I wanted to share some of my knowledge on baseball gloves made in Japan and made for the Japanese domestic market. Through extensive research and infinite messages sent and recieved from across the oceans I have learned a great deal. The Japanese culture is the root of why their baseball gloves are so amazing. They teach their children to take pride in their equipment. How you care for your equipment is a major factor is whether or not you will be successful in baseball. Training hard, studying hard, and staying focused. A great example was set this year during the World Cup. The Japanese team left the locker rooms better than they found them. The Japanese fans stayed after the game and cleaned up around the stadium seating. This kind of cultural behavior translates into their craftsmanship of baseball gloves. They have been working with leather since the beginning of time it feels. Their tanning process is second to none and they are very particular in their selection of hides to be used in their gloves. With the modern world of manufacturing and trade, Japan is filled with many highly skilled craftsman. I once watched an interview with Ichiro Suzuki and Ko Kishimoto from Mizuno in Haga. There were many very interesting things I learned but one thing stood out beyond the rest, Ichiro was openly surprised at how young the workforce in Mizunos main Factory working under Mr Kishimotos watchful eye. This shows how much the culture not only wants to learn as they are young, but wants to teach and mentor when they are older. This alone is the foundation to keep going for infinite generations as the top country for premium glove and mitt manufacturing. I had always cherished my Mizuno Haga collection as though it was unbeatable. But as I continued to seek out some of the unknown boutique manufacturers I found something amazing! Gloves and mitts that met and exceeded my particular taste and quality. I often refer to some of these gloves when asked what they feel like, and I will say “feels like one of my Haga Mizunos” and people would say “no way” or “not possible” but then would be amazed that they too felt the same when putting their hand in the glove. Did you know that Ichiro turned down every one of the 6 glove’s Kishimoto presented to him the first time? Saying they didn’t feel like an extension of his body. Living in Chicago I can say that some of the best food you find comes from a place most people would even know. The same can be said about gloves made in the Japanese countryside by a “no name” brand, or a small shop in busy downtown Tokyo with no storefront. I recently had( but sold) a KURUMAZAKA made by a craftsman in one of Tokyo’s oldest baseball glove manufacturing facilities whom was in his 90’s. This along with an Ichifuji glove I have are absolutely the most comfortable gloves I have ever worn along side my Haga’s. Literally an extension of your arm, like you were born that way! Many brands we know as premium Japanese gloves are all made in the same factory. Atoms is one of the larger manufacturers and they produce a lot of the “made in Japan” gloves. But one thing I will say is that the Atoms line always seems higher quality than the ones it produces for other brands. And ultimately is often cheaper too. A smaller boutique manufacturer I absolutely must note is Mr Kojima’s no name glove, simply “produced by sho”. He is also known as Kaname baseball. But the gloves he produces himself are his own brand. They are absolutely amazing, crafted at another level. He keeps it simple, 3 models of catchers mitts( C-100, C-200, and C-300) and 2 gloves( I-100, O-100, and all with variations of leather, color, and different webs). Another glove manufacturer to mention is Sakura, I had an older model that was produced in their first factory that I swore was a custom Haga for years. My point is that there is a world of premium and unique gloves and mitts that are unknown to the mainstream glove world. I spend many hours researching gloves from companies I’ve never heard of and from time to time I find hidden treasures that make all the hours worth it. I wanted to end my story with this- I communicate occasionally with the gentleman who runs a glove repair shop in the Fukuoka Perfecture and was lucky enough to get one of the few gloves he has made from scratch. He prides himself and his other craftsman as “Only made by Japanese craftsman” from start to finish. Now I know that there isn’t likely too many “non Japanese” craftsman working on baseball gloves in Japan but I think it’s a great passion to be said! The Japanese baseball culture is amazing and The skill and passion of their craftsman is second to none.
The truth about Japanese baseball gloves!
