Traditional Japanese jackets get a modern update in new Gundam collaboration

To celebrate the 30th anniversary of Mobile Fighter G Gundam, which first aired in 1994, a special hanten jacket has been created in collaboration with Miyata Orimono, a renowned cotton fabric manufacturer from Fukuoka Prefecture.

A hanten is a traditional type of unisex jacket that originated in the Edo period. Normally worn during winter, hanten are normally thickly padded to keep the wearer warm.

A traditional style hanten made by Miyata Orimono

Bandai have called on the services of Miyata Orimono, who have over a century of experience, to reimagine the traditional hanten with a modern twist for the collaboration with their Gundam apparel brand STRICT-G, which has stores across Japan.

The resulting garment features a sleek, retro-inspired design, with shorter sleeves and a refined silhouette.

Three striking designs that showcase some of the most iconic mobile suits from the Mobile Fighter G Gundam series have been created, with the back of each hanten featuring original designs intended to evoke traditional Japanese artwork.

First up is Domon Kasshu’s God Gundam, which has been paired with a majestic dragon:

The second hanten in the collection is based on Master Asia’s Master Gundam, which is paired with a fearsome tiger:

The third and final hanten features the Shining Gundam, piloted by Domon Kasshu and Rain Mikamura. The design is based on a scene in the series second intro:

The outer layer of each hanten is crafted from a high-quality Japanese cotton called nadeshiko and has been adorned with an intricate sashiko (decorative stitching) pattern.

Each hanten is meticulously handmade, with careful attention paid to the stuffing and stitching.

Priced at 26,400 yen each (approx. $170.57 USD/£136.14 GBP), pre-orders will begin on Friday, November 22, 2024 at 1:00 PM (JST) on the Bandai Namco Group’s official online store Premium Bandai.

Orders will close on Sunday, December 8th 2024 and shipping will commence later in December.

For those who can’t order online, sales will also take place at 4 STRICT-G stores across Japan from the 23rd of November:

STRICT-G Tokyo Odaiba store
STRICT-G Tokyo Solamachi Store
STRICT-G NEOPASA Shizuoka (downstream) Store
STRICT-G Taga SA (outbound) store

Stock will be limited for both online and in-store sales, so make sure you place your order or head to one of the participating stores as soon as possible!

Source, Images: Official Website