"Use good gloves for a long time" Japan-made brand | HIMARAK

The boy fell in love with snowboarding and was so engrossed in imitating what he saw in overseas videos that he later became a snowboarder. He enjoyed snowboarding and making new friends, but at some point he began to feel like "this isn't quite right." At the end of his journey to find the answer, he arrived at "HIMARAK."

HIMARAK - BACK TO NATURE

The impression is strong. Even though snow gloves are something we're used to seeing, Himarak gloves have a unique presence. They exude the scent of rough-hewn nature and the wild...you could say that. Of course, we don't know if this is due to the texture of the leather, the design, or the purely Japanese craftsmanship

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

Rider and Digger

"I was a digger at Asagai Park in Naeba. I was also a rider. It was around 1998, during the height of the snowboarding movement, and Asagai Park was quite famous. I started out as a shop rider for two or three years, and then I got sponsored by a brand called Higher. At that time, movies and YouTube videos were just starting to become popular, so I was also a rider and took videos while I was a digger

It was a lot of fun and rewarding. It gave me the opportunity to meet a lot of different riders, and the circle of friends I have today dates back to that time."

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

"My parents loved skiing and would often go out, so I'd been going to the mountains since before I could even remember. I was in the second year of junior high school when I discovered snowboarding and it was a big shock. It was so cool. At the time, there weren't many ski resorts where you could snowboard. I would often beg my parents to take me to the only nearby one, Fujiten in Yamanashi. In high school, I met a friend who loved snowboarding and went there regularly for three years. Before I knew it, I'd naturally become a shop rider."

It looked like a plan... but it was actually just momentum

While he was in Asagai, he thought he wanted to be a professional rider, but he soon began to see his limits. He decided he wanted to continue being involved in his beloved snowboarding, not as a rider, but as a business. Kunihara says he became aware of this in his early twenties

"Around the age of 24, I was doing my best as a rider while thinking about what I could do beyond that and preparing for it. Around 2004-2005, I started a food and beverage business with some friends. It's a bar-like place called "Saruji" in Sagamihara, Kanagawa Prefecture, my hometown. Back then, I was going back and forth between the snowy mountains and the shop, moving in a triangular fashion until around 2007. Saruji means snow in Sanskrit. We created a shop with an atmosphere that is reminiscent of snowy mountains, a space where you can feel like you're in the mountains.

Three of us started the shop, but two of us, including myself, were complete amateurs with absolutely no experience in the food and beverage industry. If you ask me why food and beverage, I honestly just think, "It would be nice to have a good drink with friends, that's all (laughs). Personally, I try to make it seem like everything is according to plan, but that's not really the case. I tend to act immediately on whatever comes to mind. I'm a little bit short on screws (laughs)," he says with a mischievous laugh.

In addition to Saruji, they also currently operate a stylish establishment called "Cafe & BAR HIMARAK" in Sagamihara, which expresses the worldview of HIMARAK. They offer a wide variety of delicious food, including plate lunches, stylish bistro-style menus, sake and alcohol from the snow country, and the latest Globe products are also on display. It's a nice, laid-back space where not only local guests but also HIMARAK users gather to talk about snowy mountains

The idea of ​​gloves

"Once the store had settled down, we decided we wanted to start another business. That's when the glove story came up. When I was a digger, I used thin vinyl gloves, but they quickly got full of holes and became unusable. Leather gloves, on the other hand, were more durable and I thought they were the best

Around this time, I began to feel that something was not right. Riders at shops were trying hard to force customers to buy their products. It was an era when pro shops were selling a lot, and manufacturers were just making and selling in large quantities. But there was only quantity, and it didn't match the number of riders

Finding myself in that situation, I strongly felt that rather than selling a large number of products, it was necessary to create products that could be used for a long time, and rather than changing the model every year, it was necessary to nurture them, use them for a long time, and make them your own. But I couldn't think of that way with skis, and I thought it would be too much for clothing. With gloves, if you take good care of them and repair them, you could use them for a long time. That's when it hit me!

