TAILOR TOYO

The souvenir jacket, or Sukajan, began shortly after WWII when American soldiers stationed in Japan embroidered oriental motifs (such as eagles, tigers, and dragons), their unit, and base names onto their jackets as mementos. These jackets were commercialized as souvenirs and sold at various PX (Post Exchange, the term for stores within military bases). At the time, 'Port Merchant,' the predecessor of TAILOR TOYO (Toyo Enterprises), was the main supplier of these jackets to U.S. military bases, dominating up to 95 percent of the market share in the 1950s.