7 AMAZING Japanese Denim Brands You NEED to Know About | THELIST.

[@pastense]

My mom recently got back from a trip to Japan. I had given her a pair of my best fitting jeans and told her to hit up Hinoya in Tokyo and to just pick up anything that best matches the jeans I gave her because she’s very terrible at attention to detail lol. So she came back, opened her luggage and handed me the beautiful plastic Hinoya bag. I pulled the jeans out slowly and the moment I saw those stripes on the back pocket, my heart just fell to the floor! MOMOTAROs?!? She was so oblivious to my reaction because she seriously didn’t know what she had just purchased. Apparently the clerk that helped her knew what to look for (I had given her a pair of Tellason jeans, a prominent American selvedge brand). These Momotaros are now my holy grail jeans and will be getting rid of all my Levi’s and BS denim in my closet! I’m from SF, so Levi’s are of abundance. And those Tellasons are still at the top of my denim wardrobe. An American selvedge brand also from SF I highly recommend that’s a little more accessible than Japanese denim.

[@lowkeybredhead8083]

Momotaro is my denim of choice.

[@THECASUALco]

Momotaro is easily the most accessible in Japan and still maintains the quality of some of the more "specialty" brands like ONI. If you ever get back to Japan insure you stack up on variants.

[@pastense]

@@THECASUALco no doubt! I’m gonna be “entry level” for awhile because of budgetary reasons. But these Momo’s have sparked my selvedge bug for sure!

[@JoeyLevenson]

Be sure to kiss your mom. That was very nice of her to do that!

[@pastense]

@@JoeyLevenson I’m a mama’s boy, so she gets all the smooches lol

[@TheGuitarBling]

I ordered a pair of Iron hearts from Iron heart America and it was a great experience. Before they sent me the jeans I ordered, they emailed me and had me measure and take pics of another pair of jeans I had to make sure the sizing was correct. They were very polite and easy to work with. I bought those jeans because I was curious about the product. But there customer service surprised me and turned me into a life long customer.

[@dimasjunianto]

I have 21oz Iron Heart. It is the softest denim that I have after just 1 month usages.

[@JoeyLevenson]

I’m a lucky guy in that I lived in Okayama and I still go back there every year or so. Back in the 90s, it was Big John and Edwin. I’m kind of a bigger guy now, so I’ve gone with Momotaro because with Japanese denim, the size on the patch is not necessarily the same all around. Momotaro tends to be wider in the hip. I have some Kojima and Schott Japan too. I’ll be there in a couple months again I may pick up an iron heart something or other.

[@THECASUALco]

Momotaro is my go-to as well. I also go with Edwin as a standard but good bang for the buck.

[@ChronicAndIronic]

i think this seals the deal on getting iron hearts while i’m still living in Japan. Wranglerstar is the one that got me into them, i think they’ll go well with my whites boots

[@rvboyett]

My wife and I are going to visit Okayama to see Kojima Jeans St and all the jean brands made and sold there.

[@runthefuture]

I would recommend Resolute. Founded by the same guy that founded Denime. It's one of the only high quality Japanese denim brands that offer different inseams

[@Phreddish257]

Got a nice slubby pair of PBJ's when I was in Japan, was pretty affordable and feels super nice and is probably going to last a long long time. They're a bit heavy so wearing in hot summers is kind of meh...

[@kantaponga.2583]

WAREHOUSE!

[@Tomanot9Juanma]

Together with TCB they´re my favourite!

[@Nakomiid]

Momotaro 🔥🔥🔥

[@northsidepolarbear]

😂😂😂as always Mr.Causal with the history on the💧nd gives you a stylist point of view on Denim. I’m laughing at, “But you know it’s Africa.” 🤣🤣⚰️ thanks Reggie

[@tmrbad]

In the past : Denime Now : TCB

[@Tomanot9Juanma]

100% in agreement with your statement.

[@octowimp]

do you know anything about the red pepper brand? im in love w them but cant find any info for the life of me 🥲

[@shankarbalakrishnan2360]

I. Going to wear all Japanese to see if their date and year will rub of on me

[@atticustay1]

Slub looks bad

[@MatejNovakCreative]

Gotta love the high end denim scam.

[@THECASUALco]

By any measure everything is a scam. Value is assigned by the seller and the person who buys it.

[@MatejNovakCreative]

@@THECASUALco Sure, but denim doesn’t look like that naturally, no matter how much you wear it. It’s smoke and mirrors. Sand paper and dremels. All to get people to spend $400 for the least comfortable pants ever.

[@MatejNovakCreative]

@@THECASUALco I bought into it too, but no matter how many pairs of so called high end raw denim I bought, no matter how many times I wore them, they looked and felt exactly the same as the first day I got them. Which is to say stiff and uncomfortable. It’s all branding and storytelling.

