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Three Mountain Research 4 Zips down parkas in navy, off-white and yellow

Brand Portrait · Japan

Mountain Research: anarchy in the mountains

Since 2006 Setsumasa Kobayashi has mixed outdoor gear, military clothing and punk into one of Japan's most personal labels. Down parkas included.

Live from Tokyo

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From Zurich
9'583 km

Mountain Research is one of the most personal labels in Japan. Its designer, Setsumasa Kobayashi, puts everything he loves into it: old outdoor gear, military clothing, motorcycles, punk and the woods. The result is clothing that looks like it has a story.

Close-up of the hood of a yellow Mountain Research down parka with an Anarcho Mountaineers badge
Image: Mountain Research

01 / 03

From General Research to Mountain Research

Kobayashi started out in footwear before launching his first label, General Research, in the 1990s. In 2006 he ended it and started Mountain Research. One of the reasons, he has said, was a Phish concert he experienced in the United States in 2003. The label is based in Tokyo, while Kobayashi spends much of his free time in the mountains of Nagano.

Blue Mountain Research Phishing PKT. Parka with many pockets on the front
Image: Mountain Research

02 / 03

Outdoor clothing, taken apart

Mountain Research takes classic outdoor and military pieces and rebuilds them in its own way. The 4 Zips Down Parka has zips running up into the hood, the Phishing PKT. Parka is covered in fishing-vest pockets, and the MT Riders Jacket borrows from motorcycle gear. The colours range from olive and black to a bright lemon yellow.

Anarcho Mountaineers print on a black and olive Mountain Research jacket
Image: Mountain Research

03 / 03

Anarcho Mountaineers

The brand's motto is printed and stitched on many pieces: Anarcho Mountaineers. It sums up the attitude. These are serious outdoor clothes with a sense of humour, made for people who would rather build their own cabin than follow a dress code.

Your turn: which Mountain Research piece would you wear first, in the city or at a campfire?

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The Kit

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  • Mountain Research

    ID Pants

    CA$314.99

    Loose black trousers with a webbing belt, somewhere between climbing pants and military fatigues.

    View at Mountain Research
  • Mountain Research

    Coach Shirt+

    CA$459.99

    A hooded coach shirt with big flap pockets: typical Mountain Research, half outdoor, half skate.

    View at Mountain Research
  • Mountain Research

    Animal B.D.

    CA$279.99

    A white button-down with small embroidered animals on the chest. Quiet from afar, playful up close.

    View at Mountain Research

Prices as listed on the brand's own website, November 2026.

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