We are here to supply you with an amazing selection of
limited edition clothing, shoes, accessories and hard to find Japanese imports.

I stumbled upon Waraku and it instantly became my new favorite store in LA. Sneakers and T-shirts are imported directly from Japan with a focus on brands and styles not typically available in the US. I was able to grab a pair of Nike Sabaku slip-ons (below, left) and also learned about Namitatsu, the Japanese surf brand.

Namitatsu, which translates to "wave master," is a line of t-shirts and sneakers featuring modern interpretations of traditional Japanese imagery. The most exciting of which are Yakuza surfers with Irezumi style full body tattoos designed by artist Hideo Takeda. Canvas slip-ons, lace-ups and high tops have these designs screened on to them. The Namitatsu site only seems to have t-shirts on it, but Waraku's online store has several styles for men and women.

apt11
Nice kicks over at the Waraku website. I got me a pair of sandals coming. They’re on sale, which in the case of this site, means they are priced in reality (normally $140??). Most of their shoes are decently priced considering they are shipped from Japan and are limited edition shoes. Happy shopping!

If you are looking for the latest fashion trends from Japan, look no further, Waraku on Abbot Kinney is there for you.

Located right next to the popular bar The Other Room, Waraku is a small store offering a very large selection of sneakers, t-shirts and other fashion accessories directly imported from the street culture of Tokyo. There are some unique sneakers and many limited editions from Nike, Asics Onitsuka, Puma, Adidas, etc. along with Japanese brands like Patrick and Namitatsu which will soon hit the U.S. market. Digging up through Waraku's large collection of sneakers will most likely end up with nice surprises.

Waraku also carries original apparel for men and women designed by Namitatsu, Studio Dartisan, Buden and many other Japanese brands that make the Tokyo's street culture what it is today.

Yasu and the other members of Waraku's staff are very friendly and will be happy to introduce you to the Japanese culture and fashion.

All in all, Waraku is another one of the amazing stores that populate the very trendy Abbot Kinney Blvd.

To check out their online store and get detailed directions, go to www.warakuusa.com

In last month's Domino magazine there was a feature on shopping in Venice Beach. While most of what was profiled is far out of my financial reach, I was intrigued by the mention of a Japanese (!) sneaker store (!!) called Waraku. Last weekend's 100-degree-plus temps here in the San Gabriel Valley seemed as good an excuse as any to head to the beach.

Waraku is tiny. Tiny!! And it was packed, making it a less-than-perfect environment for a claustrophobe like myself. Since I am, after all, on a spending freeze, I only took a quick look around, but it was love at first sight. There were tons of unusual Converse; Asics from Japan; and my favorite - these great slip-ons from Namitatsu. At $78 per pair, they're a bit on the spendy side. In an ideal world, though, I'd get at least three pairs.

Last week I stumbled upon Waraku and it instantly became my new favorite store in LA. Sneakers and T-shirts are imported directly from Japan with a focus on brands and styles not typically available in the US. I was able to grab a pair of Nike Sabaku slip-ons (below, left) and also learned about Namitatsu, the Japanese surf brand.

Namitatsu, which translates to "wave master," is a line of t-shirts and sneakers featuring modern interpretations of traditional Japanese imagery. The most exciting of which are Yakuza surfers with Irezumi style full body tattoos designed by artist Hideo Takeda. Canvas slip-ons, lace-ups and high tops (below, right) have these designs screened on to them. The Namitatsu site only seems to have t-shirts on it, but Waraku's online store has several styles for men and women.

Our Japanese obsessed National Editor emailed us earlier this morning with a find he found on the internet. In addition to the Famima's sprouting up all over the place (and yes, to the two or three of you who've emailed, we have seen the one on Hollywood Blvd. and yes, we can't wait till it opens), there is a new Japanese brand hitting our shores. Via Cool Hunting, we now learn of Waraku on Abbot Kinney which is importing Japanese "limited edition" and hard-to-find gear to our shores. The shoe and shirt selection looks masterful, providing Nike Air Sabaku's and the clothing brand Namitatsu. We will be there this weekend.

You might have already read about Waraku on Cool Hunting. But if you haven't, allow us to introduce you to this new addition to our shopping guide.

Waraku in Venice does a yeoman's job of trekking to Japan and bringing back some rather cool sneakers, T-shirts and denim. First they bring in Japanese shoes from well known sneaker companies like Nike, Puma and Converse. Why some of these shoes aren't available directly in the US is beyond us but they aren't so for now Waraku is the only place in the US that we know of where you can find these. Then they bring in clothing, sneakers and denim from various Japanese companies, many heavily influenced by skate and surf culture. There's the surf brand Namitatsu that makes T-shirts that would put most American surf shirts to shame. Or denim brand Studio D'Artisan which has been making fine denim jeans since 1979. Check it out.

