Japan | The 501® Jean: Stories of an Original | Episode 4

Levi’s® presents the fourth episode of The 501® Documentary, a film celebrating the 501®.
Episode 4: Japan explores the denim culture Levi's® generated beyond its homeland- a passion particular to Japan. This film tells the story of Levi's® arrival in Japan in the 1950s, the vintage denim explosion that culminated in the 1990s, and how Japan’s take on Americana is now globally influential.
NARRATED BY CRAIG STECYK
Craig Stecyk is one of the legendary forefathers of the surf and skateboarding culture that emerged in the 70s from Southern California. He is a photographer, artist and film producer.
FEATURING INTERVIEWS WITH:
Nigo® founder of BAPE; Shinsuke Takizawa, founder of NEIGHBORHOOD; Erik Brunetti, founder of FUCT; Verbal & Yoon, Co-founders of AMBUSH; Motofumi “Poggy” Kogi, creative director of UNITED ARROWS & SONS and many more.
Connect with Levi's online:
Visit the Levi's WEBSITE: www.levi.com/US...
Like Levi's on FACEBOOK: / levis #levis #levisjeans #levis501

[@davidb6927]

501s are immaculate.. NEVER out of style

[@mikesilva5085]

Such a beautiful documentary- you can see their passion for 501’s in such a modest understated way.

[@justincase2271]

True and passionate denim lovers. Great little documentary. Would love to watch a 90 minutes version of it.

[@jamesflorez8258]

This explains a lot I lived in Japan for 4 years and always wondered about there obsession with 501's and there love of the 1940's and 1950's

[@ZefTillDeath8878]

We bombed them, they lost the war and then they willfully adopted our culture. I don’t get it.

[@gopropro5]

@@ZefTillDeath8878 did you watch or listen to what was said in the video?

[@jaywantjadhav9881]

They don't have love for America but for a part of American History which was related to clothing.

[@MUNIPRASADGUTHA]

Amazing - They truly love the jean - With love from India

[@realguitarshredder]

japan does make everything nicer..

[@dorianford6227]

Same story with Fender Guitars lol

[@omyomar8468]

Levi’s is life

[@francispetaluma]

At least somebody appreciates the value of classic Levis' styling. The CEOs at Levis' are clueless, for years drove the company into the ground attempting to follow trends. Ill fitted denim shirts with weird space collars, duh? Naturally, profits tanked, while CEOs continued to take huge bonuses. Chip Berg same, same... $10 million salary, meanwhile sales sinking. You gotta ask yourselves, are any of these corporate cunts capable of making a company profitable without lay-offs and killing quality? Whatever happened to just good business savvy and innovation???

[@mariasmith2198]

I always try to score made in the USA Levi's at Goodwill. They used to be made so well. Too bad the corporate taxes don't allow much to be made here any longer. But honestly, I like how the Japanese people here have styled their jeans. Its really tacky and theatrical, but it works.

[@8ight920]

It’s not the corporate taxes it’s the wages lol

[@ldm2622]

such a cool little documentary

[@jimli2000]

Nigo! Legend!

[@karthikeyanr8681]

Lucas A

[@Basedlordfrz]

Yes I idol that man

[@fatsixtysix5392]

When he said he payed $380 but told his mom it was only $38🤣 too relatable

[@zand7128]

Not only have they done Americana better. They also makes jeans better than us now

[@schwinnstingrayguy3757]

Zander Schoonbrood not true! Made In USA Is WWAAYYY Better quality!!!

[@zand7128]

Do you even wear raw denim?

[@schwinnstingrayguy3757]

Zander Schoonbrood Yes I do

[@zand7128]

Levis?

[@Flipodahippo]

No the only reason why they still make jeans like how America use to do it is because after WW2 the old machines were sold to Japan. So while other nations adapted new methods, the Japanese stick to the old school ways. But America is slowly doing the same once again. You can buy American made levis once again it just cost triple the cost of a standard one.

[@mxfxndom]

Ok so one of the characters name in Attack on Titan is Levi and another one is Jean. PLUS attack in Titan was made in Japan

[@Anne-hp8no]

JENNIE

[@paulawbu]

wow i loved this!

[@markmorales132]

es un placer poder ser parte de una de las mejores empresas a nivel latino América más grande que producimos Levís en México Querétaro. llama Kaltex 🇲🇽🇲🇽

[@peadar-o]

Yo, in the tartan jacket and bowler hat is fabulous!

[@imnotsurewhy]

It's a known fact that Japan just does denim way way better than the USA now.

[@juniorr2646]

STFU THAT'S NOT TRUE! ANYTHING MADE IN JAPAN,KOREA,CHINA IS JUNK!

