Jeans were born in the U.S. as work clothes for laborers in the 1870s. Made of thick cloth called "denim," jeans have since become popular globally and are now must-have fashion items. While the U.S. is the birthplace of jeans, did you know that a town in Japan is also famous for producing jeans? Japanese jeans are praised by fans around the world! Let's take a look at their appeal.

Special Premium Jeans Made in the Mecca of Jeans

People are attracted to jeans made in Kojima, Okayama Prefecture, a port town facing the Inland Sea of Japan. Some express feelings like "This is the first time I've felt comfortable in jeans." Others are like "The unique texture is superb. I love how my jeans change as the color fades the more I wear them." Kojima jeans feature tough, flexible denim fabric and neat sewing from makers with a thorough commitment to quality. The quality is supported by the world's best techniques passed down in this area.

Traditionally active in cotton production and the textile industry, Kojima grew into a center of production of thick cloth for products such as bags and of school uniforms. Around 1960, second-hand jeans imported from the U.S. caught the excitement of Japanese youths, inspiring the start of jeans manufacturing in Kojima. Denim is thick and hard, so it is difficult to handle, compared with common cloth. However, makers in Kojima found that their refined techniques for dyeing, weaving, sewing and processing were well suited to the production of jeans.

Since then, as jeans manufacturers opened business one after another, Kojima became a major site for the production of jeans. The reputation of Kojima jeans has grown as the years passed, and they now have a customer base spread around the world, including Europe and Asia. Today, Kojima is well known as the Mecca of Jeans, and even overseas luxury brands procure denim fabric from Kojima.

The Secrets to the Global Popularity of Kojima Jeans Stores

In one section of a town that is crowded with many jeans factories, jeans shops line the streets called "Kojima Jeans Street." To find goods that cannot be found elsewhere, many people come to the rows of more than 30 stores on streets stretching about 400 meters. Let's take a look at one of them, an especially popular jeans specialty store.

Established in 1992, this company produces jeans in small lots and sells them under its brands in 26 countries. Their skilled artisans are committed to "making the best internationally acclaimed jeans." The No. 1 feature of the jeans is that every pair uses denim fabric woven by the company. After making thread from high-quality cotton intended for dress shirts, the artisans slowly and carefully weave the fabric with old-fashioned looms. The resulting fabric surface has the appropriate degree of unevenness, described as "thick and strong yet very pleasant to the touch, like the fabric hugs your body perfectly."

Another popular feature is the dyeing with indigo blue, which is commonly called "Japan blue" and a traditional color of Japan. The color of the world's darkest blue jeans is dark indigo blue, so dark that it is almost black. Gradually, as the jeans get worn over time, the initially solid indigo blue separates into white parts and indigo blue parts, creating clear color gradations. This has captured the hearts of fans, who have said, "Their appearance continuously changes as long as they are worn. The color fading varies in degree depending on who wears them, and one day they become a special pair of jeans for just the wearer."

With Denim All Over Town, Simply Walking in Jeans Town is Fun!

Town visitors seeking Kojima jeans are welcomed by denim decorations here and there. For example, there is a giant pair of jeans painted on the stairs of Kojima Station, denim-patterned standing ashtrays and automated vending machines, and even buses and taxis that look stitched together entirely from denim. Of course, Kojima Station staff also wears jeans. You will definitely feel a spring in your step as you walk under fluttering jeans hanging in Kojima Jeans Street.

Born in the U.S. and imported to Japan, jeans have evolved into must-haves for fans all over the world, thanks to the skilled artisans in Kojima. Why don't you too go to Kojima to find the pair of jeans meant for you?