About Import Crate

Import Crate is a Japanese-inspired lifestyle brand rooted in the culture surrounding Japanese cars, built for people who appreciate the aesthetics, design, and cultural energy of modern Japanese car culture and pop culture.

The brand exists at the intersection of Japanese cars, design, and modern pop culture—where automotive aesthetics, Japanese visual culture, and everyday lifestyle come together.

Import Crate is for people who appreciate the culture surrounding Japanese cars. Not just the machines themselves, but the style, creativity, and identity that grew around them.

Some people discover that culture through cars.
Others through anime, art, or Japanese design.

Import Crate brings those worlds together.

Where It Started

Import Crate traces its roots back to 2005.

The business originally began under the company Higante Works Ltd. Co. as a wholesale distributor of Japanese automotive air fresheners. Our goal was simple: bring authentic Japanese car lifestyle products to customers in the United States.

Over time we expanded beyond wholesale and began selling directly to enthusiasts at car shows and automotive events.

As the community grew, we also began attending anime conventions and pop culture events. That is where we noticed something interesting—many people connected with Japanese car culture not only through vehicles, but through the broader world of Japanese aesthetics, design, and pop culture.

That realization helped shape the direction of the brand.

The Idea for the Shop

The idea for Import Crate as a retail concept came during a road trip.

For many years we vacationed in Pensacola, Florida, and one of our regular stops was the Ron Jon Surf Shop. Walking through the store, we were always impressed by how it represented an entire lifestyle around surfing.

It sparked a question:

What if there was a store like this—but built around Japanese car culture?

Not just loud car shirts or racing merchandise, but something people would want to wear and display even if they were not hardcore car enthusiasts. Something that captured the style, aesthetics, and cultural side of JDM.

At the time, it was just an idea discussed during the drive from Dallas to Florida.

But when we returned home, the idea stayed.

After speaking with a family member who had experience managing shopping malls, we decided to explore whether the concept could actually work. We contacted Stonebriar Mall, showed them our products, and began conversations about opening a location.

Four years ago, that idea became reality.

More Than Just Cars

Japanese cars remain the foundation of Import Crate.

But the culture around them extends far beyond engines and specifications.

It includes the visual atmosphere of Tokyo streets, the influence of anime and pop culture, the elegance of Japanese design, and the creativity enthusiasts bring into their builds.

Import Crate reflects that world through products inspired by:

Japanese car culture
Japanese aesthetics and visual design
Anime and pop culture influences
Lifestyle accessories connected to the automotive scene

Some designs feature iconic vehicles.

Others draw inspiration from Japanese art, architecture, and cultural imagery.

All of them share the same cultural foundation.

The People Behind the Brand

Import Crate was built for people who appreciate the culture surrounding Japanese cars—even if they are not traditional gearheads.

Our customers might enjoy:

clean, well-kept cars
Japanese aesthetics and design
anime and pop culture
street-level car culture
unique artwork and collectibles

They care about style, atmosphere, and identity.

Import Crate brings those interests together.

The Road Ahead

What started as a wholesale air freshener business has grown into a broader lifestyle brand.

Today Import Crate creates and curates products that people can display in their homes, wear in everyday life, and connect with through the culture surrounding Japanese cars.

Cars remain the roots of the brand.

But Import Crate represents something larger—the shared appreciation for the aesthetics, creativity, and cultural influence surrounding Japanese automotive culture.

Import Crate is not just about what you drive.

It is about the culture you connect with.