When it comes to golf clubs, whether you’re a beginner or a professional who wants to play with premium quality clubs, Japanese golf clubs are a great choice. Best Japanese Golf Clubs brands provide maximum forgiveness as well as superior feel and functionality. But most of them are also more expensive than European and US Brands.
The best Japanese golf clubs available on the market are manufactured under stringent manufacturing guidelines, and they are designed to accommodate a wide range of players.
Average golfers outside of Japan have little knowledge of, and often no previous experience with, Japanese golf clubs. However, they are pretty popular among those in the know, and they have developed something of a cult following.
A fascinating history of producing some truly remarkable clubs can be traced back to them. The quality of their craftsmanship, materials, and technology are all of the highest calibers. As a result, many are becoming increasingly popular among golfers of all levels.
We have decided to take you on a tour of some of the best Japanese golf clubs available in 2022 and provide you with additional insight into what makes them so desirable.
Although Japanese golf clubs are pretty expensive, golf experts are ready to pay for the superior quality of the golf clubs made in Japan.Â
The Best Japanese Golf Brands
HONMA
Honma is a Japanese company that produces premium Japanese Golf Clubs. Honma Golf’s engineers and designers have been aiming to surprise customers since the company was started in 1959. As Honma Golf employees refer to it, a factory, “Sakata Studio,” is located at the foot of Mount Chokai.All clubs have the same “Created in Japan, Sakata” feature, indicating that they are 100% made in Japan, the land of cutting-edge technology and exceptional craftsmanship.
From a democratic 2S grade up to a 5S grade, the clubs are split into distinct “stardom” levels, with the appearance of gold details and the usage of valuable wood species distinguishing the higher levels.
Because of this, Honma Golf is favored by world leaders, professional athletes, and business moguls from the Forbes list. Many of the top-100 golfers use Honma clubs and balls because of the brand’s dedication to luxury and refinement. However, Honma Golf does not ignore the sports component.
Honma is well-known for their exclusive Beres golf equipment. An Iron set by Beres costs at least 3,000 Euros in its most basic form. Beres clubs are gold-plated, and the shafts are of the highest possible quality.
With the Tour World Series, which began in 2019, Honma gained notoriety with Justin Rose as a brand ambassador. The new tours provide traditional Honma quality, i.e., hand-forged mild steel Iron, for a reasonable price.Â
We can confidently assure you that Honma makes the best Japanese golf drivers. Honma increased the “sweet spot” to increase ball speed in all areas of the club face.
A slot located at the leading edge of the driver’s sole bends at impact to create a high initial ball speed and prevent loss of power on strokes away from the face center.
The slots were optimized to increase face flexion for higher ball speed on mishits. In addition, high-strength Ti5N titanium used in club face has maximized face flexion.
Honma engineers also made sure to prevent power loss on strokes made away from the “sweet spot” of the club face.
To improve recovery and distance capability, Class 5S shafts contain additional layers of T1100G material along the entire length of the shaft.
The new 7-axis material, composed of 2-axis aluminum and 5-axis carbon weave, boosts compression strength while simultaneously decreasing ovality in the back for improved stability and handling. It also adds 5 millimeters of counterbalance to the swing, allowing for faster swinging.
For more flexibility and to maximize CG design, Honma reduced the crown thickness to 0.45 mm using the titanium alloy “Ti811”.
MIURA
Using a proprietary forging process, Miura irons achieve a perfect and equal distribution of steel grains, which is the key to their continued success. Unlike mass-produced irons, each Miura iron is entirely handcrafted.
Since 1957, Miura has been dedicated to the creation of the finest forged golf irons.
In his pursuit of the perfect iron, Miura-san realized that an entirely new design standard would have to be established. Miura-san used his pursuit of perfection as a tool for creation, resulting in the introduction of distinct principles that, 40 years later, are still used to drive the design process.
Characteristics such as weight, size, the center of gravity, and rebound are all critical in determining the performance of iron, which means that developing a club head that is consistent and reliable is essential.
