Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on February 2011

Jeans: photos courtesy of Levi’s ©All rights reserved

Japan-only extras have long been the norm in the media world. Bands will often include a few bonus tracks to compensate for the high price tags on their CDs, while film otaku Quentin Tarantino treated locals to a special edit of Kill Bill that wasn’t seen anywhere else in the world. Now international fashion brands are following suit by bringing out special Nippon-only items—and even whole clothing lines.

In a country where collectors of all sorts have completist tendencies bordering on the obsessive, slapping gentei (“limited edition”) on an anime figurine or manga box set is almost a guarantee that it’ll sell out quickly. In the realm of fashion, Japan-exclusive items seem to be a way of thanking the natives for being some of the best customers around, as many brands still count the country as their second—if not the—most important market.

When LA-based celeb boutique Kitson began taking international online orders in 2008, they soon noticed that nearly 20 percent of shipments were headed toward Japan. The brand had never actively marketed their clothes here and didn’t have a Japanese-language order form on their site. They did, however, have garment-by-garment directions on how to recreate looks seen in Sex and the City, and that was more than enough to attract attention from across the Pacific.

When Kitson opened their first Japan store in Shinjuku in 2009, it was an instant hit. They repaid fans’ loyalty with Japan-only editions of their signature sequined totes, cast in shades of purple, pink and turquoise rather than the usual white. The company has released a limited-edition tote with the opening of each of its subsequent four stores, along with a new line of Japan-only canvas totes.

While Kitson offered a wider range of colors to give customers more options, Japan-exclusive products are often the result of simple design tweaks made to meet the needs of local consumers. Finnish design mainstay Marimekko’s Matkuri tote bag is sold around the world, but Japanese customers found the straps a bit too short to carry the bag on their shoulders when going through station turnstiles or carrying kids. The result, released late last year, was the Japani Matkuri: the same familiar Scandinavian simplicity, just with slightly longer straps.

Levi’s responded to local shoppers’ attention to detail and craftsmanship by releasing a new “Made in Japan” series this January. The company collaborated with traditionally trained Japanese artisans using locally made denim, quality stitching and vintage-look leather patches and buttons to create premium versions of its 502 and 551 jeans. Although they have the look of vintage American jeans, each pair is proudly stamped with a “Made in Japan” on the pocket lining, and is available only on the Levi’s Japan website.

Casual clothing giant Gap hasn’t been content with simply releasing a few Japan-only garments—in late 2009 it launched an entire Japan-exclusive line, complete with its own shops. The Gap Generation is sold at factory store locations, offering cheaper, more accessible styles targeted at younger consumers. Though it’s probably a response to the threat posed by the seemingly unstoppable Uniqlo, the fact that a company of Gap’s size is trying something new in Japan indicates fashion fans here can continue to look forward to products made especially for them.