YOKKAICHI, Mie Prefecture--Looking for a pair of century-old Levi’s jeans? They’ll set well-heeled buyers back a cool 7 million yen ($52,700). How about a collectible pair of basketball shoes from the 1980s? That'll be another 2 million yen.

A store in the idyllic countryside here is filled with vintage “Made-in-America” clothing valued in the tens of millions of yen. Setting the nostalgic mood is a classic 1955 Chevrolet Nomad parked in the garage, welcoming like-minded enthusiasts who flock to this treasure trove.

On the second floor, casual clothing--from vintage Levi’s jeans to American college apparel and sought-after Nike and Converse sneakers--are on display, crammed everywhere. 

Chikara Kimoto, 44, runs the shop, which can be visited by advance reservation only.

Over the past 20 years, Kimoto has traveled to the United States, purchased vintage clothing and built an extensive collection.

“I’m from a generation who grew up romanticizing the United States and looking up to it,” Kimoto said.

ON THE ROAD IN AMERICA

Kimoto, who was born in Yokkaichi, Mie Prefecture, started purchasing American-made clothing and selling them at flea markets when he was a teenager.

When he was 21, he opened a vintage clothing store called KBS in central Yokkaichi. It was also when the craze for vintage clothes in Japan got into full swing.

Kimoto would travel to the United States several times a year, rent a car and drive from town to town in pursuit of thrift shops where he could search for hidden treasures. 

“In those days I was able to find one or two treasures a day and buy them for a few dollars. Then I could price them accordingly with my own values,” Kimoto recalled.

It was a time before the internet exploded and took over daily life. Collecting vintage clothing was a pleasure reserved exclusively for young and “edgy” people. And Kimoto misses those days.

The vintage clothing boom came to a sad end around the time of the 2008 financial crisis triggered by the collapse of the Lehman Brothers. 

Fewer people were willing to shell out money for such a nostalgic passion. Kimoto’s business lost customers, with sales falling to a third of its former level. 

The so-called “ice age” of vintage clothing businesses melted away in the 2010s, when the saviors came from overseas, particularly from emerging countries such as Thailand.

New customers were just like his previous ones, Kimoto said.

“Just like Japan in the past, young people in these countries have become prosperous and started looking for authentic vintage clothing.”

Their craze reminded Kimoto that “the American culture of the 1960s has a timeless, cross-national appeal.”

FROM TREND TO INVESTMENT

In the post COVID-19 pandemic era, Kimoto has noticed that the vintage clothing business has been radically reshaped by a new group of customers--global investors.

Vintage clothing appears to have become a standalone investment and the prices are skyrocketing due to the recent worldwide monetary easing policy trends, Kimoto said.

“It feels good that the items I collected when I was young trusting my own instincts are highly valued today,” he said.

“But it’s not one’s likes and dislikes that matters anymore. Rather, an investment value determines the price,” he added in a forlorn tone.

In 2020, Kimoto sold his store in central Yokkaichi and made the second floor of his house a new reservation-only store.

Clients would contact Kimoto through social media, list items that they wanted to buy and then pay him a visit.

Many of his customers will not wear the clothes they purchase. Instead, the pleasure comes in the act of investing in itself and has nothing to do with fashion or identity.

“Through vintage clothes, I have become aware of the immense shifts in the economy,” Kimoto said.

It is not the only change that Kimoto feels these days.

The fading appeal of the United States, which a young Kimoto had a romantic notion of, is undeniable from the rise of Donald Trump and his “America First” slogan to a spate of deadly mass shootings across the country.

“I don’t feel much of an attraction to the United States in the internet age,” Kimoto said. “It seems everything has become a one-size-fits-all.”

At the same time, the Made-in-America vintage clothing of the 1960s appears even more alluring to Kimoto today.

“My youth has gone and all the things I found fun have already gone, too. They are far from my reach. But precisely because of that, vintage clothes remain glowing,” he said.