The Japanese denim label with a 1-year waiting list for its jeans | Remarkable Living

Former civil servant-turned-textile manufacturer Hisao Manabe is credited not only with establishing cult brand Momotaro Jeans, but also with reviving his ageing hometown of Kojima, known as the birthplace of Japanese denim. In this video (filmed before the pandemic), he shares his story.
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[@rajendrarusmana8792]

Ive had the fortune of visiting jeans street a few years ago. What a wonderful place

[@AutomaticSelector]

I'd like to go there someday.

[@OriginalOutdoorplayer]

"sometimes we get told that we're foolish" then lifts hands died blue.... Not foolish, just passionate. (time: 5:26)

[@paedahe4975]

He always wanted to be a Smurf. So the blue die on his hands is part of his passion.

[@tellydianadayondon6534]

Maybe china business man say that to them🤣🤣🤣

[@OriginalOutdoorplayer]

@Virtual Pilgrim Sorry. I didnt know I had the obligation to please you. Here is the time stamp 5:26.

[@blackhellhammer]

Proud to own a pair now. Been wearing it for exactly a year without washing. Faded are uniquely form from my movement. Not everyone knows or wear Momotaro. Its not fashion or lifestyle, its a culture and we appreciate those Japanese who work hard for a pair of jeans that i am wearing now. Handmade without compromise.

[@lendleasereit6797]

Sounds dam cool ... the science and art of denim

[@SuccessforLifester]

If worn in Singapore, must be quite smelly due to the hot humid weather

[@wangyijee]

even you don't sweat, there is one year of dust.

[@SuccessforLifester]

@@wangyijee If a lady were to sell that never washed Jean, she would call it Preloved...

[@profitmuhammed7813]

Sick 🤙 that's how denim is - can't wash too often. But in singapore one year seems long. I wash em once a month

[@samaireoctober5584]

So tired of cheap stuff, that breaks the second you open it. Great story, very inspirational.

[@justanotherhappyhumanist8832]

Totally agree. Plus, fast fashion is destroying the planet. It’s not people’s fault for buying fast fashion though. Not everyone can afford to spend a lot on clothes. The first step towards breaking the destructive cycle of fast fashion is to start paying even the lowest workers a reasonable living wage.

[@samaireoctober5584]

@@justanotherhappyhumanist8832 You are right, not everyone can, I know I couldn't afford jeans for 1k. I do hope quality comes back to items though.

[@nankidd3050]

Love Japanese detail ,care and excellents......

[@dRk419]

Amazing how his hands are dyed blue throughout the video to showcase his hard work

[@thirisan3191]

I can feel the passion and pride from it.

[@OppAIsHeRe2]

As a denimhead from Singapore, it is quite sad that jeans from momotaro and other artisans has very little influence in our fashion options due to the weather. But I am still always glad to see people appreciating denim for what it is when I see them out on the streets.

[@nigel155]

Wow cool stuff mate 🤙 good to know there is a denim culture here

[@yakuzakasaima]

well in Malaysia its flooded by fake momotaro, evisu, samurai jeans and "mat rempit" hype it up among their community which affected someone who wore it original. smh. when i was 17, i save up my money just to get my first pair of evisu and i got eventhough it was preowned.

[@lendleasereit6797]

@@yakuzakasaima is evisu good denim? You like it? I haven't tried ... but have been quite intrigued after encountering evisu shops a few times very recently

[@Channel-xy2wj]

@@lendleasereit6797 Evisu has some of the best denim in the world

[@lendleasereit6797]

@@Channel-xy2wj it's crazy expensive 😆😆 damm... I saw but didn't bother trying just now at Orchard. 600? Still got supporters tho. Saw people trying

[@John-sj6ui]

I own a pair of Momotaro jeans and they are study, substantial, well made garments.

[@NEken-cy7jw]

The first thing I noticed. There isnt any ripped jeans. Its really nice

[@highkit]

Me too. I don't understand people who wear ripped jeans. Why would you want to look like you were attacked by a pack of dogs or like you bought your clothes from the trash? Why do people find it cool? Yesterday, I went to buy myself some jeans, but every store I went to showed me ripped jeans, despite the fact that I told them I find them ugly. It's not like they didn't have normal jeans, they did and they were much more cheap than those stupid ripped ones.

