Founded in Tokyo in 1994, Designer Setsumasa Kobayashi prides himself in only using functional fabrics that support everyday living. With japan being the primary sales market for General and Mountain Research, the brands production is mostly based in Japan. Following Henry D. Thoureau's philosophy only needing to work for a few weeks a year, Kobayashi has built a retreat in the Chichibu mountain range near Nagano, where he designs and tests his collections in wooded surroundings.