This is an honest review of 7 best Japanese denim brands for authenticity & extraordinary quality. They are top denim for beauty & tradition all over the world.
Hey, We are team Muslin Dhaka. We primarily talk about luxury fabrics & fashion. Japanese jeans are our favorite! The thought of buying something that expensive is pretty overwhelming. There are dozens of great brands. So it gets really hard to decide, or even think of the process.
But worry not, we are here. We will tell you specifically which brand of Japanese denim is best for which reason. With our 37 years of cumulative experience, you can count on us.
But before jumping on the review, there are some essentials you need to know the context.
Best Japanese denim: essential facts to know
Japanese denim is a different form of denim with excellent quality and elegance. It comes with a rich history and meticulous production process. It often comes first in the denim lovers’ choice list, even before American jeans.
Japanese denim is like an antique to the jeans lovers. The quality is important, but the major things that attract Japanese denim are the story & the tradition!
Japanese denim is produced in the traditional way, which is at least 100 years old. The process also makes the production slower.
The price varies a lot on how the denim is produced. Denim made by hand or fully traditional methods are the most expensive. Semi-traditional jeans are less expensive as they can be produced a bit faster.
In the matter of Japanese denim, the expense may not always translate to perfection. Japanese denim is originally a bit uneven as it is produced with a century-old technique. But brands put an enormous effort into the attention to detail.
Why trust us? How do we select the best brands?
As an expert of luxury fashion & fabric, we already have a long experience. Apart from that we have fashion designers, fabric experts in our team all across the world.
We first list the potential brands based on their reputation. Then, use it or interview the real user. We check the reputation of the seller with their experience. How do they handle customers? Customer service.
Obviously, customer reviews are a factor like product certifications. We have almost 35 different traits to measure a brand. Based on all our research & data, finally, we present the list to ease your buying process to save time & money.
Our Limitations
There might be a few things that could be improved in our process, like we may miss a new product or a few high-quality products in a crowded market. Sometimes, It’s not possible to buy every product to share real life experience.
Keeping those in mind, let’s go through a highlight of the brands we will review today.
Want a deeper idea about Japanese Denim? Read out a complete guide to Japanese Denim.
7 Best Japanese Denim Brand
Based on our research, here are the 7 best Japanese denim brands for you :
- Best overall: Momotaro Jeans
- Best Affordable: Japan Blue Jeans ( link)
- Best vintage style: SUGAR CANE AND CO.
- Best Hip Hop Culture: Evisu
- Best Authentic Jeans: Big John
- Best Standing Out: Kapital
- Best Fading jeans: Pure Blue Japan
Now, we are going deeper to give killer insight about each brand.
Best overall: Momotaro
Types: Selvedge denim jeans
Sizes: Available.
Certification: N/A
Weight: 10-20 oz
Method of Production: Vintage toyoda loom, handloom, made with Zimbabwe cotton, hand dyed.
Price range: Mid to high.
Specialty: Vintage style with good contrast and beautiful fade.
Downside: Slow fading process and stripes may only be appealing to some.
When it comes to Japanese denim, Momotaro will always make it to 3, if not 1. It is famous for its authentic products that are made with traditional techniques. They have different qualities of Japanese denim.
The ones that are made with 1920s Toyoda looms are regular ones and pretty expensive. They also make handmade Japanese denim. Handmade selvedge denim jeans are their luxury option. Momotaro uses organic indigo and a very traditional technique of dyeing that takes 2-3 months. Due to a low production rate, luxury ones are not always available.
Those jeans are naturally a bit uneven and stiff. But the fabric will become softer with time. If you are considering buying the best selvedge denim, Momotaro is the brand for you. The brand was established in 2006. It did not take long to become one of the best in the industry.
Personal rating: 9.4 out of 10.
Best Affordable: Japan Blue Jeans
Types: Selvedge jeans, and stretch denim.
Sizes: Various.
Certification: N/A
Weight: 12.5 oz to 16.5 oz.
Method of Production: Made with vintage machinery and pure cotton.
Price range: Affordable to high range.
Specialty: Pure traditional jeans with affordability.
Downside: Slow fade and texture may not be desirable to everyone.