[@lendleasereit6797]

@@highkit 😆

[@sandyg.8318]

Good I can’t stand ripped jeans. Especially on anyone over the age of 25. Unkempt and childish looking.

[@KZ-ub9bg]

@@highkit you will never understand something if you continue to be narrow-minded, specially when you reduce something as "clothes from the trash". Beauty is subjective, its that easy. If you want to talk about functionality, just remember that people can wear sports shoes or boots, but sometimes they choose not to, they wear sandals, dress shoes, etc... this also applies to bottoms, hiking pants are in right now but some wear jeans, others ripped jeans.

[@n00dles79]

To rip these in any other way besides pure worn out material disintegrating from decades of wear would be like slapping God in the mouth.

[@inbedwithbz]

Great brand. I'm going to hopefully pass my pair down to my son in the future when I have kids. Japanese attention to detail and materials is almost unrivaled.

[@zulu695]

Yes agreed with you but material is from Zimbabwe where those working in farm earn 3 dollars a day if there lucky ??! !

[@PanduGPrakoso]

@@zulu695 not all material from African country Japan also imported the material from Asian country like India and Indonesia

[@erad67]

@@zulu695 Would you prefer they didn't buy from there and they lost their jobs?

[@OOOOOO-dx7zu]

@@erad67 is asking for a more equitable pay for workers for denim, a traditionally working class fabric, really sacriligeous? especially when these are artisinal companies pride themselves in preserving the art and soul of denim, and charge you for it.

[@momoyuan1470]

It’s not just jeans but it’s talent, craftsmanship and pure dedication itself. Truly artisanal!

[@TT-hq2cf]

love seeing these kinds of stories especially with the fast fashion industry booming..

[@arrowb3408]

This is high class craft Jean from the material to the finished end. I can see why it costs so pricy,but should be and put it into fashion runway show, honestly speak.

[@zulu695]

Those materials are from Zimbabwe where those working in farm earn 3 dollars a day if there lucky

[@AEYEWOLF]

I always appreciate real craftmanship

[@Ravishing_Dude]

I love the craftsmanship of the Jeans. Looks very durable.

[@BC-wz7rq]

especially if made by Japanese or Italians! ....i believe they have pride n quality in everything they make

[@fastxsam]

Love it. The $2600 price tag is a bit much for me but I can appreciate the attention to detail.

[@paedahe4975]

China must be knocking these jeans off by now. Look for fakes to appear from them for anything of substantial value like these nice jeans.

[@lendleasereit6797]

There are cheaper, lesser known Japanese brands like Kurabo Denim --- superb workmanship too. I own a pair of their denim jacket ... one of my personal favourite pieces Got it for less than 100

[@jkluge626]

That's just the gold label, normal Momotaros are fantastic and run about $200-$300

[@neerajnongmaithem392]

@@lendleasereit6797 thats awesome

[@gaslitworldf.melissab2897]

This is an amazing story. Just think. Denim began it's life in France, (duh neem) and now it's known as a US product, though in recent years, we don't make much. Now, jeans can be worn as a prestige object or just workaday clothes and where prestige enters the picture, it's hard to supersede Japanese artisanship, despite their love of technology.

[@brianjschumer]

Vintage US Jean's from early 19th century had a great quality, made on old looms as well, maybe not the same dyed quality, but strong and durable.. was needed for the everyday workingman, which included, mine workers, steel workers, farmers and cowboys. French invented, but USA brought it to forefront..now Japanese going back to old school and making Jean's even better, and there is a Japanese brand that can make exact copies of old vintage Levi's, Lee, buttons, zippers, anything you think of.

[@buddylee19082]

It's the imperfections, that make them PERFECT!

[@ummulchair6801]

I never knew that denim making could be this beautiful 💙

[@theway3058]

Love their attention to detail. I’m fanatical about these jeans.

[@YungToneySnow]

Man I could cry right now. Went to his site and they have large size denim 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾. So hard to find good denim in 40 / 42s

[@healthyandrew5294]

How much?

[@YungToneySnow]

@@healthyandrew5294 for ??

