Manastash was founded in Seattle, WA, in 1993.  The brand was named after a trail in Washington State, in the Cascade Mountains, which stretches from British Columbia through Northern California to Canada.  At the time, hemp-based fabrics were still in the development phase, so the brand struggled to produce items of consistent quality, threatening its existence. Manastash was one of the first brands to use hemp as a material for its garments. They felt they had to succeed in Tokyo to revitalize themselves under the same concept - to make eco-friendly, fun clothing.