Japan Blue Jeans is located in Kojima. It was founded in 2010. It’s a sister company of Momotaro. It specializes in affordable Japanese jeans. If you are looking for originality within budget, Japan Blue Jeans can be a good option. Their quality-to-price ratio is incomparable to other brands. They also have high-end premium fit jeans too.
How do they sell original Japanese denim at such an affordable price? Well, they put great effort into cutting off the expense of their production: owning production plants and limiting outsourcing.
Personal rating: 8.9 out of 10.
Best Vintage style: SUGAR CANE AND CO.
Types: Sugar cane Blend jeans with Japanese craftsmanship.
Sizes: Various, tailored to fit.
Certification: N/A.
Weight: 12-18 oz.
Method of Production: Made with traditional methods and great attention to detail.
Price range: Mid to high range.
Specialty: Made with American style and Japanese perfection.
Downside: Unconventional features like snake skin patches may not be for everyone.
Sugar Cane and Co. is an innovative brand. They produce eco-friendly fabric with admirable quality. Their jeans are made of a blend of cotton and sugarcane fiber. The blend contributes to a better texture and appearance. Sugar cane is also much more sustainable than cotton.
The jeans of Sugar Cane and Co. are made exactly similar to Japanese denim fabrics. It includes meticulous organic dyeing and traditional weaving. The jeans have slightly different features. But it’s too little to understand with bare eyes.
Sugar Cane’s jeans come in vintage and evergreen styles. You may think this is a new initiative. But no! They have been producing those clothes since 1975. For denim fans, it’s hard not to love their old-school style. As an environment-concerned person, I may also be biased toward their attention to sustainability.
Personal rating: 9.2 out of 10.
Best Hip Hop Culture: Evisu
Types: Inspired by urban styles, premium denim clothing.
Sizes: Available for everyone.
Certification: N/A
Weight: Mid to heavy-weight denim.
Method of Production: Made with modern methods and traditional techniques.
Price range: Mid to high range.
Specialty: Known for its handcrafted and painted designs.
Downside: Those styles may not be for everyone.
Evisu was founded in 1991 in Osaka, Japan. From then they are creating excellence in the denim industry. Their Japanese denim is not like other traditional brands. They are more focused on being present with current trends.
Their jeans are made as carefully as any other Japanese denim brand. But the style is pretty unique. Hip-hop buggy pants and pants with kitty stripes are some of the signature traits of Evisu jeans.
Those are mostly popular among the Gen-Z. But is there an age for wearing kitty pocket Jeans? I don’t think so! They also have some of the best faded jeans options. All their jeans are sold after Sanforization.
Personal rating: 8.8 out of 10.
Best Authentic Jeans: Oni Denim
Types: Slim, slightly tapered jeans. Different variants like Kihannen, Secret Denim, and Contest Editions are available.
Sizes: Comes with various sizes.
Certification: Not mentioned.
Weight: Heavyweight denim.
Method of Production: Made in traditional ways with a vintage shuttle loom.
Price range: Mid to high end.
Specialty: Known for its authenticity and purity.
Downside: Expensive. Not might shipped to USA.
If you are looking for an authentic product, Oni Denim is the brand for you. They produce denim in a very old shuttle loom. They are also famous for their perfect dyes. The owner of the company, Mr. Oishi, is the only person who can operate the production machines. A very small amount of denim is produced from Oni Denim. So if you can get one of those in your hand, certainly consider yourself lucky!
When Oni denim was first produced, it was slubby like a devil. In Japanese, Oni means devil. The brand held its tradition for many decades now.
It’s possible to get an Oni Denim from the US online. But it’s might cheaper if you can buy it from Japan.
Personal rating: 9.0 out of 10.
Best Standing Out Japanese denim : Kapital
Types: Premium Japanese quality jeans with extraordinary designs.
Sizes: Various.
Certification: Not mentioned.
Weight: Heavyweight.
Method of Production: Experimental methods with a touch of tradition.
Price range: Mid to high range.
Specialty: Known for unique style and premium quality.
Downside: High price point and low availability.
