WTAPS (pronounced “double taps”) is a Japanese streetwear brand founded in 1996/1997 by Tetsu Nishiyama (known as TET) in Tokyo’s Ura-Harajuku scene. Named after the military firing technique of two rapid shots to the same target — the first “shot” being his earlier brand Forty Percents Against Rights — WTAPS built its reputation as the most uncompromisingly military-informed label to emerge from Japanese streetwear. Its philosophy of “placing things where they should be” has guided more than two decades of collections that blur the line between workwear, military surplus, and street culture.
Key Facts
- Founded: 1996/1997
- Founder/Designer: Tetsu Nishiyama (TET)
- Headquarters: Tokyo, Japan (GIP-Store flagship, Shibuya)
- Industry: Streetwear, Military-Influenced Apparel
History
Tetsu Nishiyama was a close friend and high school peer of Shinsuke Takizawa (who founded Neighborhood in 1994), coming up through the same Ura-Harajuku scene that produced BAPE, Undercover, and Goodenough. His first brand, FPAR (Forty Percents Against Rights), was a graphic bootleg label started in 1993 with Sk8thing. WTAPS arrived a few years later as a more fully realised vehicle for Nishiyama’s deep interest in military culture, workwear, and the philosophy of functional design.
For years WTAPS sold primarily through its own showroom, requiring international retailers to travel to Tokyo to place orders — a gatekeeping approach that kept the brand small and coveted domestically while it slowly gained international recognition. In 2011, Nishiyama opened the GIP-Store (Guerrilla: The Incubation Period) in Shibuya, which also stocks his FPAR brand. Notable collaborations include Vans, Carhartt W.I.P., Adidas, and Supreme. The brand is stocked by END. Clothing, HAVEN, and select international retailers.
Aesthetic and Philosophy
WTAPS collections are built around military utility: M-65 field jackets, boonie hats, cargo trousers, and field shirts in olive drab, camouflage, and ripstop. The brand uses the NATO phonetic alphabet for sizing (Lima for Large, Sierra for Small) and has created a dedicated “MILL” line of military-spec garments designed to be customised by the wearer with patches and modifications. Nishiyama designs clothing he himself wears — functional, elevated, and rooted in genuine respect for the history behind each garment’s form.
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