To mark the 40th anniversary of the Hurricane Top, a longtime staple of the outdoor and casual brand CHUMS (チャムス), the "Made In Japan Hurricane Top" goes on sale on Friday, October 23, 2026.
Built on the Craftsmanship of Okazaki Knit
The fabric for the Japan-made Hurricane Top is produced by Okazaki Knit (オカザキニット) in Wakayama, and the "Made In Japan Hurricane Top" draws on that company's technique and attention to detail.
The fabric keeps the soft texture that comes from knitting slowly over a long time, but it is a tougher cloth with a heavier weight than usual. The back yarn is a thick-count inlay yarn, which leaves a faint stripe-like pattern on the face. A special softening finish is also applied to give the fabric a soft, smooth feel, and the garment is the result of repeated prototyping and refinement.
Inlay Knit Fabric
The fabric of the Hurricane Top is made at Okazaki Knit in Wakayama, Japan's leading fabric-knitting region. It is an inlay-knit fabric knitted on a circular knitting machine.
French terry, which is commonly used for sweatshirts, has a three-layer structure of face yarn, binding yarn, and back yarn. Inlay, by contrast, has a two-layer structure of face yarn and back yarn.
Because this fabric does not stretch, it was adopted by river guides working in tough conditions, and that is where the Hurricane Top began.
Slow Knitting for a Softer Fabric
The yarn is a heather gray yarn (GR7) from 新内外綿, which has a spinning mill in Gifu. Knitting slowly reduces damage to the yarn and lets the fabric take in air as it is knitted. Fabric knitted at a reduced speed has stable quality and becomes softer the longer it is worn.
The garment comes from machines kept in careful use in Wakayama, together with the craftspeople's skilled hands and eyes and their accumulated knowledge. It is offered as a fitting piece for the 40th anniversary of the Hurricane Top.
Where to Buy
This premium item is sold only at CHUMS directly operated stores and the CHUMS ONLINE SHOP.
The name tag differs from shop to shop and carries the street address number of that shop. The online shop's tag shows 1983, the year CHUMS was founded. The idea was inspired by the address signs displayed on the office building in Hurricane, USA, where the brand was founded.
Special Website: https://www.chums.jp/hellowear/made-in-japan
Product Details
Product Name: Made In Japan Hurricane Top
Release Date: Friday, October 23, 2026
Price: ¥62,700 (tax included)
Country of Origin: Japan
Sizes: WM, WL, S, M, L, XL, XXL
Where to Buy: CHUMS directly operated stores and CHUMS ONLINE SHOP only
About Okazaki Knit
Okazaki Knit is a long-established knit manufacturer with 76 years of history. It began by producing fabric for knitted undershirts, and after the current chairman took over the family business, it grew into knitting production for circular-knit cut-and-sew garments. It is a knitting factory that has drawn attention from brands in Japan and around the world.
Many of the machines in operation are vintage machines that have been working for more than 40 years. A major strength is that craftspeople can fine-tune the settings by hand, which the latest computer-controlled machines do not allow.
The circular knitting machines are set to one-third of the usual speed. This puts no unnecessary load on the yarn and lets the fabric take in plenty of air as it is knitted. Fabric knitted at a reduced speed has stable quality and becomes softer the longer it is worn.
The careful machine maintenance and fine-tuned settings carried out by craftspeople support the quality of Okazaki Knit.
About CHUMS
The brand's founder worked as a river guide on the Colorado River in Utah, in the United States. Troubled by sunglasses falling into the river while rafting, he developed a sunglasses strap. This became CHUMS's first product, the "CHUMS Original Retainer."
A factory was then set up in Hurricane, Utah, the brand mascot Booby Bird was born, and the brand began making apparel with sweatshirt fabric. For more than 40 years since, CHUMS has continued to turn the thought "I wish there were an item like this" in everyday life into products.
The Brand Mascot: Booby Bird
The booby bird, called "katsuo-dori" (かつお鳥) in Japanese, is a seabird that lives along the coast from Ecuador to southern Mexico and, in Japan, on the Ogasawara Islands. It is very friendly and has little wariness, so fishermen in South America also call it "bobo" (ボーボー鳥). This is the same word as "booby" in the booby prize, the familiar award for second from last place.