[@quikxfl]

@@healthyandrew5294 their basic designs are 300+

[@keithneth6183]

Still loving mine 3yo Momotaro 0200SP... took me really a long time to season it than a pair of red wing...

[@lendleasereit6797]

Wow sounds like u have a cool pair now man

[@kennethmajorSG]

Hi, do you wash it regularly? The instructions was shown to wash often and how do you prevent in from staining the seats in the car?

[@lendleasereit6797]

Dam sick and intricate the time and skill they put in to make a pair of jeans ... dammm

[@williammalapitan3801]

Maybe this was the Japanese Denim of Daniel Ceasar. “I don’t stand in line.”

[@grokker99]

2600 for a pair of jeans sounds crazy but if u think about it, you probably wear jeans more often than any other piece of clothing.

[@meowmixmeowmix]

Its the amount of hours invested into making it by hand from step 1. Most boutique items ask more than 300% of machined goods. Gibson/Taylor acoustics run around 3k from premium. Hand made run $10k plus. Hand tools? Sub $100. Hand made tools? $1k plus. Same with clothes, textile with hand is so much harder than if it was machined :D

[@Centrioless]

30millions for a house sounds crazy but if you think about it, you probably visit your house more than any place in the world. Yea it doesnt work like that, hombre

[@grokker99]

@@Centrioless youre comparing a house to pants. But, if u want to use your analogy, the assumption would be if you spent 6M on other residences that u barely live in, then the 30M for a house u live the fuk out of would make sense.

[@Centrioless]

@@grokker99 nah thats pretty much your logic

[@grokker99]

@@Centrioless Dont be the guy that pays $100 on whack shoes that youll replace every year. Fork over $5-700 on a nice pair of handmade shoes thatll last a lifetime. Youll end up spending the same if not less.

[@Renwoxing13]

I looked but didn't find. Look at him everything he wears is denim. His suits are so beautiful I didn't know denim could look that chic!

[@Smackarooge]

I'll take Levi Strauss 501's anytime hands down but I do appreciate the dedication of this gentleman to his craft!💪💙 Have a 19 years old pair of 501s and I find it amazing to see the wear and tear showing over the years like the color from indigo blue to almost very light blue nearing white plus the natural tear on both the kneecap areas. I wear it with any top! ❤ I might just retire from this world before it does! 🤣 Oh and BTW, it's also amazing that I've maintained my 32" waistline over the years! 😅 As is always said, "To each his own" 🤟 Have a great day denim jean lovers!😊😊😊

[@danialzainudin4065]

Relevant content in terms of knowing the proper heritage of Japanese denim

[@kageyamareijikun]

Someone at CNA Luxury is a big fan of Japan...haha...well to be fair, Japanese craftsmanship is really top-notch. I wanna buy this jeans now

[@zedrhyx1788]

Yep only in japan you can eat a fruit worth upto 100$

[@lendleasereit6797]

Can be found at The Denim Shop at Somerset313 in Orchard

[@chok2129]

Thanks

[@TheRastaaaaaaa]

bought mine there around 5 years ago

[@hermansule5750]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/oqKboXVrfLmIhqc

[@sifu2u_now]

$2500?

[@bill1260]

in michigan?

[@MagentaDreams70]

An incredible amount of work put into one pair. I'm in awe.

[@barrybarnes96]

I like my Wranglers....they work really well with my basic Toyota Corolla L.

[@donniegrande9186]

Love jeans, as they older they look better!

[@loritouma5899]

They look strong and durable!!! Bet they make good work jeans

[@ashierahmontas685]

Wow it is so much detailed I wanna try a jeans like that too

[@miggybyte]

Now added in my bucket list ☑️

[@oraclebless]

Like a wise man said. Want your business to be successful? Get your hands dirty.

[@richardtapales5764]

In a good way right??😣

[@PinoyAbnoy]

i hope you dont mean get your hands dirty like, those evil billionaires

[@xHAMZA.]

talk about double meanings

[@tejinderseera1280]

Been there and loved it!

[@MogulDesigns]

I have a special place in my heart for the Japanese culture ❤️

[@highkit]

Ah, so you have a special place in your heart for pedophilles? Just kidding, have you ever heard of Japan's school girl pin ups or school girls pop idols and their fans? There's a really good documentary about it by a channel called "Unreported World" or something like that. You should check that out if you'd like to know more. Japanese culture is very interesting, sure, but it also has some bad parts, like all cultures do.

