Kojima Jeans Street, the Place for High-end Denim in Japan
Kojima Jeans Street, the Place for High-end Denim in Japan
Where the quintessential icon of American clothing has evolved into a fine art in East Asia.
No matter where you travel it is, generally, pretty easy to find a relatively good looking pair of blue jeans at dirt cheap prices from virtually any fast-fashion chain. The old saying "you get what you pay for" certainly rings true, though, when it comes to buying cheap jeans. Good luck getting such a pair of jeans to hold up for the long haul like an authentic pair of Levi 501s.
Thus, there are plenty of people that don't just want any old pair of jeans; They want heirloom-quality jeans that not only look great but can be handed down to future generations. Many are willing to pay a premium for impeccable quality and customized features. For such discerning connoisseurs of top-of-the-line denim clothing, the premier location for truly one-of-kind masterpieces made of extremely high-quality denim is a small town called Kojima in Okayama Prefecture on Japan's Inland Sea.
Where Yves Saint Laurent Would Be Right at Home
Fashion guru Yves Saint Laurent once famously said, “I wish I had invented blue jeans: the most spectacular, the most practical, the most relaxed and nonchalant. They have expression, modesty, sex appeal, simplicity--all I hope for in my clothes.” Well, Yves would be right at home in Kojima which boasts a total of 37 specialty denim shops, each of which have developed their own niche in terms of design, color, type of clothing, etc.
While Kojima has centuries of textile expertise under its belt and has been producing top-of-the-line denim for decades, approximately ten years ago a number of denim workshops decided that the only way to combat the onslaught of cheap, mass-produced jeans would be to band together to market their unique heritage as custom producers of extremely high-quality denim merchandise. The result was the establishment of Kojima Jeans Street.
Where Tailor-made Triumphs over Mass Customization
Each pair of jeans is really a work of art. You can order semi- or full-custom patches, stretching, cuts, dying, etc.
Some stores specialize in unique colors such as Kojima Market Place, which is the only source for brownish-blue jeans dyed in rust. Other shops such as SWE by High-Rock specialize in jeans designed for motorcycle enthusiasts. Their jeans feature strategically positioned, built-in padding that helps to ensure that bikers remain comfortable on long hauls.
While you may be able to find just the right pair of jeans or accessories right off the rack, at Big Johns Jeans there are, for example, a number of small workshops where tailors are on site during weekdays to customize your pair of jeans. There is another tailor that specializes in full suits made entirely of denim. To find just the right pair of jeans or other piece of denim clothing, you must, however, have to be willing to take the time to meander slowly through the narrow alleyways of the Kojima Jeans Street.
...but what does it cost?
You may be wondering how much all of this high-end merchandise costs. There seems to be a fairly wide range of prices for jeans from about 15,000 JPY (approximately US $110) on the low end to 35,000 JPY ($260) on the high end. A general rule of thumb is the more features (e.g., special patches) on the jeans, the higher the cost. Given the attention to detail and obvious high quality, it seems that such pricing is, however, worth it.
A fun place to shop
Not only the merchandise but many of the small shops are also works of art. At the very far northeast edge of Kojima Jeans Street you will find Japan Blue Jeans, which used to be an old farm house.
While each shop is quite different, one constant was the exemplary level of friendly service. While, like everywhere, the proprietors of the shops of Kojima Jeans Street suffered a decline in business from the coronavirus pandemic, now they are bending over backwards to welcome back visitors. One shopkeeper told me that foreign visitors used to account for between 10 - 20% of all of their customers, and they are anxiously waiting for more non-Japanese clients to return.
Most shopkeepers understand that, due to the unique designs offered by each shop, many visitors prefer to check out numerous stores before deciding to purchase something. Thus, at no point did I encounter any high-pressure sales pitches.
How to Get There
While it is definitely a little remote, this town is really not all that difficult to find. If you have access to a car, then it's easy to reach from Osaka in about 3 hours. If you will be coming by train, head for the JR Kojima Station. It is about a 20 minute train ride from Okayama Station, which is a bullet train stop. From JR Kojima Station it takes about 15 minutes on foot. You can also board a bus which takes only about 5 minutes to get to Kojima Jeans Street.
Example of the Best Japan Has to Offer
While Kojima Jeans Street is a little off the beaten track, it is definitely worth a visit. If you are, for example, on your way to Hiroshima after visiting Kyoto, get off the bullet train in Okayama and head over to the small town of Kojima for a morning or afternoon. You will, most likely, return with a unique pair of jeans that will last a lifetime.
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