How Japan’s handmade jeans are made: Video
In Kojima, Japan, a small factory is making Momotaro Jeans to keep the country’s denim-making traditions alive.
These jeans are dyed with natural indigo, woven on vintage looms, and designed to last for decades. Craftsmen like Yoshiharu Okamoto carefully hand-dye the fabric, a process that uses indigo harvested in Japan.
This produces a deep, rich blue colour that sets these jeans apart.
Momotaro Jeans, created by Japan Blue in 2006, are part of Kojima’s long history of quality textiles. This seaside town, known as the birthplace of Japanese denim, uses shuttle-weaving machines that produce durable fabrics but are slower and harder to maintain than modern machines.
These jeans are pricey, with some pairs costing over $1,300, but buyers value their quality and the stories woven into each pair.
International demand for Japanese jeans is growing, with 40% of Momotaro’s sales coming from overseas.
