Japanese denim is a form of art. It is the best denim you can get. This denim is a luxury product made with meticulous hardship and skills.
Denim is already a heritage— a style of rebellion. From the sign of counterculture, it became mainstream long ago. Although it still carries the essence of youth— evergreen energy.
Japanese denim, on the other hand, simply broke the meta. Levi’s jeans were the original and undoubtedly amazing. But Japanese denim stretched the definition of quality and perfection.
Handshakes first, We are Muslin Dhaka, a team of fashion and fabric experts. With our experience and expertise, we provide accurate and wondrous information about fabric. We are specialists in luxury fabric & fashion.
We collected, experienced & experimented with Japanese jeans for months. Share all our wisdom from theory & real-life experience on Japanese selvedge denim.
So here we go. Find out everything about this denim fabric.
What is Japanese Denim?
Japanese jeans is denim made in Japan using traditional techniques. Those denim are hand-dyed with organic indigo. They are weaved with old machines and contain perfect craftsmanship. All the denim of Japan may not be regarded as Japanese denim.
There are no set rules. But, there are some major differences between regular denim and Japanese denim. We will discuss the characteristics below.
There are about 40 mainstream Japanese selvedge denim companies in Japan, but the product is not made equal. One of the major characteristics of Japanese jeans is that every pair is different. You can relate it to our fingerprints.
At a Glance
Industrial Name Japanese Denim.
Origin Kojima in southern Kurashiki, Okayama, Japan. 50 years ago.
Other Names Selvedge denim.
Construction Twill weave. Requires 40% more yarn than regular denim.
Weight 20 ounces typically.
Color Indigo blue, ideally.
Airflow Low.
Moisture Absorbance Low.
Weaving Twill weave.
Stretch No.
Heat Insulation Less.
Shrinkage Ratio Very low.
Usage Jeans pants are famous worldwide: tops, shirts, jackets & many more.
History of Japanese Denim
The history of Japanese denim is fascinating. It shows an interesting point of view— how cultures mix and change our tastes. Denim is undoubtedly one of the most popular and historical fabrics of all.
Muslin Dhaka team has covered denim in a separate article. There you can find the history of Original Denim, how it started to become popular, and many more. If you are interested please read Amazing Denim Fabric. We will cover just selvedge denim here.
It all started at the end of the Second World War in Japan. The American soldiers sold their jeans and went to their homes. Later, those jeans are sold in the black market to the native Japanese.
Wait, the actual story starts even before. America had a great influence on the Japanese people. American rock and roll, film, music, and pop stars were very popular among the young Japanese. And guess what, most American celebrities used to wear jeans!
When the Japanese got the chance to buy Jeans, the demand skyrocketed immediately. But it was not easy to import jeans from America. Still, some people started importing it. But created more problems.
Jeans were known as a “rebel without a cause”. It was for counterculture youth. But most of the young people were not capable of buying imported jeans.
The Japanese people used second hand soft and comfortable denim first. But the imported new ones are stiff and too dark. Naturally, those did not satisfy the Japanese. That’s when they decided to play the game with their own rules.
Production of selvedge denim
The Japanese had hundreds of years of history in crafting fabrics. There were established industries for different fabrics. Moreover, Japanese people were better with indigo than Americans.
When they wanted to make their own denim, they set their goal to make the same like comfortable second-hand jeans. Not like the new ones! After many trials and errors, they made something better than the original.
In 1920, the production started in a small town named Kojima in Okayama. After its success, more and more people became interested in it. From that period, Japanese jeans never looked back.
Wabi-sabi of Japanese Denim
Wabi-sabi is the Japanese word that refers to a philosophy that says, beauty in imperfection. I used that term for denim for a reason.
Japanese denim is a good example of that. Production started in the 1920s. The technology has advanced so far. But still, people want the same jeans from the past. They want it to be made with the same machine, in the same way. They want to buy part of the story.
The old Japanese jeans have their imperfections too. It’s heavy and a bit uneven. Modern looms might create 100 times more accurate fabric than that. But nope, nothing else is more important than the feeling inside. It’s not achievable with perfection, it only lies in originality, tradition & history.
How is Japanese denim made?
This denim is made in three major steps– dyeing, weaving, and tailoring. Those processes can of course vary depending on the company. But let’s go for the most standard and preferable way of making selvedge denim.
Step 1: Indigo dyeing
Japanese denim is dyed with natural indigo. Natural indigo is about 10 times more expensive than artificial indigo. This is just another reason why this denim is expensive. But certainly, there are many more.
Dyeing with organic indigo blue may look very simple, but it’s a form of art. The threads must go through 30 cycles of dyeing and drying process. In each cycle, a skilled person submerges the yarn in a drum of indigo.