Waraku le shop de Venice Beach (L.A) à toujours les Nike les plus incroyables des USA...
La Nike Air Sabaku inspirée par la "desert boot", un esprit "Yakari" dans des baskets très confortable.
La série "Sabaku" est très populaire chez les jeunes Tokyoïtes de Shibuya & Harajuku.

Dans la série..."je ne veux pas avoir la même basket que tout le monde" voici la Nike Air Sabaku Slip.
Modèle en série limitée exclusivement dispo au Japon !

Check out these sweet slip ons with one of many awesome Japanese screen prints. How could you go for the checkerboard when these are out on the market! Waraku is on Abbot Kinney in Venice, here's what they say about themselves:

"Shopping at WARAKU is like entering a den of t the sneaker fetish influenced with today’s TOKYO culture, and digging up a hidden treasure. There are some unique - one of a kind- sneakers and many limited editions from NIKE, ASICS-ONITSUKA, PUMA, ADIDAS etc. along with Japanese brands like PATRICK and NAMITATSU which hard to hit in the United States. Also be sure to check out the clothing/accessory selection from kitsch lovers’ knick-knacks to asymmetrical reversible jackets by Japanese creative young designers exclusively imported from Japan."

I can't believe I have never been here - but I'll be checking it out on my lunch break next week.

Waraku imports jeans, tee-shirts and sneakers directly from Tokyo, and has fantastic stuff. My favorite was a great blue tee-shirt with a white carp jumping a black stream. There was also a fantastic white tee with hand painted siamese fighting fishes, the ones with the long flowing tail and fins, and many other great designs.

We’re here to supply you with an amazing selection of limited edition clothing, shoes, accessories and hard to find Japanese imports. Be prepared to find merchandise from popular brand names like Nike, Converse, Patrick, Namitatsu and Buden that just are not available in other stores in the U.S.

I think I would have bought half the store, but I managed to leave with only a single bag, containing that one blue tee-shirt. But I think I might have to come back later.

A Little Famima and Some Waraku Too
Our Japanese obsessed National Editor emailed us earlier this morning with a find he found on the internet. In addition to the Famima's sprouting up all over the place (and yes, to the two or three of you who've emailed, we have seen the one on Hollywood Blvd. and yes, we can't wait till it opens), there is a new Japanese brand hitting our shores. Via Cool Hunting, we now learn of Waraku on Abbot Kinney which is importing Japanese "limited edition" and hard-to-find gear to our shores. The shoe and shirt selection looks masterful, providing Nike Air Sabaku's and the clothing brand Namitatsu. We will be there this weekend.

It takes a nation of millions...
I will smash your weakly held values...
Until just this very moment, the San Benito All Stars were interested in exactly 6 brands of sneakers:

Vans - Adidas - Converse - Asics - Nike - Puma

We've long rejected out of hand the idea that any sneaker from some new fangled company was acceptable footwear for the truly down individual. We feel this longstanding guideline has kept our feet and minds out of all kinds of questionable situations, and until now we've never had reason to alter it.

That said, style and design rules become worthless fairly quickly without constant re-evaluation. This constant attention serves dual purposes, strengthening the rule each time it's proved true, while simultaneously allowing for the chance that the rule will someday be proved false.

In the case of the 6 brands rule, that fateful day has come.

"Namitatsu, translated into English as “wave master” is an imported Japanese surf brand, great for strutting your stuff on the boardwalk. This imported young brand blends surf style with Japanese tradition to create kabuki-inspired relaxed shoes for men and women. Based in Tokyo, this label is making a splash in the U.S. for surf enthusiasts."

Leave it to the Japanese.

Waraku: The Japanese Import Fashion Store
I don’t know if any American considers Japan as the forefront of men’s fashion, but if you’re into their styles, check out Waraku. They’ve got direct import shoes and apparel from the streets of Tokyo—no Engrish anywhere to be found, fortunately.

There’s some interesting shirt designs and some so-so shoes. There’s a brick & mortar store in LA if you want a firsthand look. Or just order directly from their site. I hear Japanese girls, the ones that actually just got here from Japan a few months ago, really dig clothes from home. Really. I’m not just making this up. I swear. Please believe me.

