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Comedian Minamikawa & the World of "American Casual": Gaining a Maker’s Perspective Through a Passion for Leather
Minamikawa, famous as one of the entertainment industry's leading enthusiasts of American Casual style (known fondly as "Amekaji"), shares his passion not only through his Minamikawa YouTube channel, but also by visiting workshops for leather shoes and goods and introducing their products.
This time, we interviewed Minamikawa and explored how he discovered American Casual, his commitment to fashion and vintage items, and his thoughts on leathercraft.
PROFILE
Minamikawa
Born September 28, 1982. From Osaka Prefecture.
He drew attention when his wife started directly messaging senior comedians to promote his work. Since then, he's appeared on shows like "Goddotan," "Sanma no Owarai Kojo Iinkai," and "Wednesday Downtown."
Although a late bloomer, he is steadily gaining popularity as a solo comedian.
In May 2024, he left Shochiku Geino. Starting June the same year, he joined NANSE LLC, where his wife is the president.
He continues to showcase his love for American Casual on his own YouTube channel, Minamikawa.
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Awakening to Fashion Thanks to His Sister
On his YouTube channel, Minamikawa shares his deep affection for all things American Casual. He says it was actually his older sister who introduced him to this style. Looking back, Minamikawa recalls,"I think I was in sixth grade or maybe my first year of middle school. Influenced by my older sister, I watched the TV drama 'Wakamono no Subete,' and Takuya Kimura's style really stood out to me.
"Kimura wore denim, an MA-1 jacket, and the 'Irish Setter' boots from 'Red Wing'—all of it looked incredibly cool. At the time, I didn't even know the concept of 'American Casual,' but I found myself drawn to those kinds of items."
Later, Minamikawa started reading magazines like "Boon," "GET ON!," and "Kaji-Kaji" that his sister bought, gradually realizing "so this is what stylish means."
In high school, he focused on American football and drifted away from fashion for a bit. In university, he was fascinated by the French-inspired "clean casual" style, like A.P.C., but eventually returned to American Casual and developed a love for leather shoes and other leather goods. He continues,
"After getting a bit older, I started to really appreciate how leather products age, and became more and more interested in leather shoes and boots. That naturally led to an interest in denim that goes with them, and vintage items with their own evolving character over time."
Due to the influence of his older sister, Minamikawa's interest in fashion led him to appreciate the unique aging qualities of leather. Ultimately, this passion guided him into the deep world of American Casual style.
The Allure of Aging in Denim & Leather: The Essence of Fashion
When it comes to Minamikawa, he's well-known for his close relationship with the "JELADO" brand, where he's hosted events and even worked as a store manager for a day. When we asked about how his relationship with the brand deepened, Minamikawa explained:"A certain acquaintance introduced 'JELADO' to me as a place to provide costumes. The items they handle match my personal taste, so I started building a relationship from there.
"Even during the pandemic when work was scarce, they let me help out part-time and, of course, run events—I'm just so grateful to 'JELADO.'"
Minamikawa breaks down what makes "JELADO" stand out:
"I think denim is what 'JELADO' is famous for, but the real draw lies in their dedication to fabric. Goto, the owner, actually cuts up vintage clothing he sources, and even goes as far as performing chemical analysis to examine details like the twist of the threads and the proportion of cotton in the material."
Known as a "boot comedian" for his fascination with leather shoes and boots, Minamikawa also visits leather shoe workshops for his YouTube channel "Minamikawa," exploring craftsmanship first-hand. When asked about workshops that left a strong impression on him, Minamikawa answered:
"There’s a craftsman named Morita, who I got to know better through YouTube shoots and conversations.
"He once made me a pair of low-cut shoes for a solo live performance. Morita is an extreme enthusiast—he adopted the 'Direct Method,' a machine-reproduced alternative to the 'Hand-Sewn Method' used by boot brands like 'WHITE’S' to stitch soles, after a lot of trial and error. He dives deep into his craft with obvious passion. Watching someone like Morita at work, I can't help but think it's just so cool."
Minamikawa's love for American Casual fashion knows no bounds. Wanting to embody a more mature American Casual style led him to embrace leather shoes—and that commitment to leather products, starting with shoes and boots, evolved until he eventually began crafting leather goods himself.
From American Casual Devotee to Craftsperson: Taking the Leap into Creation
Minamikawa's passion for fashion has brought him to the point of making his own leather products. When asked about his recent interest in leathercraft, Minamikawa spoke enthusiastically about his love for leather:"I’m such a fan of leather that I call Miyamoto from the leather brand 'La crie' my 'master'—unofficially, of course. I brought up my interest in leathercraft with him, and that was the catalyst for me to start making pieces myself.
"The first piece was a book cover I made when visiting the workshop of 'Kawamura Leather' with Miyamoto. While a book cover is considered the very basics of leathercraft, making one using horse butt (horse leather) was really challenging."
Horse butt leather is stiff, difficult to bend, and tough to work with, making it an unfavorable material for a beginner like Minamikawa. However, looking forward to how the leather would age, since the cordovan layer is also present, he deliberately chose this challenge.
"Usually, when a beginner attempts something like this, you’d expect comments like 'Wow, this is really well done!' or some praise. But Miyamoto was strict and gave me a harsh critique: 'This is about a 20 out of 100,' he said with a laugh.
"That said, seeing Miyamoto's sewing and edge finishing (the processed edge of the leather) made me realize my work was nowhere near his level as a professional, and I had to accept it, even if it was frustrating. Next, I want to try making a belt."
When I took a look at the actual book cover, the differences in stitching quality and finishing techniques, often regarded as marks of true craftsmanship, were clear compared to Miyamoto’s work. It's obvious that Minamikawa has a lot of room to grow.
After getting a taste of craftsmanship through leatherwork, Minamikawa shared what he’d like to create next:
"I’d love to make a Sukajan. When you think of Sukajan jackets, embroidery and Yokosuka come to mind, but tracing back the history, the culture also exists in Kiryu, Gunma Prefecture. I hear many embroidery artisans there are retiring as they get older, so before the tradition disappears, I’d love to take on the challenge of making a Sukajan."
Minamikawa’s fascination with American Casual fashion has expanded beyond just what he wears—it’s moving into the world of hands-on creation. The day he launches his own brand might not be far off.
Photo by Akinori Kawanishi
Text by Yasuyuki Ushijima(NO-TECH)
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