Located in the downtown area, just a few minutes' walk from Sendai Station, this second-hand clothing shop features a distinctive white, retro-modern exterior. When you step inside, you'll be greeted by a wide selection of high-quality, well-maintained vintage clothing, including denim jackets and motorcycle items. The exquisite selection, neither too many nor too few, shows how carefully the items have been selected.
The store owner, Ken Hori, picks up a deadstock pair of 1960s work pants from Five Brothers. Black is a rare find.
“These are called Horipan. I wore them almost every day, so they became ‘Horipan’ (Hori means moat)” (laughs). Pairing this with a Harley T-shirt and engineer boots is a classic True Vintage look. For a while, all the vintage clothing lovers in Sendai were dressed like this.”
Led by Hori, who has such an influence that his style has permeated Sendai customers, the store opened in December 2009 and moved to its current location in 2019. Inside the store, classic American casual items such as denim, military, and outdoor wear are at the forefront, along with motorcycle-related items such as American cars, which are Hori's hobby, all elegantly displayed. The meaning of the word "vintage" has become ambiguous in recent years, but here the store stocks items with a unique interpretation.
Like denim jackets, lightweight military outerwear such as the M-65 field jacket and baker jacket are also available all year round. 
A leading figure in the Sendai vintage clothing industry, he became interested in American vintage clothing and culture after listening to the Rolling Stones when he was in junior high school.
"We use different items depending on the genre. For example, skateboarding items are vintage from the 80s, casual print shirts are from the 70s, and Hawaiian items are from the 50s. Of course, no matter how old they are, we only buy items in good condition."
Particularly popular are Levi's® denim jackets manufactured after the 1970s.
"These are models generally known as 'Third' or 'Fourth', and depending on the year, some have the red tab with an 'E'. They're popular regardless of the season, so we always have them in stock."
Recently, there has been an increase in secondhand clothing stores run by young people, and as a result, the store has also seen an increase in customers in their teens and twenties.
"Many young people's shops mainly carry items from the 90s, but we carry almost none of them. So no matter what item you choose, you won't have the same item as your friends, and they find vintage to be fresh and cool, and it's not uncommon for people to become interested in vintage in the true sense of the word after coming to our shop.
When I see such customers become addicted to True Vintage and eventually want classic items like Levi's® 501XX, I feel happy that they understand the appeal of vintage. After all, the store's name is 'True Vintage,' so I want to convey authentic vintage items."
Both of the hot rod motor T-shirts are deadstock. The one laid flat is a 1971 ISKY RACING CAMS motor T-shirt. 43,780 yen. The one in the bag is an 1980s COMPETITION CAMS T-shirt. 9,790 yen. 
These Herman Shoes engineer boots appear to be made of horsehide, judging from the fading of the color. The outsole has separate rubber sections in the front and back, suggesting they were made in the 1950s. Price: 109,780 yen. 
While most Whipcord pants are made of wool, this one is made of cotton and is a rare black deadstock item. Its beautiful silhouette with just the right amount of tapering is appealing. From "Horipan," a favorite among Sendai vintage clothing lovers. 58,080 yen. 
This white Hawaiian shirt, likely from the 1940s, features a colorful airbrushed hula girl. The body is made of rayon and features coconut buttons. It's in mint condition. Price: 329,780 yen.
Speaking of true vintage items, the aforementioned "Horipan" is a must-have in Sendai. However, things seem to have changed in recent years...
"Recently, I've been recommending black jeans. That's because work pants are now almost impossible to find, even in America. This summer, I'm feeling like pairing black jeans with colorful vintage Hawaiian or bowling shirts, and of course, engineer boots."
After shopping, eat some secondhand clothes
*Many of the second-hand clothes introduced are one-of-a-kind and may be out of stock. Price information and other information is from the time of coverage and is subject to change.
