7 Reasons Japanese Jeans Are So Expensive 

Great video, lots of useful information here. I wanted to add some points that I thought would be useful, there was some misconceptions that I thought needed clearing up. I hope you find these points informative and If you have any questions, feel free to reach out. - Bahzad 1. The Weaving - It is true that shuttle looms are old, but some may not be as old as you think. Shuttle looms were still being made in Japan in the 1980’s. Colored threads are not necessary to finish the selvedge edge, originally the selvedge ID was used by mills to identify which roll of fabric belonged to which company. Now a days with modern inventory management that isn’t necessary. The ID now is basically emblematic of the fact that this fabric was woven on a shuttle loom, and color choice (or lack of color choice) is simply ornamental. Loom chatter does add to the texture of the denim but not in the way you described. The machines chattering (ratting around) gives the fabric a uneven weave, when you look at the inside of your jeans you’ll notice the twill lines are kind of janky. Slub, as in the 3d texture of the denim comes from the yarn itself. Slub yarns are yarns spun at different speeds as to create a yarn that is tight and smooth in some sections and loose a thick in others. So when you weave with this type of yarn will get a bumpy texture (because the yarns themselves are bumpy). 2. Dying - You said that many Japanese denim houses (I’m assuming you mean brands) have their own proprietary dye techniques, this is not true at all. No brand does their own dying, dying in Japan is handled by a handful of companies, and only 1 Japanese denim supplier can do everything form yarn spinning, dying, and weaving. Many smaller mills can do weaving but rely on other companies to do the dying and yarn spinning for them. Brands can design fabrics with a mill, but the physical act of dying is completely controlled by the mill, not the brand. While hand dying does exist in Japan it is important to remember that this is incredibly rare, we’re talking less than 0.1% of denim fabric made in Japan is made this way. Natural indigo dyes are rarely used in rope dying, mainly because the dye itself contains impurities and the natural nature of the dye means it is difficult to control the color from one dye lot to the next. Rope dying is what creates the high contrast fades that you described, and rope dying most often is done with pure indigo (chemically derived indigo). Most Japanese denim is made with pure indigo. 3. Weight - While variety of weights is something Japanese denim producers are good at, weight alone is not a major contributing factor to cost. Only when you get into extreme territory like 32oz or 40oz when you are basically on the fringes of what is possible. Though depending on the fabric there can be more wastage on the roll (fabric defects) but that’s very fabric dependent, some fabrics are made with little to no issue, while new developments may take some time for the mill to figure out how to make with fewer issues. The cost sewing for an extreme weight denim is higher no question about that, but anything under 17oz typically costs about the same as making an 11oz jean. Even when you make an 18 - 22oz jean the cost difference isn’t dramatic. 4. The Raw - Not putting fabrics though finishing processes like sanforization makes a fabric less expensive. But I think you are confusing how jeans become soft and wearable with sanforization. Sanfoirzation is a mechanical shrinking process where the raw denim fabric is essentially heated and pressed though a set of hot rollers (giant ones) this compresses the fabric removing the shrinkage. The resulting fabric is still rigid. What makes a jean soft and comfortable are washing processes that are done after the jeans are cut and sewn. Weather that be a rinse wash where the jeans are basically put in a giant industrial washing machine, or processed further with sanding, chemicals, bleach etc. to make the jeans look old and faded. It’s these costs that will make a jean more expensive. 5. Hardware - Hardware can add to the cost, but it is only the very specialized stuff that does. Getting custom buttons and rivets is as simple as ordering them, the per unit cost of each piece is barely more expensive then using generic hardware. The issue is the minimum, where companies like YKK (which pretty much everybody uses) require you to order quite a lot. But if you are a denim brand that should not be an issue since you are going to be using it. There are specialty hardware makers out there, if you want a 100% iron button that is going to come from a smaller specialized manufacturer and cost significantly more. But there are not very many companies that do that. Leather patches can be expensive depending on the type of leather used and the amount (scale certainly plays a factor here too). 6. Vintage styles - I would argue that none of what is produced as repros are not period perfect replicas, mostly because the jeans are not made in the USA, nor are they made with American fabric, they are not even made on the same machines. Japan did not import old American looms, that is a complete and total myth that many seem to believe. Japan made their own looms. I would categories these are imitations (even down to copying other brands labels and logos) be it very well made imitations. At the same time the brands that are often being imitated are making repro product, so if you want the real thing…. 7. Exclusivity - This is pretty much what it all boils down to. Small brands, small lots, small production, small scale. Japanese raw denim is a niche market where very specialized jeans are made for a very specialized market. Incredible stuff is made in this realm, but a lot of the cost comes from the fact that it’s small batch. Other major contributing factors is shipping and tariffs. When you are buying these products outside of Japan, retailers need to import these goods. Shipping costs and tariffs really add to the cost. Some companies work with distributors which need to make their cut as well. Easily a 25 - 33% of the price of a jean can be increased by these factors adding no value to the jean at all.