After it completely absorbs the indigo, a man squeezes skillfully so a precise amount of color remains in the yarn. Then the yarns are dried. The process is repeated 30 times. The dyeing step can take about 1-2 months.
Dyeing with natural indigo needs to be done accurately. A machine or automation can do it like a human with years of experience and training.
Step 2: Weaving
Ideally, the weaving is done with a Yamaha shuttle loom. The loom originated in the 1920s. Later, the parts of the machine are used to make an automatic machine. That machine is still used to make classic Japanese Denim fabric.
The weaving machine is at least five times slower than regular machines. It is also a bit inaccurate, resulting in a bit of unevenness in the denim. This became a signature of selvedge denim. Moreover, the machine produces denim fabric that is heavier, thicker, and more compact.
There are hand looms for selvedge Denim, too. They take even longer than an automatic loom. Handmade Japanese denim is known as gold-labeled and is more expensive.
Tailoring
The final process of producing this denim is tailoring. Tailors who make jeans and jackets with denim fabric have decades of experience. Even then, they find it very difficult to work with Japanese denim. Remember, as we mentioned, this denim is thicker and heavier than other denim. Now imagine sewing and working with a thick fabric. The process takes lots of hard work, attention to detail, and plenty of time.
Types of Japanese Denim
When it comes to the type of Japanese denim, it gets a bit foggy. There is no actual typing of selvedge denim. But depending on how it is made, it can be characterized. The production process impacts the price and quality a lot.
Traditional machine-woven, hand-dyed Denim
This is the ideal type of Japanese denim. It’s produced with a 1900s weaving machine that was automated later, which is important for the signature characters of Japanese denim. It’s also hand-dyed with natural indigo blue, and the dyeing process can take up to two months.
Handwoven selvedge denim
Hand-woven Japanese denim is even more premium and luxurious than traditional ones. Those have a smoother texture than machine-woven selvedge denim. The other processes are the same. The handweaving of denim is very slow and takes a lot of time. It’s the most expensive type of Japanese denim.
Other lower forms of selvedge denim
You may have already noticed that original Japanese denim must have a few signature characters.
- It must be woven with traditional techniques.
- Hand-dyed with a skilled person
- Hand-sewed and processed.
Because production is so complicated, it’s hard to produce a lot of it. So, some companies may sacrifice one or two traditional ways to bring down the cost. Some may be produced with a modern loom, some may be automatically dyed, etc.
Those are not lower in quality by any means, but those are not the pure form of Japanese denim. This is important to lower the production cost and make it more accessible to more people. But if someone is passionate, they can always consider the pure ones.
Characteristics of Japanese Denim
This Denim is a bit different from the denim we know. Let’s explore them in the following points.
Cotton
Japanese denim is made of the highest-quality organic cotton, which has long fibers. The size of the fibers is one of the secrets of selvedge denim’s longevity.
Appearance
This denim looks premium. But it’s not that distinguishable by looking from a distance. It comes in a rich indigo-blue color. The edges of the denim are nicely finished and sewn. The name salvage came from its self-edge.
Weight
Selvedge denim is a lot heavier than regular jeans. For example– Levi jeans weight is 11-12 ounces, whereas Japanese denim can weigh 20 to 35 ounces. As it uses a shuttle loom and traditional technique, it requires 2 to 3 times more yarn than regular. This contributes to its heavy weight.
Feel
Japanese jeans fabrics are rough and a bit uneven. It does not have a smooth texture. However, overall it’s soft and comfortable enough for anyone. The fabric is made with a Toyota shuttle loom which originated in the 1980s. The loom is not as accurate as modern ones. It creates small imperfections which results the roughness.
Breathability
As a heavy and thick fabric, you can’t expect it to be breathable. But it also has a low-insulating character. So, you will not feel any sort of discomfort wearing it. It’s true for most types of denim.
Heat absorption
This denim also has a low heat absorption rate. You can easily go out in the sun wearing it without a problem. Its heat absorption rate is even lower than regular denim. This happens because of its compact nature and weight.
Stretch
Japanese denim does not stretch at all. It gets softer with time but has a rigid character.
Water absorption
Selvedge denim is a bit slow to absorb water. But still decent. As it contains a lot of material, it can also absorb a lot of water. So if you wash it, don’t expect it to dry soon.
Shrinkage
Most cotton fabric shrinks by 2-7% in the first few washes. This denim is not an exception. But its shrinkage rate is generally too little to notice depending on the quality.
Durability
Selvedge denim is the most durable kind of denim. With proper care and maintenance, it can last up to a decade.
