BLOG

Arte, Setouchi

Fashion Yourself up in Japanese Blue: Shop Quality Jeans Dyed with Indigo around the Setouchi

Tradition Meets New. Craftsman Towns in Okayama and Hiroshima Challenges Modern Clothing Culture

An hour away by bullet train from Osaka is a destination that all Japanese denim jeans lovers head to; Kojima (Okayama) and Fukuyama (Hiroshima), nationally famous towns for denim manufacturers. You can entertain yourself with the whole culture surrounding this iconic item. Look around over 40 shops along the Jeans Street in Kojima, learn how these products are made in factories, customize trousers to your needs, look for your favorite denim items among the shops or even try the unique denim blue-colored ice cream (blueberry flavor).

The history of Kojima started with reclamation in the early Edo period (17th century.) The land was too salty for rice. Therefore, they grew cotton, which broomed a fiber industry around the region. The industry shifted production to hair ties, uniforms for students, and, after WWII, jeans. The transition to jeans-making was not easy for producers. However, learning from the imported American denim, they ventured into fabric production, washing and damaging them, which resulted in today’s flourishment.

Get Your Next Favorite Wardrobe that Reminds You of Japan – Denim jeans for a lifetime

The products are known to be very durable. In Kojima, you can see 1960s denim still keeping its shape! You can enjoy fading colors with natural dye, which is not available in chemical dye. Custom jeans patch from cow leather, deer leather, and hemp, or button as you like.

We arrange Spanish-speaking guides to smoothly communicate with manufacturers and assist in customizing. Whenever you make these jeans softer, they will smell like Japanese indigo, bringing back the memory of the whole experience.

Kojima District, Okayama City

Kojima is a nationally famous town for the production of jeans. The craftsmen are known for their excellence in customizing and adding texture to new jeans.

The Takashiro Senko Dye Factory still uses natural indigo dye, which creates the “Japan Blue” depicted in Katsushika Hokusai’s famous painting, “The Great Wave off Kanagawa.” The shop next to the factory sells jeans, and other items.
At the Uniform Museum, you can learn the history of Japanese school uniforms, take photos of them, and shop at their store.
The Betty Smith Jeans Museum&Village has the oldest factory in Japan, displays jeans from every era, and offers a workshop on how to make them.
There is also a “Fiber Festival” in late April and October, where manufacturers set up shop to sell their products.

You can take a bus called the “Jeans Bus” to reach these locations, which is decorated with denim-covered furniture that furnishes its interior. You can also book a taxi with an exclusive denim pattern.

Fukuyama City, Hiroshima Prefecture

Next to Okayama, Hiroshima is proud of its denim manufacturers, who claim to share 80% of the national production. This area offers the entire process of making jeans, including spinning, dyeing, weaving, sewing, and washing. Some factories use old looms and sewing machines, which produces a soft texture and a vintage vibe. In addition, they strive to reduce the environmental impact of using detergents in dyeing. Here you can visit denim shops to get a pair of custom jeans.

Travel with us to the towns of Kojima and Fukuyama to make your custom jeans with the help of a Spanish-speaking guide to communicate with the manufacturers. So every time you iron your pants, the smell of Japanese indigo will bring back memories of the experience