Tracing the Roots & Funky Allure of 'Yankee' Gangster Fashion from Kisarazu

When you hear 'Kisarazu', what image comes to mind?

While today it's often associated with commercial facilities like outlets, Kisarazu is also the city where the popular band Kishidan was formed, and the setting for the hit 2002 drama "Kisarazu Cat's Eye."

Even for those not from Chiba Prefecture, there seems to be a certain familiarity with the city of Kisarazu, and it's probably not just the author who feels this way.

In such a city, the established men's clothing store 'Asahiya Kisarazu (hereafter, Asahiya)' has its premises. In the current retail landscape dominated by department stores and large chain stores, a street-level men's clothing store is quite rare.

From the city of Kisarazu, known for its saline breeze, bright sunshine, and 'Yankee' (ヤンキー) gang-ish youth culture, Asahiya aims to deliver exciting products. What kind of store is Asahiya? This time, we had a direct conversation in the store itself.