Why Kamakura Shirts is a must visit while in Kamakura

I’ll be putting out a post later on the small town of Kamakura and why it’s worth taking a day trip there if you’re in Tokyo. We had one more day of our Japan rail pass left and decided to make use of it to travel to Kamakura, a little town facing the Sagami-nada Sea , south of Tokyo. I’ll go into the details of places to visit in the town later, but here’s why Kamakura Shirts is a must visit while in Kamakura.

About Kamakura Shirts

Kamakura shirts spread collar — A Kamakura Shirt with a spread collar. Photo source:

Kamakura Shirts was started in the town of Kamakura in 1993, with the aim of offering good quality shirts at affordable prices to its customers. Today, it remains true to its aim, and according to S, the shirts are well constructed. I especially like the spread-collared shirts, which is said to be suitable for men with slim or narrow faces as it helps to balance the vertical lines of the face. I suppose this is the difference between getting an off-the-rack shirt vs getting a shirt tailored with a cheaper material. Both may cost about the same, but I prefer the former because the quality of one’s shirt is important. To the observant eye, it’s a reflection of the person’s taste, character and an eye for detail.

Ambience

When we visited Kamakura Shirts on a weekday afternoon, there was just one other customer apart from us. The decor was nice and spacious. At the side of the shop was a nice wooden table with flowers as the centerpiece. I also enjoyed the No14. chair design, a classic piece which looked well-made. (It was not the most comfortable among the chairs there though).

Price

Kamakura Shirts is not only popular in Japan. It has quite a following in the US. There is a price difference if you make a purchase from the online international store. The shirts cost about USD89 – USD130 at the international online store (with English as the language). In Japan, the more basic shirts were priced at ¥6,000 (USD55) – ¥9,000 (USD82). Shirts made of finer materials were priced higher.

For Women

kamakura shirts women — A Kamakura shirt for women. Photo source: http://shop.shirt.co.jp

The women’s selection is smaller, but I found the shirts to be well designed and made. I tried on a blouse – (the one below). It was so nice and I decided to get it even though it was beyond my budget for tops. This had a nice mother of pearl button and I really liked the shape of the collar. It cost me ¥6,372/ USD / SGD57 / SGD77. The shirt material was light and comfortable, perfect for Singapore’s sunny weather. My only gripe about the shirt is that it wrinkles up quickly, so I trend to wear it with a blazer.

Kamakura blouse blue mother of pearl — Kamakura blouse with the mother-of-pearl button. Photo source: http://shop.shirt.co.jp

The Travelling Squid’s Take

I would say that you don’t have to visit the town of Kamakura just to buy Kamakura shirts as they have other outlets in Japan too. But if you were to visit Kamakura, the shop is a must-visit. The shirt options available are value-for-money, given the quality. If you’re a tourist, you get it tax-free when you show your passport. It think the store at Kamakura is probably less crowded than the one in Tokyo. The ladies selection is pretty good too – great if you’re looking for good quality work shirts for the office. Have fun shopping!

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