The times were changing in that direction. Designs were becoming simpler and more minimal, and products were no longer based on the latest model year, but rather on being one-of-a-kind. I think this was a time when a movement was emerging towards an era where people wanted to use good products for a long time, rather than selling a lot of them

But at the time, gloves were not part of this trend, and it felt like they were on the decline in the industry. It seemed like they weren't getting much attention as gear, or that there wasn't much interest in quality... It felt like it was enough to just buy cheap ones from a mass retailer and replace them every year. So, I felt like the dots were connecting and forming a line in my mind that gloves might be a hot topic in the future."

This is how Kunihara's glove making began

"At first, we started with no factory or anything. We decided to go to Kagawa Prefecture because there are a lot of factories there. We started in 2009, but it really just went with the flow. Looking back, I wonder if I could do the same thing now. I got our restaurant partners involved and got carried away with the momentum, so I felt a sense of responsibility to see it through

I desperately tried to find factories one by one in Kagawa, but things didn't go as planned. But finally, I found the factory I'm currently working with. Even though the lot size was small, they were willing to listen to me. I was really lucky."

This is how the Himarak glove was made

"We had no experience in making gloves, so we exchanged opinions with the factory and proceeded with production. Because it was made by a professional glove-making factory in Kagawa with high technical skills, the prototype was good enough, but for the more detailed parts, we took the feedback and thoughts of the riders in the field into account. Thickness, stitching, inner and outer stitching, type of drawstring, Velcro specifications, laces, etc

We listened to the honest feedback from riders in harsh natural conditions, whether they were on top of mountains in the alpine area or in the backcountry, and heard comments such as, 'This part didn't work in the field,' 'We shouldn't use this part,' or 'It would be better if it was like this.' We were fortunate to have a domestically produced product with a factory in Kagawa, so we were able to immediately and directly reflect requests and corrections we received from the field in the product."

Kunihara thought that if they could overcome this hurdle, they would be able to provide gloves that would be sufficient for skiing on slopes, side country, etc. First, how could they withstand harsh conditions?

"However, this was also expensive. At the time, gloves were being sold at mass retailers for 7,000 to 8,000 yen. I guess there was a sense of value that gloves were only worth that much. Few people were willing to spend money on gloves

In this situation, we were a little hesitant to make Himarak twice as expensive, but good products are still going to be used. People's opinions changed from, "Himarak is expensive," to, "It can be used for two or three years," and then to, "It can be used for four years, so it's actually quite cheap." Through this experience, we realized that it wasn't such a bad idea to make good products and raise the price."

Thus, Kunihara released his first work under the HIMARAK brand, three types of cowhide gloves: five-finger gloves, spring type gloves, and mittens, in 2011. The mittens were designed with a focus on heat retention and warmth, while the five-finger gloves were designed with an emphasis on workability, with grips on the fingertips and grips on the handles

We don't want to compromise on quality manufacturing - HIMARAK's branding

HIMARAK - In Sanskrit, hima means "mountain" and rak means "love." HIMARAK is a word coined by Kunihara, but even in Nepal, HIMARAK is understood to mean "love of the mountains."

The logo features a graphic of the sun rising from a mountain ridge. It was drawn by Kunihara, and this mountain... I thought for sure it was the Himalayas, but I was wrong!

"It's Mount Tanigawa (laughs). Sorry, it's a Made in Japan brand. I designed the logo with a friend who is involved in the production, and the shape of the mountain has changed slightly since before, with the ridges becoming much smoother. Maybe it's because it's gotten rounder with age? (laughs)"

It has been 10 years since we started HIMARAK, and during that time we have had some great encounters

"It was when I met rider Yosuke Nishida that the direction of HIMARAK was firmly established for me. He was actually using our gloves as an advisor. At the time, Nishida was involved in a number of branding projects, including TJ, and was realizing my ideals. I was impressed by the values ​​of Nishida's brand

It was a big learning experience for me to understand why branding is necessary, how to increase the value of a brand, and the idea that "coolness is important." This doesn't just mean external appearance, but also the inner soul

Personally, I think branding is about pursuing quality. Don't mass-produce, just make what you need. The worst thing is for the quality of the product to decline because you're too focused on sales because you have to sell. A brand is a brand, and once you start clinging to it, it's over. I don't want to compromise on making good products

My idea of ​​branding is how close you can get to the feelings of your users. I believe that by realizing each of your users' wishes, such as 'it would be better if it was like this,' you can increase your brand's power. By steadily building up this experience, you can get closer to becoming a true brand

Kunihara's dedication and strong passion for the brand are expanding the world of HIMARAK.
And they have also attracted fortunate encounters.

