Best Japanese Golf Clubs
Japanese golf brands are renowned for the quality of their craftsmanship when manufacturing golf clubs. In particular, forged irons produced in Japan are held in high esteem by many elite golfers. While golf equipment prices have increased markedly in recent times, Japanese clubs still tend to be amongst the most expensive you can buy.
Certain brands like Honma seem to specialize in producing the most expensive clubs possible! I suppose this is not totally surprising given that golf in Japan is a very expensive sport. Some Japanese golfers are even limited to just using a driving range as the cost of playing on a golf course is beyond their means.
Let’s bring you up to speed on the best Japanese golf clubs and the manufacturers you need to be aware of.
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Japanese Golf Brands
Probably the two most well-known Japanese golf club manufacturers are Mizuno and Srixon. There are healthy contingents of tour professionals on the major golf tours playing their clubs both under contract and as free agents. The other manufacturers listed below are not quite as well known but most would be worthy of your attention.
Top Pick
Mizuno Pro 221 Irons
- Gorgeous Blade Irons for the elite player.
- Grain Flow Forged HD: An elegant one-piece club crafted from 1025E Pure Select mild carbon steel at the revered Mizuno facility in Hiroshima, Japan, home to their acclaimed irons since 1968.
- Harmonic Impact Technology: Geometrical precision to ensure an ideal feel and response upon impact.
- 1025E Pure Select: Meticulous precision with six times greater tolerance than the industry standard for superior purity.
- Copper Underlay: A thin copper layer beneath a nickel chrome to enhance the impact feel.
Mizuno
At one time or another most of the best players in the world have probably played some Mizuno irons. Even if they might have had another manufacturer’s logo stamped on the bottom to meet a contractual requirement. Their development of grain flow forging technology helps them produce irons with arguably the best feel on the market. Based in Hiroshima, the company uses high-quality steel to produce its clubs. Many models feature a thin copper underlay to help produce the soft Mizuno feel.
Sir Nick Faldo used Mizuno blades for a large part of his career.
Their current irons include forged blades and cavities along with hollow-bodied designs in the 921 and Pro series.
As well as irons the company produces excellent wedges in a wide range of lofts and lies. The T22 range is available in 3 different finishes including a lovely denim copper.
The company hasn’t been as successful with its drivers as the likes of Callaway, TaylorMade or Ping. The current ST-220 series driver does stack up well against the likes of the Rogue ST, Stealth and G425 however.
ALSO GREAT
Srixon ZX5 & ZX7 Irons
Get all the best features in your irons with Srixon’s ZX5 and ZX7. Combining ball speed technology with superior forged feel, these irons are both forgiving and workable, giving you a sharp look and feel at address. Through thousands of iterations and two years of refinement, MainFrame was born. This unique design involves milling a variable thickness pattern into the back of each iron’s face, resulting in improved COR and maximum flex at impact. With the ZX5 and ZX7, you’ll have the perfect combination of distance and forgiveness in your long irons, as well as workability and feel in your short irons. Enjoy the uncompromising combination of Srixon’s ZX5 and ZX7 Irons!
Srixon
Probably most famous for their range of golf balls. The company produces a full range of clubs with PGA Tour players such as Shane Lowry and Hideki Matsuyamasigned up to endorse them.
If you want traditional forged blades then the Z-Forged irons are available. If you need a little more forgiveness then the ZX-7 and ZX-5 irons have cavity backs to help you out on those mishits. For a more modern club, you could plonk for the ZX-4 hollow-bodied iron.
Srixon drivers have received much more favorable coverage in the golfing press over recent years. Both their current ZX five and ZX seven models feature on the Golf Digests hotlist for 2022 and MyGolfSpy has also rated the ZX7 highly.
Miura
Founded by Katsuhiro Miura a master craftsman who takes great pride in creating some of the best irons in the world. Their heads are forged three times which leads to a denser head that up feels more solid at impact and offers greater consistency.
The lineup includes a classic muscle back blade the MB-101. It offers the ultimate soft buttery feel for those able to strike the ball precisely. Although at $310 per club that feel doesn’t come cheap.
The TC-201 irons offer a similar feel to the blades but with the addition of a cavity to help out players that don’t strike the middle quite as often as they’d like. Even more expensive than the muscle back at $330 per club.
For those after a forged blade feel but in need of a large cavity back design the CB-301 irons are available at $310 per club. Up
RARE Pick
Honma TR21-X Irons
Tour Release products offer a seamlessly blended combination of classic profiles and cutting-edge technology, resulting in the highest-performing and most stunning golf clubs on the market. Honma’s master craftsmen have created a masterpiece with a combination of a forged L-cup face, foam, and an internal tungsten bar, providing modern golfers with maximum distance.
The muscle back design, sharp blade profile, cambered sole, and solid feel of this iron gives tour players through middle handicaps improved confidence. This club is designed for fast and high launching, with controlled spin for longer carry and more shot-stopping control. Additionally, up to 73g of dense tungsten is located low and deep to create a high MOI and powerful lofts for more speed.
Honma
Honma golf clubs are primarily aimed at average golfers who want to show off to their friends. Most of the expensive options available do little or nothing for performance and are merely for aesthetic effect.
