“Use good gloves all the time” Japan-made brand | HIMARAK

The boy fell in love with snowboarding and was obsessively imitating images from overseas, and later became a snowboarder. I had fun skating and making friends, but at some point I started to feel like things were a little different. At the end of our journey to find the answer, we arrived at ``HIMARAK.''

HIMARAK-BACK TO NATURE

The impression is strong. Although snow globes are something we are used to seeing on a daily basis, the ``presence'' that HIMARAK gloves give off is unique. You could say it smells of rough nature and wildness... Of course, I don't know if the reason lies in the texture of the leather, the design, or the purely domestic craftsmanship.

The underlying spirit is "BACK TO NATURE". I wanted to explore the roots of the brand HIMARAK, which was born in 2009 as a purely domestic glove brand.

rider and digger

“I worked as a digger at Asagai Park in Naeba. I was also a rider. Around 1998, the snowboarding movement was in full swing and Asagai Park was a bit famous. At first, I was a shop rider for a few days. After that, I was sponsored by a brand called Hire. Around that time, movies and YouTube videos were just starting to become popular, so I started taking videos and riding as a rider.

It was really fun and rewarding. It was an opportunity for me to meet a lot of different riders, and the circle of friends I have today have been connected ever since.”

Ryuichi Kunihara.
The founder of HIMARAK is a former park digger and rider.
What was your first encounter with snow and snowboarding like?

``My parents liked skiing and we used to go out often, so I've been going to the mountains since before I could remember.I discovered snowboarding around the second year of junior high school and it was shocking.It was cool.At that time, I was still a snowboarder. There weren't many ski resorts to ski at, so I begged my parents to take me to the only ski resort in Yamanashi called Fujiten. I met a friend who liked snowboarding in high school, and I went there for three years. Before I knew it, I naturally became a shop rider.”

It looked like it was planned... but it was actually momentum.

When I was in Asagai, I wanted to become a professional rider, but I started to see my limits. Let's continue to be involved in snowboarding, which we love, more as a business than as a rider. Mr. Kunihara said he first became aware of this in his early 20s.

“Around 24 years old, I was doing everything I could as a rider, thinking about what I could do in the future, and preparing for it. Around 2004-2005, I started a restaurant business with a friend in my hometown of Kanagawa. It's a bar-like restaurant called "Sarji" in Sagamihara, Japan. At that time, I was going back and forth between the snowy mountains and the store, doing triangular movements until about 2007. Sarji means snow in Sanskrit. The store has been designed with the atmosphere of a snowy mountain in mind, creating a space that will make you feel like you are in the mountains.

The restaurant was set up by three people, and two of us, including myself, were amateurs with no experience in the restaurant business. Why eat and drink? When asked, I just said, ``I just want to have a fun drink with my friends (lol). Personally, I try to make it look like it's going according to plan, but in reality it's not, and when I get an idea, I act immediately.'' I feel like I'm just not smart enough (lol),'' he says with a mischievous laugh.

Currently, in addition to Sarji, they also operate Cafe & BAR HIMARAK, a stylish shop that expresses HIMARAK's worldview in Sagamihara. Plate lunches, stylish bistro-style menus, snowy country sake and other delicious foods are available, and Globe's latest products are also on display. Local guests as well as HIMARAK users will gather and have fun talking about snowy mountains. It's a nice, laid-back, hot space.

The idea of ​​a glove

``When the store's launch was settled down, I decided that I wanted to start another business.The story of gloves came up during that time.When I was a digger, I used thin vinyl gloves to work. However, they quickly became full of holes and became useless.In comparison, leather gloves were durable and I thought they were the best option.

Around this time, I started to feel it. "Isn't there something different about it?" A shop rider was trying his best to force a customer to buy a product. It was a time when pro shops sold a lot of them, and manufacturers just made and sold them in large quantities. However, the amount of skates does not match the number of skaters.

Being in such a situation made me feel strongly. I think it's important to create products that can be used for a long time, rather than selling them in large numbers, and instead of changing the model every year, it's necessary to grow them, use them for a long time, and make them your own. But I can't think of that idea with a board, and I think wearing clothes would be too heavy. If you take care of your gloves and repair them, you can use them for a long time. Pin in me! It was Tokitan.