[@JoeyLevenson]

@@MatejNovakCreativeyou paid too much. You can get nice stuff for 150-250.

[@calebgasca]

⁠@@MatejNovakCreativenot sure what brands you purchased but over half a dozen pairs of raws I’ve purchased all of them have significantly softened over time. You’re trading some comfort for unique old world styling and manufacturing techniques. If you jsut don’t think their worth the money then thats true for you but I don’t really get your critique saying they don’t break in.

[@olgi2068]

Iron Heart is actually not known for a slubby denim. In fact, Haraki San was against slubby denim for ages until they brought out a SLB version last year. IH is known for heavyweight 21oz denim that has yet a very smooth texture and doesn´ t feel as stubborn as some of Samurai´ s 19oz fabric. Edit: I was wondering how you deal with using pics from shop (such as Statement) etc in your videos?!? Also, I wonder whether you have ever worn the companies that you discuss here? In some cases it sounds as if you would describe the brands without proper, deep knowledge (see above regarding IH).

[@yukasumifather]

Nice to meet you, I am honored that my video of sugar Cane around 4:20 is used very delightfully. If there is an opportunity to give a video with much effort, I am glad when I have you advertise my channel.

[@markchan5516]

Bought a pair of Japan Blue from Tokyo recently…wow now my favourite pair and probably the best in my life time

[@doublestrokeroll]

I've got two pairs of Japan Blue as well. They're great. I wanted Momotaro's but the JBJ's simply fit me better, and looked better on me. The bonus is they are a little cheaper too.

[@leegray698]

The Flathead is my favorite. Why - The feel of the fabric, the vertical fades, and the authentic moderate slub that's not exaggerated. I also have Studio D'Artisan, Iron Heart, The Real McCoy's, Oni, Orslow, & Kapital. I like them all and you need different weights for different seasons. Most of mine are midweight 14-15 oz. One heavy Iron Heart pair (and one mid), one lighter weight SDA pair (and one mid), and a lighter weight Kapital pair. May-September down south you almost have to wear lightweight denim unless you just like extra sweating. BTW - Iron Heart only incorporated some slub jeans recently. For a long time they had the smoothest feeling denim around, and still do in most pairs offered.

[@QuickQuips]

Side note thrift stores in Japan have an insane amount of Levi's. Could be worth trading in USA made ones there, so you can buy more there. Manga Shoko in Okinawa is amazing with secondhand denim. But it's going to be 29 inch waists or so. Only wide one I found was called Gold Rush. It's lower end compared to what you mentioned. Momotaro is awesome. Grabbed a set while there.

[@swankehlou]

Full Count, I'd also recommend watching Weaving Shibusa if you can.

[@1stRanger]

It would take literally 10 to 15 sec to explain what slubby is.

[@Itsbrunocameron]

Hey, dude Loved the video!! U think u cold do a list of places u cold get these in Japan?? I wold highly appreciate it :) I was able to find a store that sells Studio D’artisan in shimokitazawa from one of your older videos but I wold love to know a few others. Big fan

[@Itsbrunocameron]

Oh yeah, recently I purchased a beautiful limited edition strike gold keep earth but still waiting on them

[@THECASUALco]

Got you covered

[@zetapingpong]

Samurai’s store is in Osaka. Pretty cool little shop and the prices are way cheaper there than buying in the US.

[@yeongchen08]

The Strike Gold and The Flat Head.

[@JoeyLevenson]

I used to go into the Flathead store in Fukuoka and they would always try to sell me the most expensive stuff but I never bought it. I just don’t like their aesthetic. Apparently it’s really big in Asia though.

[@coupedloups838]

Resolute Denim is well worth a look - fantastic quality and classic line up of styles

[@regandonohue3899]

I can recommend Resolute. New brand but the owner is an industry veteran. The denim fades well and quickly and is nice and comfortable for sure

[@wlseow2738]

Fullcount ?

[@THECASUALco]

Gotta love Fullcount

[@danielfrancis3660]

As Homer Simpson would say "Mmm Iron Heart"

[@drysd63]

BEST VIDEO about japanese denim... knowledgeable and precise! Excellent 😊

[@adrianlopez6317]

Ooe Yofukuten

[@paprikafinesser]

I think you have a typo issue at 1:40 with "Iron Heart" instead of "Momotaro" lol. Also Studio d'Artisan sounds French as hell, are the founders french related or do they just embrace french culture like "Comme des Garçons" and "A Ma Manière" ? Anyway nice vid my man !