[@kasikwagoma6740]

Likewise

[@loritouma5899]

Pretty cool story!!!

[@84vietskater]

I love denim so much! Denim head from the US!

[@Dxco31]

this is literally best jeanist

[@soriano1caesar]

That’s is crazy and amazing!

[@karlashdown5228]

I wish all denim brands would have as much attention to detail last pair of Levi's i brought when you hold them towards the sun as i found when hanging to dry you can see through the weave instant regret was what i felt at seeing this jeans used to last years & years i dont trust newer Denim types now but this place has restored my faith although i cant really see myself justifying spending tons of cash on another pair.

[@hpmoody]

Denim these days don't last.

[@kingk2405]

Love those products , any products, where people are rewarded for the quality of what they are doing because they want to reach perfection and make no compromises . Totally the opposite of the fast fashion.

[@muhammadzaki1430]

i love Momotaro Jeans

[@michaelfarrell6356]

Wow great video

[@Adovian_]

I switched to all selvedge about a decade ago and have not looked back since. Italy and Sweden produce great quality as well as now defunct Cone Mills in the US. Still wear old Levi’s tho lol

[@salvagemonster3612]

2600 for a pair jeans?!?! They better be blowing me every time I wear them for that price

[@marylopez0812]

Amazing

[@alpineflauge909]

thank you

[@sh09un1]

If I scrub really hard I can get most out of the dye out of my hands, they will stay blue even for another 3 weeks. Although, i'm adamant about doing this process by hand as I care about producing the best quality I end up dying more in every week, therefore my hands are forever blue. This is how I came up with the name of my brand Forever Blue... The best origin stories are born from love...

[@kayday6666]

I have a pair of momataro jeans and they are worth the money, along with samurai and iron heart. However, brands like edwin, and naked and famous are better on your packet but still great quality

[@buddy8412]

As soon as i am able! I will be visiting your utterly authentic paradise of denim sir. looking forward to it very much

[@emirzaa]

My jeans and my jacket 👍👍👍

[@RichardTheGreat210]

My Momotaros 0405's are my favorite jeans

[@ryanqz]

Hmmm... would that make him Best Jeanist?

[@Luxstar13]

More like jeaniephile (jean enthusiast i think).

[@r.natcha7691]

I get it. Love the pun 🤣🤣🤣

[@hermansule5750]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/oqKboXVrfLmIhqc

[@sh09un1]

weebs... wait, I got the reference as well... NaNI?

[@coolhand1966]

@@hermansule5750 fake crap

[@robertomaigua8932]

Realmente hermosos jeans me encanta excepto las dos rayas blancas del bolsillo derecho de atrás me guardia mucho adquirir un par

[@Malakina1964]

Great.

[@sentiasatransformasi]

the process is so remarkable but i'm good with my levis

[@comnixx1]

Authenticity is the name of the game

[@alejandramontiel7206]

En donde se pueden comprar ??

[@umerjavednisar]

does it come with latex?

[@dueycarter1583]

I began collecting Japanese selvedge denim 3 years ago, now I can't buy anything else, it's by far the best

[@tempest2109]

The reason to pay more for a clothing: efforts, quality and time not just some label.

[@EEP1215]

can anyone tell me what's the difference between momotaro jeans and iron heart when it comes to the natural indigo? why the price difference?

[@rc3398x]

arent they priced roughly the same? the diff then is the process, materials, rivets

[@AbdElHmyd]

Just get mine a pair of 0705SP. For $340, it's considerably premium. It's purely not a brand, but heritage behind it.

[@profitmuhammed7813]

Yap... must hear this owner's story. Got rich history. Old sch people know it

[@zedrhyx1788]

And it probably last you for 10 years or more

[@technoroid]

Latvians invented jeans, and I`m proud Japanese craftsmen/hand workers use this unique material. Crossing fingers to visit Japan one day! :)

[@erad67]

A Latvian immigrant (Jacob W. Davis) who asked Levi Strauss, a German immigrant, for help.