Katsuhiro Miura attempts to attain weight tolerances of +/-.5g, far better than the current industry standard of +/-.25g. Miura’s commitment to technical precision is maintained throughout the arduous design process, although it takes time.
Miura is only recently attempting to expand its appeal in Europe and North America by “professionalizing” its marketing and sales efforts in these regions. As a result of Abraham Ancer, the first pros have already been outfitted with Miura equipment.
Everyone looking for unique, handcrafted Japanese irons steeped in tradition should start their search at this location.
This comprehensive iron set contains 4 to 9 irons and a pitching and gap wedge for the ultimate versatility. They are cavity-backed irons that provide significantly greater forgiveness than the Miura blade choices. Despite the cavity, they nevertheless have a formidable appearance and a design inspired by the tour.
The fact that they can travel such a long distance is their distinguishing attribute. Despite their strength (lower loft angle for more distance), the irons are quick and provide the distance expected from high-quality irons.
A superb mix between playability, forgiveness, and distance has been achieved by Miura in this set, making it highly adaptable and capable of suiting a broad spectrum of players.
These Japanese forged irons have a very soft feel to them, which is a pleasant surprise. The cavity depth and sole are adjustable to maximize control and performance throughout the entire collection of instruments. They are dependable and possess good ball-handling abilities.
The center of gravity (CG) is placed to maximize distance and precision. The majority of players appreciate the soft feel, feedback, and acoustics of the CB 301 irons.
Better golfers will be able to shape their strokes with these irons if they use them correctly. They have a classic, classical appearance that will appeal to a wide range of people. When it came to selecting our editor’s choice, it was a simple decision, and it is quickly becoming a popular one.
VEGA
Golf clubs made by Japanese manufacturers are often compared to malleable samurai swords – because in both cases, you have to get the most accurate tool. And so, the history of the Vega brand began when one of the masters of samurai swords returned from Kobe to his hometown Ichikawa.
Interestingly, Kobe was built Japan’s first golf course, and it is the neighborhood of Kobe was famous for processing metal and forging samurai swords. Applying this knowledge to the production of clubs was born the company Vega.
Since then, Vega has been working tirelessly to create the perfect golf club. Vega, by the way, was the first to produce forged cavity irons, and now the company boasts a diverse assortment.
Vega Golf maybe is less familiar and not as well known as Honma or Miura. However, in terms of pricing, Vega is less expensive but not less exclusive. In addition, Vega manufactures a wide range of golf equipment, including irons, woods, putters, wedges and golf drivers.
With 2 European Tour wins, a Ryder Cup and over £5,000,000 of career winnings, Andrew was one of Scotland’s most recognisable, and accomplished players. Now a lead presenter for Sky Sports, Andrew has been playing VEGA irons, woods and wedges since 2020.
In contrast to the Plus version, the Mizar Tours, which has an unsupported maraging steel face, are designed for players who value performance and feel over anything else. As a result, the Tours have a constant thickness (3.5mm) soft carbon steel face that provides improved feel and shotmaking control.
Mizar Tour irons are multi-piece irons, although you would never think that from their sound or feel, which are both incredibly soft and substantial in their construction.
The success of the Mizar Tour is the weight distribution of the operating system; designers gradually alter the internal mass to get the best shotmaking possible on the stage. To properly locate the CG, the progressive weight puts a small cavity in the club’s back. This tiny approach not only increases forgiveness but also maximizes workability up and down the entire set, allowing you to place the ball exactly where you want it.
Even with the moving cavities, each clubhead’s CG (center of gravity) is still situated precisely in the middle of the clubhead, allowing for pinpoint accuracy. According to club design principles, the axis of rotation around the shaft and the total blade length of the irons are two components of the iron design jigsaw that are commonly overlooked.
MIZUNO
Mizuno continues to use the grain flow process to forge the majority of its iron. MP iron and wedge are forged in the traditional manner in Japan. In addition, Mizuno manufactures driver heads that are capable of being quite competitive.