[@rakibulhasan-hl3wq]

Bangladesh does good too....

[@Jon_N_TV]

4:06 those guy look so damn cool!

[@knotingspecific]

I worn my first pair levis 501 back in 1987 Supply coming from a PX goods

[@abdulhalimaziz9307]

Cerita dari Jepun tentang Levis original...seluar..baju..jaket dan lainX lagi...

[@TifaSugar]

So cool!! *0*

[@idwiw2314]

I only wear Levi's jeans. Classic Americana.

[@韋魯斯]

大好きな

[@kawaiimeatpie9795]

Need me some jeans from the raging 20's

[@Nikfaizal81]

6:39 ikumi she look beutiful

[@ばたい遊]

ジーンズに限らず、日本とアメリカという組み合わせは相性が良いと思う。相互補完的。

[@christophkoelle2122]

too bad today's Levis quality is abysmal.

[@TECHIES100]

Smokesome levis quality is awful now, try buying these brands, they are quality and will put the brands you listed to shame: Unbranded, United, Pure Blue Japan, Nudie, Naked and famous, Momotaro, Gustin

[@Templar.Knight-Reaper]

nah-ah, Diesel is the best one along with Ralph Lauren, despite the price of course

[@Flipodahippo]

TECHIES100 don't know where you buy your levis but mine are good. I have over 30 pairs. If you want you can buy Levi's vintage, levis made in America, levis made and crafted and finally you can get a tailored Levi's for around 750 dollars.

[@TheRandomHighFive]

@@Templar.Knight-Reaper diesel is a joke

[@Templar.Knight-Reaper]

@@TheRandomHighFive if it were a joke, then it wouldn't be Hollywood's first choice

[@batmangnrobbing3999]

Japanese good. They like jeans

[@ericiidx]

Yoooo Kiya "Babinzini" Babzani

[@haryonobewok6336]

nice

[@fron645]

Asians are definitely big in that Americana culture thing. Levis and Redwing boots.

[@user-ql5pr1ih4j]

Fron Villa it depends, since Japan was being occupied by US before.

[@gurudharma2451]

Which asia? Oh eastern asia?

[@fron645]

@@gurudharma2451 maybe! who are the ones in the video? Oh yeah!! meh

[@jurjitsingh3728]

Only Japanese and maybe Fillipinos

[@ganggang-iw1nk]

Damn, I fucks with this documentary.

[@teodorshulman1231]

I LOVE YOU

[@angelcortesdavilabudoryhowl]

Momotaro, sugar cane son mejores...

[@irongiantsquid2129]

I wish d whole world was japanese

[@Lito1601]

👍👍

[@ernyg.1836]

Its Yutaka Fujihara*

[@artistnyc123]

Levi's had one of the most Iconic products America has ever produced and the blew it. They have sucked since 1984 when hey switched from Selvedge to a cheaper manufacturing process. Sales have tanked. Now Converse Chucks are the last great Iconic American Apparel.

[@AlexGarcia-wf5hz]

Michael Monk - I agree bruh! Kinda sad seeing what they were once good at now being thrashed by Japanese denim

[@d.s.d4594]

You know ?....

[@namdohzy5186]

Good way of marketing.....

[@knotingspecific]

People keep on looking for it even without vid docu like this its a continues lifestyle every generation will be

[@jaywantjadhav9881]

They didn't even for single fucking movement said buy this amazing jeans ! Its true story complied together. ...

[@nirundnicky5671]

👍👍😘😘😘

[@poppamonk]

Being made in mexico they have ZERO value . Levis closed 58 factory's in the US. sad times. All for profit .

[@apeshitclothing]

Capitalism at it's finest

[@norazlan76533]

+REVIEWERtm more teribble made in indonesia and vietnam

[@poppamonk]

I buy American Made Diamond Gussets . The best Quality made jeans for every day wear. I'm an Ironworker and I'm VERY tough on my jeans and Boots . I put them through hell. And They only cost 40-60 American Dollars NOT 200 PLUS Dollars .

[@jmathews4765]

I buy seconds american jeans from anywhere. Same quality as the regular product but half off for cosmetic reasons

[@mariasmith2198]

Companies show a profit or they stop existing. Blame the unions, and the American government that makes companies pay the highest corporate tax in the world. Not Levi's. If you think there will be a single job left in the USA after Hilary, your judgement is really clouded. They still have a factory in San Francisco, and the jeans made there have to cost 200 dollars. Not everyone can afford that.

[@estebanromero7058]

You don't have to be born in America to have an American spirit.

[@Flipodahippo]

Esteban Romero lol Philippines has 100 million people with American spirits. Filipinos are more Americans than Americans.

