Updated:
Oct 26, 2022 | Published: Aug 14, 2019 by James Smith
Based in the U.K., my passion for raw denim led me to join Heddels in 2016. I am a fan of all things Japanese, but especially the country's take on Americana clothing, from early workwear to mid-century sportswear and beyond.
Stepping into the world of raw denim jeans can be a difficult process. Sizing, soaking, and sanforization—it’s all a different world when compared to simply trying on a pair of jeans in the mall. But if this website is a testament to anything, it’s that raw denim jeans are worth it. And once you’ve gone raw, you’re very unlikely to return to ‘normal’ jeans anytime soon.
As you will have gathered, Japan is the raw denim capital of the world. The Japanese have truly mastered the art of weaving the finest raw selvedge denim and crafting five-pocket jeans, so it comes as no surprise that most of the big labels in the raw denim scene are from Japan. In addition to producing jeans of paramount quality, Japanese raw denim brands have a level of mystique and flair that makes their jeans covetable by denim heads worldwide.
Japanese raw denim labels have a cult following that springs to life in forums like Superfuture, Styleforum, and Reddit, all of which can be very useful when researching raw denim jeans. But to a beginner, it can feel like seasoned denim heads talk in a language of their own. “The s710xx is great bro, a bit slimmer than Sugar Cane 1947s, but they’re 19oz. and loomstate!”.
For this reason, we’ve compiled a quick-stop guide to the big names in raw Japanese denim. From Samurai to Studio d’Artisan, we’ve identified the most discussed Japanese denim labels and their most commonly recommended models.
The in-house brand of Japanese denim and heritage superstore Hinoya, Burgus Plus offers high-quality, Japanese-made garments at an affordable price point. Started in 1997 by Osamu Taniguchi, Burgus Plus prides itself on ‘ultimate basics’ and takes inspiration from mid-century American garments. With this in mind, the brand offers a solid range of raw denim jeans and jackets in a variety of silhouettes. Burgus Plus mainly use mid-weight denim, including a 14.5 oz. natural indigo denim. If you want a slim, or slim-straight jean, Burgus Plus will certainly have some options for you.
One of the famed Osaka 5 that formed the Japanese denim scene in the late ’80s and early ’90s, Full Count is one of the most reputable Japanese denim labels out there. Founded by Mikiharu Tsujita in 1993, Full Count is known for its use of Zimbabwean extra-long-staple cotton in the production of denim. This luxury fiber produces denim that is tough and durable but with a much softer hand. Tsujita believes that Zimbabwean cotton creates denim that emulates the American denim of the ’40s and ’50s that Full Count work so hard to reproduce. Price-wise, Full Count is up there with the more expensive labels, but if its vintage-style denim you’re after, it doesn’t get much better than this.
Full Count Key Products
1108
Image via Clutch Cafe
Fit: Slim Straight (1960s Levi’s 501 repro)
Fabric: 13.75 oz. Zimbabwean cotton raw selvedge denim
Initially founded in 2003 by Shinichi Haraki, Iron Heart appointed Englishman Giles Padmore in 2005 to manage their international sales. Soon after, Giles and Haraki formed a firm partnership that sees Iron Heart distributed widely in the western world, with a head office in Portsmouth, England.
Iron Heart is known for its exceptionally built garments, but especially their heavyweight jeans that have seen the brand gain a cult following. If you’re after slim jeans made from exclusive heavyweight raw denim fabrics, then Iron Heart won’t disappoint. You only have to check our Fade Friday features to see how these beastly jeans produce stunning, high-contrast fades.
Founded in 2010 by the folks at COLLECT Mills in Kojima, Japan Blue is just one of the brands under the ‘Japan Blue Group’ umbrella, which also includes Setto, Soulive, and Momotaro. Japan Blue uses the vast experience of the COLLECT Mills to create contemporary products that blend heritage denim details with modern silhouettes.
Japan Blue jeans are highly affordable, fundamental raw denim jeans without all the bells and whistles. Their motto ‘material is the key factor to jeans‘ says it all. Solid fabrics in a range of weights, colors, and silhouettes. If you’re just starting out with raw denim, Japan Blue is definitely a good brand to break that indigo seal.
Momotaro Jeans was founded in 2006. Hailing from Kojima, Japan, Momotaro Jeans is named after ‘Momotaro‘, a peach-boy character from a famous Japanese fairytale. The legend of Momotaro has it that Momotaro was born from a peach floating down a river. For this reason, Momotaro Jeans use their namesake as their logo, featuring Momotaro busting out of a peach (wearing jeans).
Under the Japan Blue Group umbrella, Momotaro Jeans’ slogan is “made by hand, without compromise“. This motto rings true in the production of their jeans, which are handcrafted in the coastal district of Kojima to this very day. Momotaro jeans come in a range of fits, each using exclusive mid-weight denim that is woven on vintage Toyoda looms from Zimbabwean cotton.
Momotaro separates its jeans into three different labels, Copper Label, Vintage Label, and Going To Battle. Each label has a range of fits with different styling details, i.e. the Going To Battle Label is the line that features the brand’s infamous ‘battle stripe’ pockets. With silhouettes ranging from heavily tapered options to good ol’ straight leg, Momotaro is a globally successful denim brand that you can rely on for a solid pair of raw denim jeans.
A brand shrouded in mystery, Oni is also named after a character from the Japanese legend of Momotaro. The folklore describes that Momotaro himself traveled to a mysterious island to battle an Oni, which is the Japanese term for a supernatural demon or ogre.
