The story behind our kappa bomber jacket

Some garments begin with a sketch. Others begin with a fabric, a feeling, or simply the desire to create something we ourselves would love to wear. Our Kappa Bomber Jacket was one of those pieces.

It all started with the idea of creating a comfortable, oversized garment inspired by streetwear—something practical and easy to wear, but still deeply connected to the world of Akai Ito. As with many of our designs, we knew from the beginning that we wanted the piece to tell a story. The question was simply: which story would it carry?

At the same time, we already had a few meters of green denim left from our first university collection. Since we always try to work thoughtfully with the materials we already have, it felt natural to begin there. The fabric itself ended up shaping the direction of the piece. While one of us focused on developing the bomber jacket’s pattern and prototype, the other began researching which Yokai would best fit the mood, silhouette, and colour palette we had in mind.

That’s how we arrived at the Kappa.

(Original drawing by Akai Ito)

Who Is the Kappa?

The Kappa is one of the most well-known creatures in Japanese folklore. Usually described as a mischievous water-dwelling Yokai, the Kappa is said to inhabit rivers, ponds, and swamps. It is often depicted as a small humanoid creature with reptilian skin, webbed limbs, a turtle-like shell, and a dish of water on top of its head—the source of its strength.

Like many Yokai, the Kappa is a contradictory figure. It can be playful and humorous, but also dangerous. In traditional stories, Kappas are known for their love of cucumbers, their fondness for sumo wrestling, and their tendency to play tricks on humans. At the same time, they are often portrayed as mysterious beings connected to the power and unpredictability of water.

What drew us to the Kappa was precisely this mix of oddness, folklore, and visual identity. It felt like the perfect character to translate into a bold streetwear piece.

Why the Kappa Fit This Jacket

The moment we looked at the green denim, the connection started to make sense. The color immediately reminded us of the Kappa’s skin and of the murky greens of rivers, ponds, and swamps—the spaces these creatures are said to inhabit. We wanted the piece to feel grounded in those references without becoming costume-like, so the challenge was finding a balance between folklore and wearability.

The bomber jacket silhouette gave us exactly that opportunity.

Inspired by the generous proportions of traditional Japanese garments, we designed the jacket with an oversized fit and wide sleeves, allowing it to feel comfortable, contemporary, and expressive all at once. The structure of the denim gave the piece presence, while the relaxed shape made it easy to wear in everyday life.

To bring the concept even closer to the Yokai world, we developed an original Kappa illustration for the jacket, turning the folklore reference into something graphic and playful. Rather than simply borrowing a name from Japanese mythology, we wanted the garment to carry the spirit of the creature that inspired it.

From Leftover Fabric to One-of-a-Kind Piece

This jacket is also special to us because it reflects an important part of how we work. Whenever possible, we try to make use of the fabrics we already have, whether that means developing new ideas around existing materials or allowing those materials to guide the design process.

In this case, the leftover green denim from our university collection became the starting point for something entirely new. What could have remained forgotten in a small fabric pile instead became a garment with its own story, personality, and place within our collection.

We love when a piece comes together this way—when design, material, and narrative all meet at the same point.

A Piece That Carries a Story

The Kappa Bomber Jacket is more than just an oversized jacket. For us, it represents the way Akai Ito approaches fashion: through storytelling, experimentation, and a desire to create garments that feel both meaningful and wearable.

It’s a piece born from leftover fabric, shaped by Japanese folklore, and designed to be lived in. A jacket that carries a little bit of the strange, playful spirit of the Kappa into the modern world.

And honestly, we wouldn’t have it any other way.