[@hornetbrown]

Well said...

[@eternalttd]

да, в 50-е годы для японии всё было в новинку, а особенно две боеголовки 🤡

[@aguafria9565]

I had to pause the video 20 times because there was so many things to look at :) Really nice.

[@incredibletoms1]

Exactly!

[@krzysztoflewandowski5599]

Aguafria

[@mohdsuffian7819]

👍

[@hornetbrown]

Yes!!

[@RayonConmar]

Same here!

[@thecuatroaustero]

Meanwhile in America from Canada to argentina You can only find Stretch versions which Sucks!!!

[@rodelbunag9823]

Levis never goes out of style.

[@alfatir14]

Never!

[@planetmikusha5898]

The last pair of 501s I bought lasted 18 months. They used to last for years.

[@scorpioninpink]

There are 501s that are Made in China now.

[@captaingoro7571]

オレもジーパンは好きだけど、ジーパンが100万円とか信じられない。今、リーバイスが売ってる1万ぐらいのものとの違いがわからない。 けど、知らなくても今のリーバイスのジーパンに満足しているし、愛着もあってもう数年は穿いてるし、破れたら捨てて、また新しく新品を買う。 とにかく、信じられない世界で生きてる人達だ。

[@michaelcrawford5638]

So why didn’t you buy the Cone Mills plant, then?

[@liljuanito123]

If anyone could've saved Cone Mills, it would've been these guys. Wished someone did.

[@theway3058]

This is amazing. Great documentary

[@OSCAR-uv9bw]

The BGM presents such a warm and sweet vibe

[@augustinevalentine2804]

Awesome! Japan the best!!

[@NomeCultJoe]

Japan and motorcycles? What a history! 😍 Honda? Suzuki? Kawasaki? No... Indian... So damn random and funny.

[@gregmcnab9004]

What a cool mini documentary, struggle to find 2nd hand Levi's here in NZ

[@chenyanyi66]

Who can tell me [400万円のヤツは(.....)それは普通なんです！] (.....)in Japanese.

[@kohei6374]

陳小民 「400万円のやつをウチで預からせてもらって、それはざらです。」

[@Blackslashband]

Does anybody know where to find the Indian Motorcycle Quarter Zippers from the opening shot?

[@shrutijadhav222]

Sold out

[@dontgoout1434]

Mistakes not a type 2 sadly its a later one the original had diferent front guys thats late 70s watch elvis loving you much easier to see a 58 one no front seams . Although elvis clearly wore several in the film maybe as light darker in places like jimmy deans red jacket was blue dipped in red colouring blue didnt film good lol

[@mudgodson1638]

I was forced to accept wrong with my jeans from my gran till i had to accept that i doing wrong with them when wasn't. That wrong to force someone into wrong with things that's why i'm not guilty it them that guilty of it. I knew to be careful with my gran cause she like that with things when I do legal such as kissing sploshing during the day one time i did sploshing at 1am so that i wouldn't get in to trouble during the dya i had to be really careful to avoid my gran telling me off. .

[@mudgodson1638]

I use to put holes in my jeans all over in my kid days and i think that's what got me new friends it seems u get accepted if we do it to be accepted as normal and friends. I use to turn them into shorts. Back then i didn't have a care what others thought about me doing it. I in right place.

[@windlesSpice]

Anyone else think it was Hitomi Tanaka at 4:08? Only me? Anyone . . .? I need better hobbies . . .

[@Jason-Scott]

Not bought Levi’s jeans since buying my first Evisu 👖late 90’s.

[@sachinsingh-rh6fq]

i once had wrangler jeans made in japan....still not get any other jeans of that quality nowadays

[@masjoko69]

I own a black 501 jeans

[@haryonobewok6336]

nice

[@g5magic]

I bought a pair of big John jeans in 1984. They were my first jeans. And in 1987 I went to USA and got the first pair of 501 jeans. They were not that impressive Comparing to my big John jeans.

[@dougwhite1303]

I'm done with Levi

[@noahgoyette467]

Jeans unused are jeans wasted. Having all this beautiful product hoarded away is heartbreaking. Sad, weird and a shame.

[@scorpioninpink]

Why are you so sure that they were never worn? Also, this isn't your money.

[@arncj18]

that's why i say, people from the 50's even from 20s had more style than ppl today, who seem lost, and just want to adapt a look. If these ppl are inspired by style from 80 years ago, means proof is in the pudding.

[@sedatkalkan4677]

why are the japanese obsessed with levis pants, and they advertise it like crazy

[@shoji2_mary]

NIGO®️ 2:43　3:21　6:51　7:33