Takashi and Yoshi Shimazaki had been working in the apparel business for 12 years when they decided they’d had enough of working for the man and went solo. As they’d already had a relationship with stores across the US and Japan, and were bouncing back and forth across the Pacific about 20 times a year, their plan seemed pre-destined: to open a store in the US specializing in Japanese imports. But their decision wasn’t just based on circumstance—they had a mission. “We think the fashion in Tokyo is one of the top in the world,” explains Yoshi. “They really have fashionable youth over there.” And as any sneaker fiend can testify, that’s an enormous understatement. There are so many Japan-only styles brought out each year that a black market international cartel has developed, so much so that the island nation has developed into the Colombia of narcotics for the sneaker junkie. Nike, Puma, New Balance and Adidas have their own Japanese design teams that make product strictly for the Japanese market. If it just so happens that their product is dope, it’s because the Japanese public has great taste. (Although one walk through the Harajuku district in Tokyo might argue that point.) Fittingly, they decided to name their new store Waraku, which means—get this—“Enjoy Japanese culture” and “Peace.” How can you go wrong with that? Now all they needed was find a location…

Ever since the mid ’90s the Shimazakis had been visiting a small side street in Venice Beach called Abbot Kinney. They loved the quirky atmosphere of the boulevard, but thought it too small and tangential for a successful store. “We kept saying ‘Not yet, not yet,’ until about two years ago, and then we finally said ‘OK, it’s time.’” And so they leased out a small space on the emerging street. And as Abbot Kinney as a thoroughfare has exploded over the past two years—getting shouts-out in such pop bibles as Vanity Fair—their store has ignited as well. But with their merchandise, it would be almost impossible to fail. Lining one side of the store are hundreds of shoes, most of the styles imported directly from Japan—rare and limited edition lines impossible to find anywhere east of the Mississippi: Puma El Reys, which sold briefly in the US but no longer, as well as Puma Tabis—ankle-high earthtone sneaks; the much-relished Sabaku or “Desert” Nikes, a limited edition style that are blowing up eBay at presstime; and Tretorn, Pro-Ked and Japan-only Converse slip-ons (green and grey camo), all for around $100.

But aside from Western brands, the true highlights of the shop are the various Japanese labels—such as Namitatsu, or “Wavemaster.” It’s a surfing brand from Japan with a sick collection of slip-ons ($78–$120) illustrated with Samurai, Koi fish and various other Asian motifs. Or Ts from Chikiriya ranging from $40 to $85, which may be pricey but not crazy considering the handstitching, detailed touches and graphics. Other random items include shoulder bags, purses, belts and hand-painted jeans, which at over $200 are the most expensive items in the store. “Importing clothing can be a little problem because of the size,” explains Yoshi of their inventory, “but shoes not as much—our feet aren’t that different.”

While there are numerous shops in LA where the sneaker-obsessed subculture can get their fix, no collector should consider their search complete without a visit to Waraku. This little shop along Abbot Kinney features a diverse and eclectic collection of kicks and t-shirts imported directly from Japan with a focus on brands and styles not typically available in the US. Look closely and you're bound to find many limited edition shoes, as well as some one-of-a-kind models from well known manufacturers like Nike, Asics Puma, Adidas as well as Japanese brands like Patrick and Namitatsu which are nearly impossible to find without boarding a JAL jumbo-jet and the subsequent hour-long bus ride from Narita to Tokyo.

For sneakerheads and fans of Japanese fashion (jeans and cool tees), Waraku offers some collection you won't find in typical LA stores (even Fred Segal or American Rag). If you want to stand out, be different while keeping your cool, drop by Waraku.

If you'd rather look fashionable while hitting the bars than pumping the free weights, check out the Japan-centric specialty sneaker store Waraku. Blurring the line between active footwear and fashion-focused designs, shoes found here would fit in just as well on a casual night out as they would in a gym. Waraku loosely translates to enjoying Japanese styles; fittingly, the store is brimming with ultra-contemporary Japanese -import models unavailable anywhere else in the States. Sneaker connoisseurs and hipsters come for mainstream-brand shoes that have been reworked with Japanese aesthetics: Look for Tiger-label Asics swathed in silk dragon prints or Nike's Sabaku line, embroidered with a sumo wrestler silhouette in place of the signature swoosh. Also popular are Japanese surf label Namitatsu's slip-on skater shoes, emblazoned with iconic watercolor cherry blossoms and Japanese warrior graphics. And for those looking to accessorize, Waraku also sells canvas bowling-style bags that are completely gym-ready --- even if you aren't.