Two of the pioneers of the Japanese skate scene are Aki Akiyama and Nishi. Aki represented the clean, contest wholesome skater while Nishi was the wild man who skated, took photos, made art and published magazines.
Together these two laid the foundation for the Japanese skate scene and their impact can still be felt today.

Japan has a long and radical skate history. With so many eyes focused on Tokyo in 2021 Vans wanted to make sure that the rich skate culture and storied history didn’t get lost in the hype of The Games. Japan has a great skate scene that should championed and celebrated long after this moment in history.

This is the last trip the Loveletters crew took with our beloved Jeff Grosso before his passing. Jeff and the crew had a blast meeting the many Japanese skaters from every generation.