Another reason why japanese denim is expensive is because Japan is a 1st world country where workers are paid decent wages and social security. Unlike low wages countries in Asia where most mass production clothing is being produced.

Great video and introduction to people unaware of Japanese selvedge denim! While most of the info is spot-on, point 4 (the Raw) is not really a reason why these jeans are more expensive. First of all, sanforization is a process done on the fabric by the mill, before it's being put on rolls. The only difference between sanforized and unsanforized denim is this exact process. This has nothing to do with 'pre-washed' jeans, which you mentioned in the video too, because a pre-wash is a way of aging the ready-made jeans in an industrial laundry by washing, distressing and whatever you can do to create an aged look. In fact, a pre-wash would make a pair of jeans actually more expensive compared to unwashed or raw denim jeans. Which takes me to my next point: the term raw denim means unwashed denim, as in, how the fabric came off the roll. Since sanforization has been done already before the fabric's being put on rolls, you can have both unsanforized and sanforized denim classify as raw denim. Raw denim simply means that the jeans have not been washed or distressed after they're cut and sewn into a pair of jeans. We (BENZAK) use a lot of Japanese selvedge denim, but it's all sanforized and still fully classify as raw. Another thing that's important to mention about the price of the brands you mention, is that they are in fact fully produced in Japan, as opposed to brands exporting Japanese denim to low income countries and manufacture the jeans over there. Minimum wage in Japan is similar to that of the US and many European countries, making the manufacturing process more expensive too. You're absolutely right about lots of these factories being family-owned with few employees and low quantity output, which makes it even more expensive. We actually do both, produce in Japan and export fabric to Portugal, to make our jeans; they have a different price point for the above mentioned reason (although Portugal is not a low income country, its minimum wage is still below that of Japan).

A LOVELY VID! Fun fact the pink selvedge line is homage to Levi’s original red selvedge line fading to a pink hue

I live in Tokyo and these jeans can be found in selected shops, but concentrated in the Harajuku area. To actually see where most of them are made would require a trip to Okayama, which is several hours away by bullet train. The first "expensive" jeans I bought were Spellbound, which wasn't mentioned here but is a very comfortable wearable brand. For me, I would buy expensive jeans only if there is something unique about them, so I wouldn't really buy the remake styles. The only brand in this video I actually recognized was D'artisan, but I can't buy jeans decorated with cartoons of pigs all over them! Especially at that price. I do have a pig-less D'artisan shirt I like, though. I'm old enough to remember when ALL jeans/denim items were bought "cardboard" style and button-up (no zippers). It was always a long process of breaking them in; the buttoning could be a bitch at first with the stiff material. And by the time they were totally broken in, you were getting knee-holes, lol.

This video might be the best video not only introducing Japanese Selvedge but also the selvedge jeans as a niche. Great job.

I have 3 pairs of Oni, 1 SDA, and 1 Momotaro. I really love the these type of denim. I plan to get a pair from every known brand.

First boots, now denim. My wallet hates me.

How is this channel not at 100k+ subs?! Quality video as always Nick

Bought a pair of PBJ Snow denim and I’ve only gone 2 days in the since the beginning of the year without them. I could never go back!

Great video, very informative points! I concur that most 'handmade/traditional' Japanese jeans are expensive due to the outstanding workmanship and materials, but you got to know 'WHEN' and 'WHERE' to go to get them cheaper. I've seen the most expensive in Okayama Denim St (Kojima) and the cheapest in Tokyo (Around $170 AUD ). Where I managed to get each a pair of LEE (American riders 102), Kojima Genes and Japan Blue Jeans. The cheapest is online at 'RAKUTEN' during end of year time sale. Cheers!

Idk why I'm watching this when I already own a handful of japanese selvedge jeans already.

Those oxblood Jack boots by Taft that you wore around the beginning pulled off that outfit nicely my guy 👍🏽 straight 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥.

