Kojima, 1965: The 50 Bolts of 14.5 oz Denim That Started Japan’s Jeans Industry

Kurashiki City’s Kojima district is widely known in the industry as the birthplace of Japan’s domestic jeans. What exactly happened there, and when, becomes vivid when you trace the primary sources.

 

February 1965: 50 Bolts Arrive in Kojima

According to multiple sources, in 1964 Maruo Clothing (now Big John Co., Ltd.), based in Kojima, reached an agreement with Oishi Trading to handle denim supply for the region west of Hakone. In February 1965, 50 bolts of 14.5 oz denim arrived from Canton Textile Mills, a US manufacturer based in Georgia. (Note: Canton Textile Mills is a separate company from Cone Mills, the better-known North Carolina denim producer.)

In April 1965, Maruo Clothing used this imported fabric to produce Japan’s first domestically sewn jeans, sold under the “CANTON” brand. At this stage, only the sewing was done in Japan (in Kojima); the fabric, sewing machines, thread, and all trimmings were imported.

Japanese work cotton at the time typically weighed 4.5 to 6 oz. When 14.5 oz denim arrived — more than twice as heavy — local craftsmen reportedly described it as “like sheet metal” (burikijaga). This anecdote appears in multiple sources, including Big John’s own official materials, though the primary documentation has not been independently verified.

 

Everything Came as a Kit: Machines, Thread, and Hardware

The sewing machines available in Japan at the time could not penetrate denim of that weight, so the machines themselves had to be imported from the United States. Thread, buttons, rivets, and zippers followed — virtually the entire bill of materials came from overseas in those early years.

The entire supply chain started as an import before domestic substitution could begin — that is the actual starting point of the Kojima jeans story.

 

Big John (1967–1968) and Full Domestic Production (1973)

Maruo Clothing began developing its own brand “Big John” in 1967, presenting a prototype model that year. In 1968, the brand launched officially with the first production model, M1002. (Some sources cite 1967 and others 1968 as the brand’s founding year, depending on whether the proto or the commercial launch is used as the reference point.)

In 1973, Maruo Clothing and Kurabo Industries (Kurashiki Boseki) jointly developed a domestic denim fabric designated KD-8, which was used to produce the “M Series” — Japan’s first jeans made entirely from domestic materials, from fiber to finished garment. Big John’s 2023 “50th Anniversary of Pure Domestic Jeans” campaign traces its origin to this 1973 milestone.

From the first pair sewn with imported fabric (1965) to the first pair made entirely from domestic materials (1973): eight years.

Separately, Kaihara (formerly Kaibara Textile) was developing its own denim manufacturing capabilities through the 1970s and began supplying Levi Strauss in 1973, representing a parallel path toward domestic denim production.

 

Why Kojima Was Able to Take On Jeans Production

Kojima had a pre-existing industrial base in heavy cotton goods — tabi socks and school uniforms were the backbone of the local textile industry before the war. As synthetic fibers (polyester/tetron) began displacing cotton school uniforms in the late 1950s, local manufacturers were looking for new directions by 1964. The experience of sewing thick cotton fabric, and the workforce capable of doing so, were already in place. That existing infrastructure is what allowed Kojima to absorb a product as demanding as denim jeans.

 

The Sanbi District Today — and ALLBLUE’s Supplier Network

The Sanbi district — Ibara, Fukuyama, and Kojima, spanning Okayama and Hiroshima prefectures — remains Japan’s largest denim-producing region. The name derives from the old provincial names: Bizen (Kojima), Bicchu (Ibara), and Bingo (Fukuyama).

Dyeing mills, finishing plants, sewing factories, and hardware suppliers (buttons, rivets) operate in close geographic proximity, maintaining the production cluster that has been in place since 1965.

ALLBLUE sources directly from manufacturers within this Sanbi district. We work without intermediary import layers, with direct knowledge of the yarns, water, and production conditions at each factory.

 

Inquiries About Japanese Denim Fabric

ALLBLUE is a B2B wholesaler of Japanese denim fabric sourced directly from the Sanbi district. We do not sell to individuals. We handle wholesale supply and OEM fabric inquiries for apparel brands, manufacturers, and agents. Swatches can be shipped on your own DHL or FedEx account.

Contact us here

 

For background on materials, finishing, and production terminology, see our FAQ.

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