Sets of Honma irons can cost up to $40,000! Drivers might be as much as $5000!
Partly this is down to the materials used in some of their clubs, 24-carat gold and platinum for example. The Beres Aizu model uses a 16th-century lacquering technique and some clubs are worked on by 100 different people!
If you want some bling then Honma is the way to go but if you want some clubs to help improve your game I would look elsewhere.
BLING
Maruman Majesty Prestigio Irons
Looking for bragging rights on the first tee. These blingy irons from Maruman should do the trick!
Maruman Majesty Prestigio X Iron is here to take your game to the next level! Its mission is to provide an unbeatable distance performance, an ideal impact, and an unbelievably satisfying feeling.
The wide area repulsive faces create solid impact and height. What’s more, its High Purity Tungsten Inner Casting Manufacturing Method is capable of outstanding performance, as it is made up of metals that have more than twice the body’s specific gravity and a lower center of gravity than the tungsten alloy that is normally used.
It also features a precise head and face design to boost repulsion. Thanks to the high strength ‘Tafest maraging steel’ and ‘wide groove’ design, this product offers a massive impact.
Alongside the new Majesty LV-730 Shaft, the Pyrofil® MR 70, developed in the aerospace field, is realized for weight saving. This also gives you a feeling of stability and a large, supple direction.
Maruman
Older readers might remember Ian Woosnam playing this brand some years ago. Not surprisingly these are quite pricey with a set of Conductor LX forged irons having a retail price of $1800.00! Many of their clubs seem to be as blingy as those from Honma. Great for flexing but probably not so good for your golf.
ALSO GREAT
XXIO Prime Irons
Designed for a straight ball flight with extra distance, the XXIO Prime 10 irons feature Super-Tix PLUS Titanium face with CNC milled speed grooves for a larger and hotter sweet spot. The SP-1000 Shaft, with TORAYCA T1100G carbon fiber and NANOALLOY resin, is solid yet remarkably lightweight for faster, simpler swings. Two high-density tungsten nickel sole weights and a total profile that is 3mm shorter make the Prime 10 XXIOs the most forgiving suite of Prime irons yet. With these exciting features, you will be able to hit the ball further and straighter than ever before.
XXIO
Have been making a few waves recently with a number of different products. Their current cavity back irons XXIO 12 have been highly rated by Golf Digest and GolfWRX. They have been designed for players with moderate swing speeds in an effort to give them a little extra yardage. XXIO clubs seem to focus more on technology rather than the craftsmanship of their staff.
Epon
Epon offers a range of products to suit all standards of golfer. From classic forged blades like the AF-Tour MB II through to semi blades like the AF-Tour CB to hollow body construction with the AF-706. Epon Golf was actually formed to display the forging prowess of ENDO, the foremost forging house. They also produce drivers, fairway woods, hybrids and putters.
Vega
Another “made in Japan” brand that specializes in forged irons but also produces a full range of clubs. Their Classic Line includes a muscle back blade, a semi cavity and a full cavity iron. Forged from soft carbon steel to give that soft buttery feel off the clubface.
Where Can I Buy Japanese Golf Clubs?
While Mizuno and Srixon are pretty widely available the other brands listed will be a bit harder to find. You will have to look for retailers specializing in Japanese golf equipment.
You can buy online at sites like TourSpecGolf. They stock a wide range of Japanese golf club brands like PRGR, Seven, RomaRo, Ryoma, Fourteen, Kyoei, Honma, Yonex, XXIO and several other brands. MonsterGolfShop also stocks a number of boutique Japanese brands along with more well-known ones like XXIO, Mizuno, Yonex and Honma.
If you are happy with used clubs then you could check out JapanGolfClubs.
What Does Japanese Domestic Market (JDM) Mean?
Originally this referred to the local home market in Japan for vehicles and parts. In golf, it just refers to products either made in Japan for Japanese consumption or modified versions of products designed for the Japanese market and not meant to be sold in other parts of the world.
JDM products have developed something of a cult following because of the way in which Japanese club manufacturers, particularly irons, make their clubs. The long tradition of metal forging and the mystery of the Samurai sword are all interwoven into the narrative.
Best Japanese Golf Clubs: Conclusion
There’s no doubt that Japanese golf clubs are more expensive than many other brands but few golf manufacturers produce clubs with such high levels of craftsmanship. If you want to flex then you can also do that with some of the most expensive clubs in the world like the Honma Beres irons and woods.
Frequently Asked Questions [FAQ]
Which is the most expensive Japanese golf club brand?
Honma probably hold the distinction of the most expensive Japanese golf club brand. With sets of irons costing as much as $40,000 and drivers up to $5,000.
What is a Japan Model golf club?
A Japan model golf club is another name for a JDM golf club. A Japanese Domestic Market club is one aimed solely at the Japanese market. While you might think these are made solely by Japanese companies, western brands like Titleist and Callaway also make clubs specifically for the Japanese market.
Who are the best-known Japanese golf equipment manufacturers?
In terms of irons, Mizuno is the most well-known Japanese brand. They are played by tour professionals the world over. They are also renowned for their wedges. Srixon is a very popular brand although they are most notable for its presence in the golf ball market. Similarly, Bridgestone is one of the largest golf ball companies in the world.