Mizuno is undoubtedly the most significant maker of Japanese golf clubs in terms of volume, and it is also the brand that is used the most frequently on the PGA Tour – at least when it comes to irons. Mizuno continues to rely on “Grain Flow” technology and forges the majority of its irons in-house.
Mizuno began manufacturing golf equipment in 1933, with its first model, the Starline, being released the following year. Mizuno established a modest plant near Osaka, Japan, in 1934 to manufacture baseball bats, balls, outfits, and golf clubs and skis. The company has since expanded to include other sports equipment.
Mizuno’s international reputation as a manufacturer of high-quality sports equipment was established in the 1970s when it began exporting its golf clubs to the European Union (EU).
Forging irons from a single mold was common practice at the time. As a result, irons would often be rough and ready, requiring extensive manual honing — a process that resulted in inconsistent results. A tour pro might have to order ten sets of irons before he could find nine that he liked to use.
Mizuno’s forging process, which employed two molds, was more exact and necessitated the use of only a little amount of manual grinding. The consistency between the two competitors was significantly higher, resulting in more predictable performance on the course.
Mizuno has launched the ST-G 220 driver, which is the company’s next-generation driver that has been improved for more exact fitting.
The shorter lateral weight tracks of the new Mizuno ST-G 220 driver, which allows for the addition of a new center/back weight port, are at the heart of the new driver.
It is intended that the combination of three tracks and two adjustable weights will allow players to change the ST-G from an ultra-low spinning option to a very playable mid-spinning option, with a fade or draw bias in both, depending on desire.
The progression of the ST-G 220’s weight positions provides golfers with a unique combination of backspin and fade/draw adjustability choices, which is uncommon in the industry. The traditional approach has been for adjustable drivers to be more successful at only one of those duties.
The new ST-G 220 is also engineered to give a performance from off-center hits across a wide range of weight positions, which is a first for the industry.
The new Mizuno addition also features a current player’s profile, which includes a deeper face and a shorter back to front look, while still utilizing the maximum capacity 460cc head size.
Mizuno’s SAT2041 Beta Ti face has been enhanced with the addition of a new multi-thickness Cortech Face to ensure the best possible performance.
For many years, Mizuno’s irons and drivers were regarded as the company’s best-in-class product. Despite the fact that they manufacture excellent irons and drivers, these Made in Japan putters surprised golfers with quite outstanding results as well.
Using a single piece of 1025 Mild Carbon Steel, the M Craft is a forged putter with a unique look and feel. When you use this putter, you will have the best feel and performance on the putting green available. The CNC machined face contributes to the consistency of the roll’s shape and size.
Custom weighting in putters is one of the most significant breakthroughs in golf technology that we are now witnessing. A golfer can achieve the exact quality and consistency they require on every stroke with the use of putters that have changeable weight.
If you’ve been seeking for a putter that’s both visually appealing and highly functional, this is the best we’ve seen in a long time.
XXIO
XXIO is a japanese golf clubs manufacturer that has only recently made its way onto the global stage of manufacturing. Although XXIO clubs are not a brand that everyone should be familiar with, if you have watched Ernie Els play in the recent past, you should have seen his XXIO clubs at least once before. XXIO is not exceptionally expensive as Honma Beres, although the target audience is similar. XXIO irons are available in forged and cast forms, and each one has a distinct “Game Improvement” character. It’s all about getting as much as you possibly can out of your golf swing.
The company’s approach to club production is a bit different from the same Japanese competitors. XXIO creates clubs for players who have a lower swing speed than the average golfer. We see that many golf club manufacturers tend to focus on strong golfers, XXIO uses a slightly different strategy. Since 1996, XXIO has focused on designing and manufacturing clubs for players with average swing speed. Thus XXIO is an ideal option for the best Japanese golf clubs for beginners.
The shafts of these XXIO golf irons are made of graphite, while the faces are titanium. This club has a progressive design that allows players to gain significant forgiveness and loft with each swing.
