The roots of Japan’s globally influential content industries — anime and manga — trace back to the boundless imagination of artists from the Edo period, nearly 400 years ago. In that distant era, many visionary ukiyo-e artists brought the dead to life, set mythical creatures in motion, and depicted animals imbued with the same emotions as humans — creating vivid and expressive worlds. This was not mere fantasy, but rather the result of deep curiosity and empathy toward non-human beings — a creative force born from a departure from anthropocentrism.

Was this richness simply the product of extraordinary genius? No. It was the result of perceiving reality itself. By pursuing the act of “seeing” to its limits — observing animals without preconception — these artists discovered within them the same sorrow, joy, suffering, and even humor that we recognize in ourselves. It was this power of observation and the wonder it evoked that breathed life into their works.

JAPANIMALS carries this perspective into the modern age. To truly “see” animals — and to recognize that they exist alongside us — is to inscribe this awareness into daily life through fashion. This is the essence and mission of the brand.