“In 1965, the first Japanese jeans, produced by Big John in Kojima, hit stores with smashing success. Soon more Japanese jeans makers joined the fray, and the floundering Okayama textile industry emerged from the shallows with fresh wind in its newly loomed, indigo sails.”

Client: Setouchi Reflection Trip, the official travel guide to the Setouchi Region of Japan.

Project Description: Write a travel advertorial with photographs.

A Quote

“In 1965, the first Japanese jeans, produced by Big John in Kojima, hit stores with smashing success. Soon more Japanese jeans makers joined the fray, and the floundering Okayama textile industry emerged from the shallows with fresh wind in its newly loomed, indigo sails.”

The Inside Scoop

Kojima Jeans Street exists because of the passion of denim artisans.

Basically, they moved into a shutter town and started weaving. In the course of a few years, the place became a tourist destination.

The best part about doing this article was talking with craftsmen at three different jeans companies. Their deep love for their work and rich knowledge of the regional textile industry made for a fascinating listen.

And of course, I loved seeing their process up close with a camera in hand. In our age of mass-production, watching dedicated artisans doing it “the old way” just rocks.

My Favorite Part

Watching a jeans craftsman operate a hand loom while telling me about the history of denim in Japan.

See the results:
Kojima Jeans Street – Weaving History from the World’s Finest Denim