These irons are mainly for mid-to-high handicap players on the course.
Generally speaking, the clubhead is classified as a High Energy Impact Head. Golfers can achieve a very high MOI and significantly increased ball speed as a result of this. The club’s face is also composed of titanium, which allows for an even better jump off the face.
Last but not least, the irons are pretty light. These clubs are of good quality, but they are designed for golfers who require clubs that will help them gain more speed and better control of the course. If you are a golfer that requires extra distance from the fairway, the technology included in this iron set will assist you in achieving that distance.
The price of the XXIO irons will be the only genuine drawback of this product. The set will be limited and will most likely be priced at the same level as a complete set from another manufacturer.
SRIXON
As a manufacturer of golf balls, Srixon is widely regarded as one of the greatest in the world, and it is unquestionably among the top in the world in this field.
However, there is little doubt that Srixon also manufactures excellent golf clubs, particularly irons, and their other products. And it continues to be done in a very traditional manner in Japan. Srixon is a manufacturer with a limited marketing budget has resulted in the company having just a small number of contract players on the PGA Tour, such as Hideki Matsuyama or Shane Lawry.
After adding excellent drivers and woods to its line-up for the 2021 season, Srixon has become regarded as an “insider recommendation” by many golfers. This indicates that the performance has been demonstrated but that the popularity has not been established (yet).
By the way, it is worth noting the fact that the famous golfer and the four-time Major winner Brooks Koepka had Mizuno irons in his bag for many years. In November 2021, Brooks Koepka has officially signed with Srixon and put a Srixon driver, Srixon irons and Srixon ball into play as well as carry a Srixon Staff Bag.
This golf driver, the Srixon Z 785, is not one of the greatest Japanese golf clubs available on the market, but it is the best Japanese golf driver available for an affordable price.
Regardless of the sort of golf driver you are searching for, the Srixon Z 785 golf driver will likely provide you with some outstanding speed and distance.
The club was created to be lighter, faster, and stronger than any previous Srixon driver available on the market at the time of its introduction.
The usage of lightweight carbon has assisted in making the driver more forgiving while also improving his accuracy.
It’s challenging to find an adjustable driver for a lower price than this Srixon Z785 adjustable driver.
When you glance down at the Srixon Z785 driver, you will note that it has a classic-looking driver head designed to instill confidence in the players who use it.
FAQ About Japanese Golf Clubs
What is JDM Golf?
Technically it means Japan Domestic Market.Â
The JDM market offers some of the most advanced technology in the production of Japanese golf clubs available today. Great attention is paid to superior design and appearance, so they are often very attractive and create a chic feel while playing.
So why are Japanese golf clubs superior and of excellent quality?
First of all, Japan has always been famous for the production of swords, especially the katana, a traditional weapon of the samurai. The process of their manufacture was unique and sword masters were proud of their craft.
Although procedures and techniques have changed over time, modern Japanese golf equipment manufacturing has retained the technique of forging, which makes the golf clubs made in Japan one of the best in the world.
In the manufacture of Japanese golf clubs uses high quality steel and other high quality materials from Japan.
Also, the best Japanese golf clubs are unique because they are not mass-produced, as other major golf brands. Many are designed specifically for a particular golfer.
What Pros Play With Japanese Golf Clubs?
The most notable example is Justin Rose, who played with Honma drivers and irons. In 2019, he won the Farmers Insurance Open, playing with Honma clubs and collaborating with the company.
Abraham Unser is a PGA Tour ambassador for Miura. The golfer has been using Miura irons for a long time. It’s worth noting that the golfer started using Japanese irons before he started his official relationship with the company.
Kevin Chappell is another PGA Tour pro who uses Miura clubs.
The famous Tiger Woods also played with Mizuno clubs. True it was before he turned professional, but still we understand that this man knows a lot about the game of golf and golf equipment.
Paul Casey and Luke Donald also play with Mizuno MP-20 MB Irons.
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