This was also the trend of the times. The designs have become simpler and more minimalistic, and the products are one-of-a-kind, rather than based on the latest model year. I think it was around the time that there was a movement toward an era where people wanted to use good products for a long time rather than sell a lot of them.

However, at that time, gloves were not in line with that trend and seemed to be on the decline within the industry. It doesn't get much attention as a gear, or rather, there is little interest in quality... Isn't it enough to just buy a cheap one from a mass retailer every year? Like. That's why I felt like the dots were connected to form a line, and I thought that gloves were the theme of the future.''

This is how Mr. Kunihara began making gloves.

“At first, we started with no factories or anything. We first decided to jump into Kagawa Prefecture because the distribution rate of factories was concentrated. We started moving in 2009, but it was really just momentum. When I thought about it, I was wondering if I could do the same thing now.Since I had to involve my restaurant partners and go with the momentum, I felt a sense of responsibility.

Although he desperately tried to visit factories one by one in Kagawa, things did not go as planned. However, I finally found the factory that I am currently working with. Even though the lot was small, they listened to me kindly. You were lucky.”

HIMARAK gloves made in this way

``Since I had zero experience in making gloves, I proceeded with the production after repeated discussions with the factory.Since the products were made by a professional glove-making factory with high technical capabilities in Kagawa, I was able to get enough information from the prototype stage. It was a good product, but further details such as the thickness, sewing method, inner and outer stitching, and magic were incorporated into the details. The specifications of the tape and the string...

Feedback from riders who are on the top of a mountain in the Alpine area, in the backcountry, or in other harsh natural conditions, ``This part didn't work in the field,'' ``This part shouldn't be used,'' ``More I wish it were like this,'' etc., one by one. Fortunately, because it is domestically produced and the factory is located in Kagawa, we were able to immediately and directly reflect requests and corrections received from the field into the product."

Mr. Kunihara thought that if this could be overcome, the glove would be perfect for use on the slopes or in the side country. First, how can you withstand harsh conditions?

``However, it also increased costs.At that time, gloves were selling for 7,000 to 8,000 yen at mass retailers.Maybe it was a sense of value that gloves were like this.People who spent money on gloves There weren't many.

In such a situation, I was a little hesitant because HIMARAK was about twice the price, but after all, it's a good product and people can use it. ``HIMARAK is expensive, right?'' gradually became known as ``It can be used for 2 to 3 years,'' and then ``It can be used for 4 years, so it's actually cheap.'' Through this experience, I realized that it's not a bad idea to make good products and raise the price."

Thus, in 2011, Mr. Kunihara released his first work under the HIMARAK brand, three types of gloves: five-finger cowhide, spring type, and mitten. The mittens were designed with a focus on heat retention, how warm they were, and the five-finger design focused on workability, with a grip on the handle and a grip on the fingertips.

We don't want to compromise on making good products - HIMARAK branding

HIMARAK - In Sanskrit, HIMA means "mountain" and RAK means "to love." HIMARAK was a word coined by Mr. Kunihara, but even in Nepal, HIMARAK means a love of mountains.

When you look at the logo, you will see a graphic of the sun rising from the ridgeline of a mountain. Mr. Kunihara drew this mountain, but I thought it was the Himalayas, but it wasn't!

"This is Mt. Tanigawa (lol). Sorry. It's a Made in Japan brand. I'm working on the logo design with my colleagues who are involved in the production, and the shape of the mountain has changed slightly from before, and the ridgeline has become much smoother. Maybe it's because I'm getting rounder because of my age? (laughs)

It's been 10 years since I started HIMARAK, and during that time I had some great encounters.

``What really decided the direction of HIMARAK for me was my encounter with rider Yosuke Nishida.He acted as an advisor and actually used our gloves.Nishida-san said at the time, Mr. Nishida has worked on many branding projects, including TJ, and was able to achieve what I idealized.I was impressed by the values ​​of Mr. Nishida's brand.

I learned a lot about why branding is necessary, how to increase the value of a brand, and the idea that coolness is important. It's not just the outward appearance, but the inner soul.