[@ronnyron2631]

Muy bueno

[@n00dles79]

Wish i had a spare $500 for a pair :/ I've wanted a pair for years. At this point I'll probably never get a pair, but if and when I do, I'll be the happiest person alive. These jeans are so well made, even the regular ones, that they'll last a lifetime if not abused too much. I would do anything for a pair. Being poor sucks.

[@jkluge626]

You can get a pair of Momos for like $200

[@ALWH1314]

The savage denim fabric is very difficult to break in, they scratch skin, stain whatever touched and hard. It’s like the Levi’s in the 60s (that’s when I started wearing jeans) so these are for hard core committed jean lovers who are willing to wear them day in and out for months and not wash them to break in, naturally forming to body and beautiful stress marks.

[@Lauramussss]

also definitely not for the faint of heart and by that I mean whoever cares for every object the jeans might stain. Altho raw(?) denim is def fulfilling once broken in indeed

[@tstreetzism]

shout out to zimbabwe

[@b3ri180]

Nice

[@xDomglmao]

3:16 track?

[@kombijr]

I prefer the tried and true Levis 501’s. And if I wanted a premium I’d go with their LVC brand.

[@hamdanhamzah5355]

Terbaik 👍

[@NyanyiC]

100% Zimbabwean cotton 🇿🇼 ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@wahidpawana424]

I would fork out the cash just to get a pair that could last for a life time (perhaps 2 lifetime worth). Those old levis (90's and earlier) does not have any signs of wear and tear.

[@SuccessforLifester]

Sometimes it is the body that changes shape and then we cannot fit into the Jean anymore

[@garyhost1830]

@@SuccessforLifester why not exercise?

[@SuccessforLifester]

@@garyhost1830 Sometimes even with exercise hard to succeed.

[@garyhost1830]

@@SuccessforLifester sorry I didn't mean it rudely. I work a very physical job so not fitting into clothes I've previously bought is not something I've ever really considered (also im not from usa)

[@Waldemarvonanhalt]

I didn't expect to see Zimbabwean cotton mentioned.

[@PuffOfSmoke]

I wish there's a model wearing the jeans so we can actually see what it really looks like.

[@jaydapiosen7274]

I wish Uniqlo jeans have the same quality.

[@VanNelleX]

Japanese quality, hell yeah !

[@dnf7778]

I own a pair of the "going to battle" momotaro jeans. They are quality, way different than Levi's and those types.

[@inrptn]

old Levi's are better than Momotaro

[@KevinDixon]

I would love to get my hands on a pair. I'm down to my last pair of real jeans, with no elastic in them. It suck.

[@phenylmusic]

the savile row of japanese denim

[@deadby15]

William Morris would like this.

[@JoeyLevenson]

Not true. You can get Momotaro in many places. It’s just those one pair of pricey ones. I have several store bought pairs of Momotaro. Great quality!

[@junnyannyan1816]

Witch watch make a chapter about jeans so i try find out more bout it

[@fernandobernal6506]

supreme is nothing compared to this hand crafted jeans this are a true artisan work

[@brigonion10]

$2,600 for a pair of jeans and a 1 year waiting list. Hope you're the same pants size when u get them

[@Poemwriter_Angelo]

i ordered myself a pair. who needs designer jeans, if you could get nice natural fades that actualy match your knee's from actual wearing a strong jeans.

[@rizkierwin6488]

Japanese surely know how to make something ordinary become "luxurious"

[@lisathomas1622]

It was James from the Magic Peach 😂

[@Dan-kh3fg]

This is not remarkable living. This is Japanese living

[@TheOrangeCat808]

damn, now I want a pair of nice jeans lol

[@hephaestus6365]

That's cool. I'm sure they're great jeans. I buy mine at Walmart lol. They last longer than other brands do. I just need my jeans to be jeans.

[@ryanthomas6715]

The production of jeans is extremely water intensive and the commercial production of jeans such as those stocked in Walmart have a large net footprint on the ecosystem. There are so many alternatives such as vintage which are half the retail price or artisanal denim if your adamant about wearing new garments. Consider em.

[@thhunter1]

200,000 Yen today is 1896.72 US dollars...

[@dearhunter7206]

Love the Snapchat style of subtitles...

[@blindfoldme4841]

The guy weaving is so hot 🥰