Handcrafted with deliberate wabi-sabi imperfections by one Fii San (old man), one could compare Oni jeans to a beastly creature. The brand is famed for its slubby, irregular, heavyweight denim that is genuinely unique. If you want a highly textured pair of raw denim jeans that will stand out in a crowd, then Oni is definitely worth considering.
Oni Key Products
902XX
Image via Denimio
Fit: Relax tapered (heavy taper with roomy top block)
Seen as one of the most progressive and unique Japanese denim brands, Pure Blue Japan pushes the boundaries of raw denim with artisanal fabrics that look like no other in terms of color, texture, and weave. Based in Okayama, Pure Blue Japan has been operating since 1997.
The brand uses yarn-dyeing—a process where the cotton yarns are dyed prior to weaving—to create their raw denim, which is notorious for its slubby texture. Often abbreviated as PBJ, Pure Blue Japan specializes in slim, contemporary fits with a small hem opening. Each pair of PBJs features their iconic embroidered emblem on the back pocket. If you’re looking for a pair of heavily tapered jeans with heaps of fading potential, balling out on a pair of PBJs will leave you very satisfied.
Pure Blue Japan Key Products
XX-013
Image via BlackBlue
Fit: Slim Tapered
Fabric: 14 oz. raw selvedge denim from Okayama
Details: Signature Pure Blue Japan leaf embroidery on back right pocket, blue selvedge ID, highly coveted denim fabric
Founded in 1997 by Toru Nogami (Nogami-san), Samurai Jeans is one of the most revered Japanese raw denim brands in the scene. Despite not being part of the initial raw denim boom pioneered by the Osaka 5, Samurai Jeans has carved a reputation through its solid range of indigo goods that blend Americana influences with Japanese heritage. The brand uses a range of fabric weights, with the core offering being their 190z. raw denim with silver selvedge ID, representing a Samurai’s sword. Samurai takes huge pride in the identity of their jeans, constantly conjuring up different rivet details, arcuates, and leather waist patches for each model. If you’re looking for something heavyweight, robust, and distinctly Japanese, Samurai will tick those boxes.
Sitting under the Toyo Enterprises umbrella, Sugar Cane is a highly recognized Japanese repro-denim label appreciated by denim heads across the globe. Guided by Yuichi Fukutomi, Sugar Cane has meticulously researched workwear of a bygone era to inform its thoroughly built reproductions down to the smallest details like stitch count and rivet placement.
Famed for their accessible 1947 cut jean that comes in under $200, Sugar Cane typically uses mid-weight, ringspun Japanese selvedge denim, woven on original narrow shuttle looms that were commonplace in the 1930s. In addition, the brand produces a unique custom denim made from a 50/50 blend of cotton and actual sugar cane fibers that gives the fabric a slubby, irregular texture.
Images via Fashion path Finder Tokyo and Red Cast Heritage Co.
Part of the famed Osaka 5, Studio d’Artisan is a playful Japanese denim brand with something for everyone. With its infamous buta (pig) branding, Studio d’Artisan manages to balance heritage designs with light-hearted details that breathe a new lease of life into archetypal mid-century designs. Founded in 1979, Studio D’Artisan was the first Japanese denim label to use deadstock hardware on their jeans and the first to create shuttle loom woven hank dyed jeans in Japan. Today, the brand offers a wide range of jeans ranging from super slim all the way to wide-straight.
Founded in Nagano Prefecture, Japan, in 1996, The Flat Head is a no-expenses-spared love affair with Americana-style clothing. Brand director Kobayashi-san has a rich history of dealing with American denim and has honed his knowledge to create some of the most reputable raw denim jeans on the market. Kobayashi insists on paramount quality within each step of the brand’s production process, resulting in raw denim jeans that are built to last and age beautifully. In fact, Kobayashi has famously stated, “At the time of purchase the product is only 50% complete, but that this completeness level rises with repeated wearing as the product begins to meld itself to the unique shape of each individual.”
The Flat Head specializes in slimmer cuts, made from exclusive mid-weight denim that is famed for its potential to yield high-contrast fades. Each pair comes with a branded goat leather waist patch and custom hardware.
The Flat Head Key Products
3009
Image via Rakuten
Fit: Regular straight
Fabric: 14.5oz unsanforized Japanese selvedge Denim
The youngest label in this guide, TCB is a Japanese denim label that has risen to success in the last decade. TCB— an abbreviation for both ‘taking care of business’ and ‘two cats brand’—was founded by Hajime Inoue in 2008. An ex-denim apprentice, Inoue-san used his knowledge of Japanese denim craft and vintage American jeans to conceive his own brand. Today, TCB is known for its charming reproductions of classic American jeans, built with immense craftsmanship and Japanese flare.
What makes TCB so special is how small its range of jeans is. Separated into ’20s, ’50s, and ’60s styles, TCB has aimed to master the archetypal fits of those eras. If you’re after heavily tapered, contemporary jeans, TCB won’t be your solution. But if it’s high quality, classic straight-legged jeans you’re interested in, TCB has got you covered.
Last, but only due to its alphabetical status, is Warehouse & Co. Founded by the Shiotani brothers in 1995, Warehouse was the last brand to become known as one of the Osaka 5. While other labels in that group focused on strict reproduction denim, Warehouse & Co. chose to fuse their own creative ideas with vintage American denim to bring a progressive product into the Japanese denim scene.
Today, Warehouse jeans can be found in a handful of carefully selected retailers who can honor the brand’s philosophy. In addition to their mainline jeans, Warehouse produces a separate ‘Duck Digger’ line that concentrates on workwear styles from the early-to-mid1900s. Warehouse & Co. offers a wide range of raw denim jeans, each boasting archetypal five-pocket details like copper rivets, iron buttons, red pocket tabs, and a branded waist patch.
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