[@lowkeybredhead8083]

Studio D'artisan is the og of Japanese denim. They are the first of the "Osaka 5". They also have a high fashion label called Maru Sankaku Peke. Not sure why French.

[@paprikafinesser]

@@lowkeybredhead8083 thanks for educating me on the brand. I'm saying the name looks french because it is the french way of saying "Craftsman Studio"

[@mengskar]

The founder of Studio D'artisan worked for Pierre Cardin before establishing Studio D'artisan in 1979

[@hadokenny]

Graphzero. Unique texture and style. Great fades and durability. Not sure why they are being so slept on.

[@THECASUALco]

Most of the time denim labels from Japan are hard to get and there’s just so damn many. I didn’t even mention Colette or The Flathead, Japan Blue, Edwin, and more. It’s just so many get buried in the mix

[@FernandoHatsumura]

Indeed! Their herringbone jeans are very unique. I had the opportunity to visit their factory / outlet shop in Kojima and their two shops in Kurashiki last year. They also have a small shop in Tokyo - it's in a gallery called 2k540 close to Okachimachi.

[@romeoiipunzalan1079]

The hickory jeans are awesome that stripe weft is so insane wjen you cuff it... and they are priced not that high... highly recommended...

[@fezontheblock467]

TCB do some of the best historical jeans!

[@Tomanot9Juanma]

Overlooking them is a glaring mistake. They´re one of the big players in repro jeans nowadays. And my favourite, too.

[@cooby_lb]

What about Edwin?

[@THECASUALco]

Great label

[@Tomanot9Juanma]

Edwin makes fantastic selvedge jeans.

[@DanielSzilagyi]

Tanuki is another good one for sure, Big John, Gold Strike...

[@patriciafoster5332]

Which jean brand is most popular for women in Japan?

[@Ljames98]

Great topic, few notes, pbj idoes tend to be far more slubby and textured then Momataro, which is why you tend to get the vertical fades on a lot of PBJ’s. I will say that Momataro does get very soft for raw denim and many people find them very comfy. Also while, Iron Heart does have a line of extremely slubby denim, most people who know them tend to know them for their denim with the more standard/normal texture. Although they are known for their insane fades. A brand I definitely recommend, The Flat Head, everything they make is insane quality and feels different, and they have a line of denim combined with a small amount of silk which again feels very interesting.

[@THECASUALco]

The Flathead just underwent a major change about 2 years ago which is the only reason we left them off. The old lines have remained the same but the focus is a bit different now. I took a few people to the old Flathead location a few years back and they immediately fell in love with it. Great notes on IH and PBJ. I usually recommend Momotaro for the beginning enthusiast. Although I still stand by sugar cane being one of the most comfortable I’ve ever worn.

[@Ljames98]

@@THECASUALco i only have a Sugarcane jacket so can’t talk about the jeans. I got into TFH a bit over a year ago so don’t know how they were before but I’m obsessed with all my TFH pieces. For me my most comfortable raw denim is from a small Australian/Japanese brand called Unique Garment, but mainly because the ‘Tapered Fit’ fit is really good, plus the fabric and details are really cool.

[@THECASUALco]

I’ll be sure to check it out!

[@awietjandra8788]

@@THECASUALco can you elaborate more bro? cause im bout to purchase their collab with real japan blue suede

[@CodingAbroad]

Momotaros look like the stand out brand. Those stripes are awesome and unique just taking a quick glance. Everything else could be mistaken for Levi’s at a quick glance

[@JohnSmith-tp9zs]

Pherrows, The real mccoys

[@kelvinleong4322]

Full count?

[@grant5603]

IH is not known for slub. You forgot to mention the main pro of Sugar Cane being the price.

[@azzam415]

Fullcount

[@pspdead914]

Nice info! Recently bought a pair of selvedge raw denim from levis made&crafted. Does anyone know how it compares with uniqlo ones? (I don't think uniqlo has 100 cotton denim tho) Also how is the quality of lmc's type ii denim jacket? Thx.

[@susanma4899]

I'm curious how large these brands run. I'm female and usually can't wear Japanese women's pants (though I do have some Uniqlo cargos that are ladies' xl). I prefer an oversized fit and am tall, much taller than a Japanese woman, that's for sure.

[@GBFGO-PLAYER]

as someone currently living in japan and looking for some new denim jeans outside of levis, thanks for the video! just curious on what japanese denim brand would you recommend if i'm really fond of levi's slim tapered jeans?

[@ynysvon]

I bought a pair of levis selvedge 501s which I liked at the time. Later bought a pair of 21oz Iron Hearts. Ended up giving the levis to a charity shop because I knew I was never going to wear them again. The quality comparison was like night and day.

