What is Kojima JeansStreet?
Well, it’s a laidback town in Kojima, Kurashiki City, Okayama, facing the Seto Inland Sea,
right at the skirt of the Seto Ohashi Bridge.
At an edge of Kojima is situated this JeansStreet,
the world-renown home of home-made jeans busily visited by discriminating fans of jeans from all over the world.
A 15-minute walk from JR Kojima Station will take you to the Ajino Shopping Arcade,
where stretches along the street your Kojima JeansStreet as it is proudly called.
Along the 400-meter-long street from Former Nozaki Family Residence to Nozaki Monument are nothing
but denim-related shops, some 40 of them, not to mention jeans-shops, denim goods,
cafes and all sorts of items all full of originality.
Kojima: The Sanctuary of Japan Home-made Jeans
The Kojima District has for a long time been known for textile industries.
The Kurashiki-Kojima Districts formerly comprised of only spotty islands of all sizes,
which, later in the Edo Period, was subjected to a major new-field development project,
burying the islands one after another to create rice paddies.
It turned out, however, that the salt-rich land was found unfit for rice farming.
After rice came cotton, which is resistant to salty soil to open up afresh a cotton industry in Kojima.
The new industry flourished to produce high-quality cotton,
which in turn gave rise to booming textile and spinning industries.
Also, both districts abound in high-quality water resources thanks to major Class-A streams like Asahikawa and Takahari Rivers.
Water is essential for dyeing.
Their advantages in rich water resources attributed immensely to the districts’ development in textile industry.
In the Meiji Period, Japan’s first private textile plant, Shimomura Textiles, was founded to prompt furtherdevelopment of textile industries.
The town thence came to be known as “Textile Town”.
Incidentally, Kojima is also known for manufacturing student wears, sharing at its peak as much as90% of national needs.
The arrival of synthetic fibers affected adversely Kojima’s textile industries, which gradually waned in as they did.
Then came a springboard for recovery: jeans production.
After a period of trial and error, thereemerged in the 1960s a private enterprise to produce home-made jeans for the first time.
Thereafter, Kojima came to be known as the sanctuary of home-made jeans.
How charming are “Made in Kojima Jeans”
Okayama-made jeans, particularly those made in Kojima, are reputed for high quality,
so high that they are categorized in the world’s brand collections of all sorts.
Why are Kojima denims loved by so many?
It’s because, for one, the high level of production know-how.
The Kojima textile artisans have acquiredtopnotch know-how over years of experience in the traditional textile industry,
which was adopted straight in manufacturing jeans.
Their time-honored skill may, for one, be said to have made Kojima the “Sanctuary of Jeans.”
Photo provided by Okayama Tourism Federation
Natural coloring is popular of course.
After all, the denim fabric done in Kojima’s tradition iodine dyeing knowhow is hard to deteriorate
and its Japan Blue lingers on to offer you the fun of wearing denim.
Should you wish to enjoy the unique mode of decoloring in synthetic indigo dyeing,
you can do that anytime at your will.
Why not try the jeans-toned vehicle to visit Kojima JeansStreet?
Photo provided by Okayama Tourism Federation
If you care to take a bus, try “Jeans Bus” by all means!
It’s not only its looks that attracts you; its interior is gorgeously “jeanized” –
not just the seats but the curtains and all are done in denim!
Photo provided by Okayama Tourism Federation
Dead space is handsomely utilized for the exhibition of jeans samples,
exhibits of leather patches collected by the jeans manufacturers.
It’s loaded with fancy ideas which are likely to tempt you to ride on forever.
The vehicle runs regularly on Friday through Sunday and on holidays as well.
Inquiry: Shimotsui Dentetsu, Inc.
Kojima Office 086-472-281.
If you are lucky, you can get hold of a Jeans Taxicab.
It’s a wrapping taxicab operated by Akebono Taxi Co. in the size of Impact wrapped fully with jeans design.
The toll is approximately ¥640 from JR Kojima Station to the mouth of JeansStreet,
It runs from 8:00 a.m. through 17:00 p.m.
Just one car is operating; that means, you ought to place your reservation ahead of time.
Otherwise, you’ll have to wait for your turn in case it’s serving other customers.
For the sake of your charm memories of Kojima JeansStreet it’s worth trying it.
(Inquiry: Akebono Taxi Co. 0120-00-3882)
JeansStreet, here we go!
Photo provided by Okayama Tourism Federation
Let’s start strolling along Kojima JeansStreet!
To startle you in the outset is a huge bronze object ahead of you - a mighty image of ballottement.
That marks the starting point of JeansStreet. You’ll wonder just what your first Kojima Jeans would be!
You don’t have to be a jeans fan to get excited.
Along the street, you’ll notice waves of jeans floating midair – a strikingly surreal image.
But then, it’s genuinely amusing to see the kinds of jeans you have never seen elsewhere.
Snap charmingimages whenever you come across!
Photo provided by Okayama Tourism Federation
Don’t you look upwards only; look downwards as well.
Look at it, the whole road surface is dyed blue!
The red-white lines are combined to give an image of jeans, don’t you think?
Photo provided by Okayama Tourism Federation
This manhole is quite cute, wouldn’t you say?
Not only that, look around and see for yourself.
Just as cute are the booking counter of JR Kojima Station, auto-dispensers, public toilets, shop shatters and so forth –
you find jeans designs everywhere.
It should be quite a fun hunting for them.
Photo provided by Okayama Tourism Federation
A unique line-up of jeans shops
As of July 2020, the jeans shops in Kojima number about 30.
Japan’s first home-made jeans BIG JOHN has its head store right here in JeansStreet.
They exhibit the latest models, outlet items of all sorts and denim goods.
They offer a course, too, for you to experience indigo dyeing.
A fan of jeans as you are, you won’t miss this item: everybody’s favorite mascot character – MOMOTARO JEANS,
a famous brand born in Okayama.
They have their head store here in Kojima JeansStreet!
You know they properly use a unique kind of sewing machine and machinery to create those extra fancy jeans.
BLUE RECORD (S) has its shop here in Kojima JeansStreet.
Known well for a charming design mixing the basics and that delicate sense of “off-key” touch.
Those vintage-rich jeans feature a delicious combination of wear-proof designs and superb coloring,
free from timing and coordination.
A bit tired of strolling?
Then, it’s your chance to taste the best Kojima JeansStreet has to offer:
RIVETS’ blue soft ice cream “INDIGO”! (400 Jpy)
It’s a soft ice cream of salty vanilla taste with, guess what, a topping of indigo powder.
Photo provided by Okayama Tourism Federation
Kojima JeansStreet is the home of Japan’s maiden jeans expertly handmade by the top-notch craftsmen,
full of denim items appealing to a wide age brackets across the world – even the world’s one and only pairs of jeans.
Here you have more than enough choices of jeans for you to pick from and you are sure to find THE pairs you’ve been looking for right here
at Kojima JeansStreet.
So, do give it a try.
JAPAN Travel Concierge
Qlip 
