The most celebrated brand to rise out of Urahara is undoubtedly Jun Takahashi’s Undercover. While today Undercover is one of the most respected fashion houses in the country, the brand began right alongside BAPE at NOWHERE. Originally punk-influenced streetwear, the label gradually evolved to present men’s & women’s collections that toe the line between street and high-fashion in a way that only Takahashi can. While Undercover runway presentations often skew towards the experimental and ostentatious, the bulk of each seasonal offering is filled with streetwear staples including graphic tees, slim cargos and highly sought after denim. Similar to NIGO, Takahashi himself is an obsessive collector and archivist, meaning many of the same cheeky graphics, childish keepsakes and unexpected household goods that BAPE regularly produces are present at Undercover as well. While the BAPE aesthetic is filled with bold primary colors, Undercover is significantly more muted, with graphics that toe the line between adorable and grotesque. For those looking for clothes that while not necessarily loud still make a clear statement, Undercover has—just like its motto—made “noise not clothes” for over 25 years and continues to do so each and every season.

Founded a year after NOWHERE opened its doors, Shinsuke Takizawa’s Neighborhood represents a different, yet vitally important segment of Japanese streetwear—Americana. Inspired by 1950s motorcycle clubs and riding culture, Neighborhood may be the most singularly focused streetwear label in Japan. While films like Easy Rider and The Wild One are an enduring reference point, Takizawa’s main focus is the functional clothing the became popular precisely due to the influence of American motorists—most notably denim trucker jackets, straight leg jeans, engineer boots, leather jackets and boxy white t-shirts. The aesthetic is equally informed by the West as by its native Harajuku, where Japanese youth began adopting vintage American workwear as a part of their everyday uniform following the post-war occupation. While denim truckers and leather perfectos may not feel like a part of the streetwear cannon, Neighborhood proves that they are just as crucial, and makes better versions than any American counterpart could possibly hope to. Still, graphic tees and hoodies make frequent appearances, with logos referencing everything from the post-war period to obscure English riding clubs. Simply put, Neighborhood is moto-streetwear personified.

Pronounced “Double Taps,” WTAPS is to military what Neighborhood is to motorcycles. Exceedingly focused on Western military garb—also hugely popular amongst the Urahara set due to a mass influx of Ameerican soldiers following World War II—the label helped popularize the mashing of urban streetwear with military surplus that is such a tenet of the Tokyo streetwear scene. Founder Tetsu Nishiyama’s second brand following cult-favorite FPAR, WTAPS launched in 1996 as part of the scene BAPE helped establish. Yet, while NIGO focused on camo transfigured to comical proportions, Nishiyama’s approach was historically accurate to a fault, preferring the BDU (battle dress uniform) iteration in particular. While each WTAPS piece is essentially a 1:1 reproduction, proportion, fit and details are altered to match modern sensibilities. From field shirts to its superb BDU cargos, WTAPS has elevated the military dress to an art form, capturing the Japanese streetwear world in the process. For those itching for a different sort of camo, WTAPS is incomparable.

While newer to scene, Cav Empt is arguably the most direct continuation of NIGOs legacy. A collaborative project between former BAPE employees Toby Feltwell, Hishiyama Yataka and Sk8thing, Cav Empt was formed following the 2011 earthquake in Japan, the same year NIGO sold BAPE. In response to the chaos surrounding them, the three created a line immersed in apocalyptic internet culture, with web 1.0 graphics and a consuming feeling of Y2K-esque dread and uncertainty. Sk8thing in particular—responsible for many of BAPE’s most iconic graphics—helped shape a visual language that while much less cartoonish still similarly managed to capture the cultural zeitgeist. Apart from early internet graphics and its beloved overdye hoodies, Cav Empt focuses on technically complex and minimal streetwear, perfectly in line with its internet-native audience. If NIGO set the path for cultural relevance during Tokyo’s retail boom, Cav Empt carries the torch for the online generation.

As opposed to Undercover—which began as streetwear brand but evolved into a fashion label—Mastermind did the reverse. Founded by Masaaki Homma in 1997, Mastermind Japan began as seasonal ready-to-wear label presenting collections first in Tokyo then as part of Paris Fashion Week. From day one, Homma’s mission was the present Japanese “designer” streetwear to a global audience. Anchored by the signature skull & crossbones motifs, Homma elevated classic streetwear—jeans, hoodies, sneakers—to runway proportions. Yet, in 2012 Homma discontinued his seasonal collections preferring to focus on intermittent drops and collaborative capsules with brands ranging from The North Face to adidas. Now operating like a traditional streetwear brand, Mastermind’s collaborations—like BAPE’s—are widely celebrated, coveted by fans of the label. For those who miss the days of limited BAPE collaborations and unexpected partnerships, Mastermind’s similarly scarce releases are an ideal alternative.

While Number (N)ine founder Takahiro Miyashita is not considered a member of the Urahara set, he learned the craft right alongside the pivotal figures. A highschool dropout at 16, Miyashita worked retail in Harajuku for much of the ‘90s, discovering how to design clothing by de- and reconstructing his own wardrobe in the process. Already obsessed with the Americana aesthetic—grunge in particular—Miyashita landed a job as a designer at Nepenthes before founding his own label Number (N)ine in 1997. Equally informed by the Harajuku streets, his musical tastes and DIY fashion education, the label riffed on all aspects of American music and fashion culture, in a way only a Harajuku native could. Although Number (N)ine produced a number of incredible runway shows, at its core the line was a streetwear label, with jeans, offensive logo flip graphic t-shirts and Mickey Mouse collaborations aplenty. While Miyashita left Number (N)ine to purse his own, exceedingly directional label TheSoloist., the years before his departure mark some of the best streetwear ever made—Japanese or otherwise. For those who love to make a statement—as BAPE tends to do—Number (N)ine cannot be overlooked.