[@midosannn]

Very hard to get unfortunately that’s why i cop only nudie jeans in europe great quality and more easy to get aha

[@theimpeccable1069]

1# Sugar Cane 2# Momotaro 3# Evisu Never Forget RMC - Red Monkey (Yes Seriously!)

[@Devananta-Rafiq]

I'm still wearing my APC and og HL, need to dive more into Japanese denim brand but they are just so many of them😅

[@PeterPansilva]

First and enthralled.

[@cinemafinatic97]

I’m surprised you didn’t mention Tanuki. Great cuts, great slub, how could you go wrong?

[@Imreal66]

I've wanted to get some jeans, and will prolly get a pair when visiting Japan later this year, anyone have tips on a pair that doesn't leak to much. Has always been my concern with denim.

[@laurisa0318]

What hope in Tokyo or Osaka should I hit up? I will be there in May.

[@TheeMaximus]

Im laughing at the fact that price could be listed as a con for every entry on this list and maybe even japanese denim retailers in general. That said I love it, one best aspects of me losing weight was expanding my denim options

[@Bewareofthewolves]

Hi - what do you think of orSlow jeans?

[@lowkeybredhead8083]

Orslow is dope

[@THECASUALco]

Great label.

[@alfredeugenelasangue6630]

Hi, can you do a Satoshi Nakamoto history or why is it that expensive. Thanks ❤

[@SlackHoffman]

I like sugar cane and got a few pairs

[@mohamedraqibdarul9034]

Wrong tagging sir on the momotaro bit. It was tagged as iron heart

[@kristianpeterson2571]

Nice video. But I wish you gave the prices. Or at least the range for each brand. Because, “expensive” is a relative term.

[@THECASUALco]

Got you in the future. Denim videos coming soon

[@supavln]

Special shout to kojima genes. Never put on a 21oz and felt so in my skin. Although relatively new I think they carry the standard and knowledge of the great 5 well

[@JoeyLevenson]

I have 2 pairs. I was just in kojima, as well. Quiet place.

[@krispeekornflex]

Red Monkey Jeans - is it a Japanese brand?

[@gregthompson8062]

Great channel! Sunscribed

[@bonsmasemo1738]

😂they certainly do not sound like that in Zim....in Nigeria tho, they might just could

[@THECASUALco]

It was terrible…😅 But I couldn’t help it

[@JoeyLevenson]

@@THECASUALcohey Reggie, is your family Nigerian? I’ve always wondered why you do the voice.

[@cooby_lb]

Yeah not Zim. Nigeria maybe

[@truthandjusticeforall]

Anyone knows blue blue japan or fashion d'artisan ? What brands have the cheapest price range for japanese denim?

[@blainecole5452]

In the lower price range I would recommend Kojima Genes. They offer many styles, colors, and patterns and are less expensive than any of the brands mentioned in this video. I have three pair that I have worn for eight years. They all have aged well and still wear well.

[@doublestrokeroll]

Japan Blue Jeans is a good option. Same company as Momotaro. I've got two pairs and they are excellent.

[@memopinzon]

D E N I M B O I S

[@koningklootzak7788]

OMG! What can't Japan not make better?

[@THECASUALco]

Hamburgers😅

[@thingsyoudontreallysee]

too true @@THECASUALco

[@advan031]

Legit list✌️

[@cooby_lb]

Given the amount of options why are vintage Levi's so popular?

[@THECASUALco]

Standardized, more accessible, cheaper price point. Most Japanese denim is incredibly precise and models may not have the same fit or texture across production. Levi’s is pretty much the same each time.

[@lowkeybredhead8083]

My friend from Japan says levi's original. Ichiban! He's super into the Americana look with the lvc 501s and the red wing boots. He thinks everyone else is imitators.

[@mengskar]

Yes, vintage levi's from the 40s all the way t the 60s are "ichiban" but the same can't be said for those newer levis vintage clothing

[@doublestrokeroll]

The Japanese love Americana. They simply like the names. It's the same in the guitar world. Most Japanese want a Fender or a Gibson just because they are Fender and Gibson. And in spite of the fact that, at virtually every price point, the Made in Japan guitars that copy Fender's and Gibson's are better quality. Discovering MIJ guitars basically made me never want a Gibson or Fender, because the MIJ guitars represent that spirit of excellence better than the original brands. Same with denim.

[@SuperPussyFinger]

Iron Heart is not really known for its slubby textures. Quite the opposite.

[@cesaradrianocondiaz4123]

Tanuki!!! :°(

[@THECASUALco]

Lovely denim brand.

[@retrospectiveparty]

It's strange that you only showcased the jeans for each denim brand. Denim isn't just about jeans; don't they also have jackets?