Personally, I think branding is about pursuing something good. You don't have to mass produce it; you only need what you need. The worst thing you can do is to insist on selling something because you have to sell it, and the quality of the product will drop. As a brand, if you start clinging to it, it's over. I don't want to compromise on making good products.

I think branding is all about how close you can get to the user's feelings. I believe that by fulfilling each of the wishes of our users, ``It would be better if it were this way,'' our brand power will increase. By steadily accumulating these things, we can get closer to becoming a true brand."

Mr. Kunihara's commitment and strong passion for the brand will expand the world of HIMARAK.
I also had a lucky encounter.

Interacting helps maintain good vibes.

“Although HIMARK is small, we have a community of customers and friends.We also produce original items in collaboration with shops and other brands.We can create original items from just 20 pairs, giving it a special feel. When users feel that, they become more united and become friends. By interacting with different people, they can get inspired and maintain a good vibe as a brand."

By the way, this is a collaboration piece with "LADE Beanie" which was also featured in STEEP Contains LADE logo and original graphics. The leather on the ear flaps is from HIMARAK gloves. The design takes into consideration the climate and regional characteristics of Tohoku, where LADE is based.

``There are three types of designs: mitten and five-finger designs, considering the thickness and functionality that would be suitable for use in Tohoku.It's not too thick, easy to use, and very warm.'' comments Mr. Aida, the owner of LADE Beanie. Mr. Kunihara says this.
"We have a lot in common with LADE. Collaborating with LADE is fun and gives us really good vibes."
Indeed, when you look at the collaborative works created in this way, you can see the compatibility and harmony between the two worldviews. The yellowtail is amazing.

And in the '24-25 season, HIMARAK raised the stage yet again. He produced the first quad glove (four fingers) in the snow industry. Three-finger gloves are now well-known, but the idea of ​​having four fingers was unknown. Of course, this is a work that fulfills the wishes of riders and users.

``If you think about moving your fingers while working in the snowy mountains, five fingers are of course the most functional and best.However, the disadvantage is that the little finger in particular tends to get cold.In that case, in order to keep the little finger warm, one finger is the most functional. I arrived at the answer that it was the best," said Kunihara.

“We chose deerskin because it is soft, hard to harden, and retains heat well.However, deer is more expensive.Although the price will inevitably go up, we decided to use deerskin. I guess it's deer after all. Deer has a finer texture and is more resistant to wear than cows.

The reason we started using deer was because we were aware of the increasing number of Japanese deer, which are causing damage to crops and forests, and other deer damage. Rather than just exterminating the deer, I thought it would be great if we could use them effectively."

Mission and vision as a creator

I wonder what kind of scenery Mr. Kunihara sees in the future.

``I think there are still many things I can do.My ultimate goal is to get to the point where I can make handmade gloves for individuals.And I want to be able to make individual gloves so that they can be used semi-permanently.'' To the point where complete repairs can be made.

For example, if the leather on your palm breaks, you can replace it with a new piece of leather and use it for a longer period of time. I would be very happy if such a repair service could be provided to all users.

There is no need to increase production numbers that much in the future. Get paid for repairs. Ideally, in addition to your favorite gloves, you would add new ones so that you can use them differently depending on the purpose or scene. For example, you might want something with high heat retention for backcountry travel in the harsh winter months, thin spring gloves for the spring season, or something light for cruising on the slopes. I hope that people who like HIMARAK will use it for various stages and use it for a long time.

If people saw me, they would think, why am I doing this? I like doing things like that.

I believe that my mission and role as a maker will be complete if I can first complete a complete repair and then create a customized glove for each person. I would also like to take on the challenge of leaving Japan and going overseas someday. That's why, starting this season, we're adding the tag "Made in Kagawa, Japan" to our gloves.

Kunihara is currently building a HIMARAK showroom next to a restaurant in Sagamihara. We are working diligently with the hope that this will become a reception desk for glove customization and repairs. We are looking forward to completion and the start of the new service this fall.

Himarak Cafe
11-11 Oyama-cho, Sagamihara City, Kanagawa Prefecture
Tel: 042-703-6945
Monday〜Saturday 18:00〜0:00(Lo 23:00) Lest Sunday,Holiday

HIMARAK
official website: http://himarak.co.jp/Official
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