Dye
Dying Japanese denim is probably the most complicated and artistic part. Every thread of the denim goes to 30 or more cycles of dying. Let’s not forget the beauty of denim flourishes with each wash. It fades beautifully and creates stylish appeal.
Japanese Denim and Sustainability
This luxurious Denim is one of the most sustainable fabrics you will find today. The fabric will last at least a decade. It’s not like you store it in your wardrobe and wear it a few times a year for a decade. You can use it regularly with proper maintenance. That is close to the maximum level of sustainability.
There are other factors, obviously, such as the materials used and production. But if one uses it for a lifetime, those factors become very small. Although most of the materials and production processes include handmade and natural ways, cotton may not be the most sustainable due to its high water use. On the other hand, indigo is relatively environmentally friendly.
Uses of Japanese Denim
The uses of Japanese denim are quite specific. Japanese salvage denim is the signature product of the fabric. We can also say that fabric was born to make jeans. However, selvedge denim is a great suit for Jackets too. It has become increasingly popular in recent years. There are other Japanese denim products such as skirts, shorts, and three-quarter pants, etc. Now it’s using almost all types of attire both male & female.
The advantages and disadvantages of Japanese Denim
Now let’s get a quick overview of the pros and cons.
Advantages
- Aesthetic and timeless design.
- Looks vintage.
- Perfect design and finishing.
- Durable and lasts longer.
- Luxury fabric doesn’t require that luxury treatment.
- Fades beautifully.
- Incomparable with other types of jeans.
Disadvantages
- They are heavier than other jeans.
- It takes time to soften and get used to.
- Hard to wash as it’s heavy and compact.
Regular Denim vs Japanese Denim
Regular denim and Japanese denim have some notable differences. Check them below.
- Regular denim weighs about 11-12 ounces, and selvedge denim weighs 20 to 35 ounces.
- Regular denim is smoother, while selvedge denim has a rough and uneven texture.
- Regular denim has more accurate weaving, but Japanese ones are not as precise.
- Normal denim is made with modern technology and Japanese denim is made with traditional techniques.
- Japanese denim can cost 20-30 times higher than regular denim jeans.
How to Care for Japanese Denim Fabric?
Caring this denim is not as sensitive as other luxury fabrics. But there are some best practices that you must follow.
It’s best to wash your denim as few times as possible to make the shades last for longer. But the maintenance and washing depend on personal preference too. Such as if you want faded rock and roll style jeans, you can of course wash them a bit frequently and hushly. When you reach the perfect shade, you may want to slow it down.
However, let’s talk about the standard practice where you want to last your jeans as long as possible.
First, wear it until it becomes visibly dirty or smelly. Depending on your lifestyle and how often you wear it, it may need to be washed once or twice a month.
Here are the washing steps you can follow.
- Avoid washing machine, prepare for hand wash with cold water.
- Turn your clothes inside out to minimize any chance of damage in the right part.
- Soak your Japanese denim with a jeans-friendly organic detergent water for one hour.
- Rub the dirty party and agitate the cloth gently.
- Let the cloth sit for another 15 min.
- Now wash it with cold, clear water until the soap disappears.
- Hang it in a windy, cold place. It should dry within 12-19 hours.
- Do not dry Japanese denim in the sun.
Japanese Denim by the Yard
Original Japanese denim may not be easy to find by the yard. You can buy readymade garments . Or order them with your specific sizes.
However, Japanese Denim fabric can be found in some places. They range from 15-50$ by the yard depending on quality, origin, etc.
Where can you buy Denim?
You can browse Japanese denim brand websites and choose your favorite ones. Some brands have physical appearances in different places of the world. Sometimes you may even need to visit Japan if you want to buy the most luxurious types of denim jeans.
Here are a few top brands for Japanese denim.
- Momotaro
- Oni Denim
- Blue Blue Japan
- Sugar cane & co, etc
Read our complete buying guide for the best japanese denim brands. For DIY projects, go for the best japanese denim fabrics.
Etsy, Amazon, Mr. Porter, Net e Porter & any famous luxury fashion market place is good to buy authentic Japanese Jeans!
FAQ
Can I put my selvedge denim in the dryer?
No. It can damage the fabric fiber and fade the color. Hang your Japanese jeans in a dark and cool place.
How can you tell Japanese Denim?
Japanese denim has a bit of an uneven texture and irregular textures. It’s heavier and more compact than other denim.
Conclusion
Japanese denim is not just a luxury fabric. It carries a story of cultural fusion and our desire to be free in a rebellious way. Jeans are undoubtedly amazing, but Japanese ones hit the threshold of greatness. You may not be that fan of jeans culture. But there will always be people who will pay millions for rare jeans.
Wanna know more fascinating fabric stories? Try All About Most Expensive Fabrics.
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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