If you want to stand out from the crowd, Kapital has the most surprising styles of jeans. They come with unique designs and masterclass quality. They also dye their jeans differently. Their unconventional style and unmatched quality made them one of the most popular denim companies in Japan.
Kapital denim has a distinct off-beat charm and unique aesthetics which is hard to compare with any brand. Those styles have become massively popular in recent generations.
Personal rating: 8.5 out of 10.
Best Fading jeans: Pure Blue Japan
Types: Nappy, relaxed tapered, and other types.
Sizes: Standard sizes.
Certification: Not available.
Weight: Heavyweight.
Method of Production: Hand-dyed with organic indigo. Made with American cotton.
Price range: Mid to high.
Specialty: Irregular slubby, neppy textures, and beautiful fade.
Downside: High price and limited availability.
Pure Blue Japan is another authentic brand for buying classic Japanese denim. Denim lovers love the irregular rised threads in their jeans. Those are called neppy jeans. This adds to the vintage texture and makes every jeans unique. Pure Blue Jeans is one of the few brands that does the neps perfectly.
The company was founded in 1997 in Okayama. The brand became popular quickly for its irregular, slubby denim. The dyes of the denim are also done using traditional methods. However, if you are not a regular Japanese denim user, those may feel a bit heavy to you.
Personal rating: 9.1 out of 10.
If we stop here we can not show justice for a few other brands! The brands we have special mention are Cottle, Resoulte, Samurai jeans, Graph Zero, big john, iron heart, Studio d Artisan, the jean maker, naked & famous denim, etc.
Buying Guide: Best Japanese Denim
There are some essential things you must keep in mind while buying your Japanese denim. Even if you buy the best one in the market, you could be very disappointed! For example if you get the wrong size/ not used to the textile.
Let’s discuss in detail the buying guide to avoid any issue :
Raw denim
A good percentage of Japanese selvedge denim is sold raw. Raw denim is the unwashed one.
Pre-washed denims are softer. They do not tend to shrink much in your first few washes.
As raw denim is stiffer, it may take some time to get used to it. Eventually, the denim will become softer and more comfortable.
So, there are two things to keep in mind when buying raw Japanese denim. It can shrink, so get a size or two larger. And it will be stiffer at first.
Sanforization
It is a process of pre-shrinking the denim fabric. It’s different from washing. If you buy sanforized denim, you need not worry about shrinking.
Textile Materials
Expensive Japanese denims almost always come with organic materials. They are hand-dyed with organic indigo. The cottons are also very high in quality. If you get affordable ones, you may get jeans that are produced in bulk. Those may not be organic & traditional!
Selvedge
The name Selvedge denim is often used as a synonym for Japanese denim. But not all selvedge denim is Japanese denim. Also, not all Japanese denim is selvedge. Selvedge comes from self-edge. The edges are compactly sealed in those denim which protects it from fraying and unraveling. Those denim are naturally more durable.
Size
Size is vital to consider carefully while buying Japanese denim. With size, we need to consider shrinkage. If raw selvedge denim shrink about 5-7%. Washed and pre-shrunk ones will shrink about 2-3%. Keeping this in mind, choose the size that will fit you after the first few wash.
Weight
If you are unaware, the weight of Japanese jeans might shock you. Regular denim is about 10-12 ounces. But Japanese ones can weigh 15-25 ounces. The extra weight makes it durable. You may need some days to get used to the weight. If you are new to Japanese denim, we suggest trying lighter ones first. There are lighter versions of Japanese denim that weigh about 12-15 ounces.
Our Verdict: Best Japanese Denim
Japanese denim is not just a fabric; it has a rich history and vintage vibe. If you are a denim fan, you can never deny its beauty. We tried to paint a complete picture of the current market of best Japanese denim brands. If you follow those along with the buying guide, it’s very hard to go wrong.
All the brands we mentioned are top-tier, and you can get quality products from them without a doubt.
Want to buy Japanese jeans online? Get the original Momotaro organic jeans online.
Shariful Alam Pavel, A fashion lover, passionate marketer. Love to share wisdom based on real life experience to enrich knowledge.
Founder of Muslin Dhaka, a brand, speaks the truth about royal muslin and fashion. Explore the digital fashion universe with organic cotton muslin and much more!
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