Japanese Raw Denim

Japanese raw denim is unwashed selvedge denim woven, dyed and sewn in Japan, mostly around Kojima in Okayama Prefecture. It started in the 1970s as a copy of vintage American jeans and became the reference for the craft: slow shuttle looms, deep indigo and textured fabrics. "Raw" means the jeans are sold stiff and dark, never washed, so they fade to the shape of the person who wears them.

What makes it different

• Shuttle looms. Old narrow shuttle looms, many of them vintage Toyoda machines, weave slowly and at low tension. The result is a denim with texture and small irregularities, and a clean self-finished edge: the selvedge, visible when the cuff is turned up. Modern projectile looms are faster, wider and more even.
• Rope dyeing. The warp yarns go through the indigo bath many times in twisted ropes. The dye stays on the outside and the core of each yarn stays white, so wear exposes the white core and gives high-contrast fades.
• Yarn and texture. Mills spin slub yarns, thicker in some places than others, on purpose. That gives vertical streaks and "nep" flecks in the fabric, and fades that look rained-on rather than flat.
• Cotton. Many brands use long-staple cotton such as Zimbabwe cotton for softness, or Memphis cotton for a rougher hand.
• Weight. Denim is measured in ounces per square yard. 12 to 13 oz is light, 14 to 16 oz is the everyday middle, 17 to 21 oz is heavy, and above 21 oz is a hobby of its own. Heavier means warmer, stiffer and slower to break in, not better.
• Detail. Hidden rivets, chain-stitched hems, button flies, leather patches, hand-painted pocket stripes. Every brand has its signature.

A short history

• 1965 to 1967: Maruo Clothing in Kojima sews Japan's first domestic jeans, from imported American denim. They become Big John. Sources disagree on the exact year.
• 1972 to 1973: Kurabo develops KD-8, the first Japanese selvedge denim, and Big John uses it for its M-series: jeans made entirely in Japan.
• Late 1970s to 1980s: the Osaka 5 start reproducing vintage Levi's: Studio D'Artisan (founded 1979), Denime, Evisu, Fullcount and Warehouse. They create the "repro" category.
• 1990s onwards: Kojima's mills, dyers and sewing workshops become a cluster. Mills such as Kaihara supply brands worldwide, and a second wave (Momotaro, Pure Blue Japan, Iron Heart, Samurai) pushes texture and weight further.

The brands worth knowing

Prices are from Statement in Munich on 22nd October 2026, where listed. "Stocked" means Statement carries the brand but no price was captured.

By what you want from the jeans:

• Texture and fades: Pure Blue Japan, Samurai.
• Vintage accuracy: Warehouse, Fullcount, Studio D'Artisan, Sugar Cane.
• Toughness and warmth: Iron Heart.
• A refined everyday pair: Momotaro, The Flat Head.
• A first pair at a lower price: Japan Blue, Edwin.

How to choose a pair

• Sanforized or not. Sanforized denim is pre-shrunk and shrinks only a little at the first wash. Unsanforized (loomstate) denim can shrink by up to about 10 % and twist at the leg, so you buy it bigger and soak it first. Check every model: brands sell both, and the label says which.
• Fit. Raw denim stretches at the waist with wear and moulds to you. Buy it snug at the waist, but never too tight to sit down in. Measurements in centimetres beat tag sizes, because every brand's 32 is different.
• Weight. For a first pair, 13.5 to 15 oz. It is comfortable from the first week and works in summer.
• Length. Buy long and hem it. A chain-stitch hem on a Union Special machine is the traditional finish, and it gives the rippled "roping" at the cuff as it fades.

Wear and care

• Wear them a lot before the first wash. The longer the first stretch, the sharper the fades. Many people go 3 to 6 months.
• Wash cold and inside out, or soak in a tub, then hang to dry. No dryer.
• Air them between wears instead of washing. Spot-clean stains.
• Expect indigo transfer onto light sofas, bags and white sneakers for the first months.
• Repair rather than replace. Crotch blowouts and torn pockets are normal after a few years. Good denim shops repair them.

Where to buy in Munich

Statement - The Denim Store

Statement is Munich's specialist for Japanese and heavyweight denim, with over 60 jeans models. It stocks Momotaro, Pure Blue Japan, Iron Heart, Samurai, Fullcount, Warehouse, Studio D'Artisan, The Flat Head, Sugar Cane, Japan Blue, Edwin and orSlow, plus workwear and boots. It also offers a hemming and repair service: ask whether they hem with a chain stitch.

• Address: Fraunhoferstraße 8, 80469 München, in the Gärtnerplatz quarter. The Red Wing Shoe Store is in the same building, see Red Wing Blacksmith 3343.
• Opening hours: Monday to Friday 12:00 to 19:00, Saturday 11:00 to 19:00.
• Phone: +49 89 242 92 351.

MANGAS München

MANGAS at Kreuzstraße 4 makes jeans to measure, from Japanese selvedge fabrics by mills such as Kuroki and from Japan Blue. It is the option for a pair cut to your own body rather than a brand's fit. More in its own note, see MANGAS München: Made-to-Measure Clothing.

Online, in Germany and the EU

• DC4, Berlin: a Japanese denim store since 2004, with 60+ brands, including Samurai and Pure Blue Japan.
• Cultizm, Münster: online and in-store, with Fullcount, Momotaro and Warehouse.
• Momotaro's German store: the brand direct, in euros.
• Iron Heart Germany, Hamburg: the brand's German shop.
• Redcast Heritage, Spain: a wide Japanese selection with EU shipping.

Further Reading

Statement - The Denim Store

Munich's Japanese and heavyweight denim specialist, online and at Fraunhoferstraße 8

https://statement-store.com/

DC4 Berlin: Japanese Denim Store

60+ Japanese brands, since 2004

https://dc4.de/

Why Okayama became the denim capital of the world

Heddels on Kojima and the Japanese denim cluster

https://www.heddels.com/2016/02/why-okayama-japanese-region-became-denim-capital/

• The 3 tiers of raw denim, Heddels, on entry, mid and end-level jeans
• Japan: 10 days, landing in Tokyo: the Japan trip note