Japan’s Kojima, with its proud Jeans Street, draws fans of vintage, deep-blue denim

Associated Press

KOJIMA, Japan (AP) — Denim — that All-American fabric — is all about being Japanese in the town of Kojima. The town’s main road is named Jeans Street, with real pairs of pants flapping like flags overhead. The area boasts about 40 jeans manufacturers and stores. Japanese jeans tend to be high-end, dark and durable. Although they’re a tiny part of the global jeans market, they have carved out a niche with a reputation for craftsmanship. Kojima gave birth to popular brands like Big John, with roots dating back to the 1940s. And now it supplies top international fashion brands, including Gucci. The dark indigo hue of Made-in-Japan denim has earned the name “Japan blue,” also known as “tokuno blue,” which translates to “especially concentrated blue.”