. In addition, they were able to implement features I'm particular about, such as using mortar-shaped buttons for easy fastening and unfastening, and teardrop-shaped buttonholes.


Minami : I'm also particular about buttons, and for bespoke garments I use shell buttons made in Nara Prefecture, and I was able to use those this time as well. By using these buttons with an original engraving on the back, I was able to contribute to the regional revitalization efforts I'm currently working on, such as using sewing from Fukushima Prefecture and buttons from Nara.



Ms. Minami Miyajima also cultivates cotton in Fukushima, right?

As part of a project to help with the recovery from the Southern Earthquake, cotton is being used to remove salt from the land after the tsunami. I wanted to contribute in some way, so I'm currently growing cotton in Minamisoma City. In the first year, I only harvested a very small amount, but last year I was able to harvest 30 kg of cotton. This year, I plan to weave it into cloth and make shirts.

What were the points of focus that the Artisan Model refused to compromise on?

Miyajima: So, could you tell us about the specific points you both focused on when creating this Artisan model?

First , regarding the collar styles, there are seven types of samples here.




The lineup includes regular, wide, cutaway, horizontal, and button-down collars, as well as tab and wing collars. The wide collar, with its rounded collar points, is a style you won't often see elsewhere.

Miyajima's back yoke and the gathers on the cuffs are definitely distinctive features.


The gathers, which are an icon of Minami Shirts, are also used in the shoulder area where the sleeves are attached. Another feature is the two back darts on both sides. The shirt fits snugly around the back and shapes the waist, so you'll recognize it as a Minami Shirt just by looking at the back. And then there are the buttons, which I mentioned earlier. We use shell buttons from Nara Prefecture. Nara Prefecture is landlocked, yet it is the number one producer of shell buttons in Japan.

Miyajima Yamagami's shirts come in nine different collar styles, each with a unique name.

The Yamagami collar style is named after a mountain I've climbed. Italian suit brands have model names for their jacket styles, and British shoe brands have model names for each design, right? I thought shirt collar styles should have model names too.

Was Minamiyama -san a mountain climbing enthusiast?

Yamagami: It's not exactly like that, but my name is Yamagami (Mountain God), isn't it? (laughs)




Miyajima: The most standard regular color is "FUJI (Mount Fuji)."

We offer three types of collars with different angles. The narrowest opening is called "FUJI," the next widest is called "KONPIRA," and the widest is the widest collar, called "SHIRAKAMI."

This really shows Miyajima 's attention to detail.

The lineup includes the short-point "MIYAMA," the round collar "YASHIMA," the tab collar "AONO," the cutaway "GOKEN," and the versatile "UNPEN" for wearing without a tie.

Miyajima is the name of a mountain in Shikoku, the birthplace of the mountain god.


The Yamagami Semi-Wide is called "KONPIRA," and I named it after a mountain in the town where I grew up, which is also famous in Kagawa Prefecture.

Miyajima also pays close attention to the sewing process.



The sleeve attachment area of the Yamagami Shoulder jacket has different stitching widths at the top and bottom. This allows the shoulder to curve inward, creating a softer feel when worn. The absence of darts in the back to cinch the waist, and the lack of buttons on the cuff placket, are also intended to create a soft, flowing feel when the jacket is taken off.


Both of Miyajima 's artisan models feature soft interlining and are meticulously crafted down to the smallest detail.

I initially thought it would be difficult to adapt the Yamagami bespoke model to factory production, but Mr. Miyajima told me to feel free to ask for anything, and when I made various requests, he was very cooperative, which put my mind at ease. I am grateful for his generosity in accepting me as I am, even though I have always done things my own way, and I think this will be an opportunity for people to see just how high the level of Japanese factory-made shirts is.

I've been doing this for a while now, and I feel like the quality is gradually improving. In particular, my studio is quite difficult to find unless you search carefully, so I'm happy that people are getting to know my name at Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi and Isetan Shinjuku Store, Men's Building .

Miyajima Isetan is pleased that the range of bespoke shirts has expanded along with our house models. We hope that this can become an entry point to bespoke shirts crafted by Japan's top shirtmakers, and that our customers will be able to fully experience the world of bespoke shirts.

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Text: Yasuyuki Ikeda
Photo: Tatsuya Ozawa

＊All prices include tax.
＊The information in this article is current as of the time of publication. Product information may be revised or changed without notice.

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