They are an antidote to fast fashion: handmade jeans from a Japanese brand are hand-dyed with natural indigo and woven on vintage looms.
They are later sold at a high price, and above all, they last a long time.
In the small factory Momotaro Jeansin the southwest of JapanThese pants are made to be worn for decades, and come with a lifetime warranty.
Yoshiharu Okamoto slowly dips cotton threads into a container of blue liquid that stains his hands and nails as he repeats the process.
Cotton is imported from Zimbabwe but natural indigo is harvested in Japanwith a richer color than synthetic imitations, according to Okamoto.
He says it is a “long and expensive” method, which was used to dye kimonos in the Edo period, from the 17th to the 19th century.
Momotaro Jeans was created in 2006 by Japan Blue, one of the few jeans producers in the coastal town of Kojima, known for its artisanal quality.
“We are very strict with all aspects of manufacturing,” says Japan Blue president Masataka Suzuki.
That includes “the quality of the sewing and the dye,” which makes it essential to work with local artisans.
These techniques are not cheap. The most basic range of Momotaro Jeans It sells for about 30,000 yen ($200), and some mixed with silk are worth double that.
The brand’s most expensive product, hand-woven on a wooden machine, is priced at more than 200 thousand yen (more than $1,270).
The interest in Japan Blue is growing among overseas buyers, as has happened with popular luxury jeans brands such as Osaka-based Evisu and Tokyo-based Sugar Cane.
Exports now account for 40% of sales, and the company recently opened its sixth store in Kyoto.
“Niche” reputation
Kojima has a long tradition of cotton and textiles, and its fabrics are used by international luxury brands.
The Japanese jeans market “has grown in the last 10 to 15 years,” says Michael Pendlebury, who runs a clothing store called The Denim Doctor.
However, “they are not affordable for most” and rather have a “niche” reputation, according to Pendlebury.
“Massive jeans brands like Levis, Diesel and Wrangler are the biggest and most used, but the highest quality is Japanese, in my opinion,” says the tailor.
Sales of Japanese jeans could also be boosted by the weak yen and a tourism boom, he adds.
The name Momotaro Jeans is a tribute to a folk hero from Okayama, where Kojima is located.
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How are handmade jeans made?
The machines used in its production are old and slow.
They often have defects and the only people who know how to repair them are people 70 years old or older.
The brand uses a handful of shuttle looms made in the 1980s. “There are a few left in Japan” because they are no longer manufactured, Uchida says.
Despite the complexity, he believes the fabric makes it worth it.
“The texture is very soft to the touch, and when the jeans are produced, they are very durable,” says Uchida.
Suzuki says Momotaro Jeans is a “sustainable” choice because “no matter when they bring it to us, we take responsibility for repairing it.”
“We want to preserve this brand as much as possible.”