Interacting helps maintain good vibes

"HIMARK may be small, but we have a community of customers and colleagues. We produce original items in collaboration with shops and other brands. We can create original items starting from 20 pairs, which gives them a special feeling. When users feel that, they bond more closely and become closer. By interacting with various parties, we are inspired and are able to maintain a good vibe as a brand."

Incidentally, this is"LADE Beanie," which was also featured in STEEP. It features the LADE logo and original graphics. The leather on the ear flaps is the same leather used for HIMARAK gloves. The design also takes into account the climate and regional characteristics of Tohoku, where LADE is based.

"We've created three designs—mittens and five-fingered gloves—considering the thickness and functionality that would be ideal for use in Tohoku. They're not too bulky, offer great dexterity, and are incredibly warm—a truly excellent product," comments Mr. Aida, owner of LADE Beanie. Mr. Kunihara adds,
"We have a lot in common with LADE. Collaborating with them is fun, and I get really good vibes from it."
Indeed, looking at the collaborative works they've created, the affinity and harmony between their respective worldviews is truly remarkable.

And in the 2024-2025 season, Himarak took it to the next level by producing the snowboard industry's first quad gloves (four fingers). Three-finger gloves are now commonplace, but four-finger gloves were a novel idea. Of course, this was a product that fulfilled the wishes of riders and users

"When you think about moving your fingers while working on snowy mountains, five fingers are obviously the most functional. However, there is still the disadvantage that the little finger in particular gets cold easily. So we came to the conclusion that four fingers are best to keep the little finger warm," says Kunihara

"We chose deer leather because it is soft, does not harden easily, and has excellent heat retention. However, deer leather is more expensive. The price is inevitably higher, but when we think about what is best, we think deer leather is the best. Deer leather has a finer texture than cow leather and is more resistant to wear

The reason we started using deer was because we were aware of the problems caused by the increasing number of sika deer, such as the destruction of crops and forests. Rather than simply exterminating the deer, we wanted to make effective use of them."

Mission and vision as a creator

I wonder what kind of scenery Kunihara sees ahead

"I think there is still a lot we can do. Ultimately, I would like to reach the point where I can make handmade gloves for individuals. And also, to be able to do complete repairs for each individual glove so that they can be used semi-permanently

For example, if the leather on the palm gets torn, you can replace it and continue using it for a longer period of time. It would be great if we could provide such a repair service to all users

We don't need to increase production numbers much in the future. We will receive payment for repairs. Ideally, in addition to the gloves that customers already use, they would add new ones to their collection to use for different purposes and situations. For example, they could have a pair of highly insulating gloves for backcountry skiing in the harsh winter, a thinner pair for spring, and a lighter pair for cruising on the slopes. We hope that people who like HIMARAK will have a pair for various stages and use them for a long time

I like to do things that make people wonder why I'm doing that

First of all, I want to be able to achieve complete repairs, and then once I can customize gloves for each individual, I think my mission and role as a maker will be complete. I would also like to take on the challenge of going outside of Japan and going overseas. That's why, starting this season, I've been putting a tag on my gloves that says "Made in Kagawa, Japan."

Kunihara is currently building a Himarak showroom next to a restaurant in Sagamihara. He is working hard with the hope that this will become a reception desk for glove customization and repairs. We are looking forward to the 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 (Last Order 23:00) Closed Sundays and Holidays

HIMARAK
Official Website:http://himarak.co.jp/
Official Social Media:Instagram | Facebook