Been wearing blue & Negros denim jeans on and off all my life, but had to stop wearing them circa 10 years ago due to major surgery on right leg, ( chafing of scar tissue doctors orders) , prior to that, I had warn them all , Levi, Wrangler, Brutus, Lee Cooper, Easy, Falmer, Farrer ET AL, but my Jeans were always LEE, the quality and style and fit were perfect. So back to present day , dipped my toe into the jeans wearing water and bought 3 pairs in three different shades of " life and glory " jeans, brand new for £12 each = £36, made in China but quality , colour and fit are superb , i say this because am well north 55 and it sparked my interest dropping on your show. Did not realize Japan made jeans! Good show man !!

Interesting and some very cool looks on the coloration, but not enough to get me to purchase them. Thanks for sharing.

This is very much a status thing, only really appreciated by other fans. As someone who worked all their life in the textile industry (including sanforizing technology) you would have to be out of your mind to spend hundreds of dollars on jeans that havn't been pre-shrunk without trying them on. Even then you have to know how to control the amount of shrinkage after you buy them. Just leaving them in the bath will give the minumum shrinkage. Machine washing and tumble drying gives the most, because it is the tumbling action that causes the maximum 'fibre migration'. The selvedge thing is interesting but you can produce denim of similar quality on wide high speed looms at a fraction of the cost if you don't mind 'cropped selvedges'. The most important thing really is the quality of yarn for the warp and weft, and no mention is made of that.

A note on the shrink-to-fit nature of jeans and soaking them in water. I'd say only do it if you really want to speed up the process. If you want some truly great fitting jeans I'd recommend just wearing them for months and months without washing, and maybe get caught in the rain once or twice. Is it harder? Yes, but makes for super controlled shrinkage that will fit your body and keep the fades.

Ok, I’m im my 50’s. This is how we bought our jeans when K was growing up. I loved breaking my jeans in- bleaching them to lighten the color , washing them with rocks and boiling water to get special techniques. Personalized and forever .

@8:15. Interesting thing in those rivets on the pockets. 1)Yes, the 4 characters spell out samurai in katakana. Top is sa, bottom is mu, right is ra, left is i. 2) Also the rivet is in the shape of a circle with a square in the middle. That is the shape of old Japanese coins from the samurai era. That’s pretty cool.

As always Nick, another fantastically well made and information packed video! Thanks for all the work you do to ensure great quality and accuracy in your reviews! Edit: I've seen nearly all of your reviews and comparison videos about boots. Would it be possible for you to do one comparing Red Wing with some of the pricier boot makers? It seems that Red Wing is sort of the middle-ground in standings. It would be interesting to see what you would say the pros & cons are for purchasing either. Personally I've been a Red Wing fan for many years, but have recently been considering a few different brands or possibly a custom pair of boots. Hopefully many of your fans and yourself agree with this idea. Thanks for your time and consideration!

Man, you mean I can buy REAL jeans again!! This was much appreciated!

Love my Momotaro jeans. And I'm an old guy in my 50's that lives in a mountain ski town. You don't have to be a city living hipster to love these jeans.

the jeans by Levi's I wore in the 1960s when I was a teenager, were affordable even for a kid in high school.

SOLD! Gonna go drop the same amount on 10 pairs of pants as I'd spend on buying a used Honda Accord.

I've only had one pair of Japanese denim jeans, and they wore out faster than any pair I've had. The Brand was Edwin.

Great video as always bro 😎

Thanks for the review. Would be great to hear your thoughts on Uniqlo raw denim, it might be lighter in weight, cookie cutter and mass produced for many but it’s super affordable. I have a pair since a couple of years ago and I’ve had a good experience, although not very pronounced fades-I haven’t used them that much I should clarify.

I bought Levi’s 502 Japanese made and crafted selvedge jeans and it’s awesome...I really loved it💓

I never knew how boss Japanese denim was til recently. Wow.

Japan makes some excellent denims. In Japanese I have a 16oz jacket, a pair of 18oz, a pair of 21oz, and a pair of 21oz slubs. They're all sanforized and they've produced some really nice fades.

There is a whole street dedicated to jeans in Japan!! The quality of the jeans handmade!

A few years back I got lucky and bought a couple of new Japanese selvedge jeans from a charity shop for £8.99 each. Another time I got a pair of handmade English brogues for £15.99 and six Gant jeans for a total of £26. I kinda like that shop and they only sell new never worn clothes but it is hit and miss because you never know what they have at any one time.

The vanity sizing explains so much. I recently did all of my sizing and realized my waist is 30 inches. But i wear size 27 or 28. So it makes no sense. 30 would be enormous on me. Now I understand what’s going on there.

Jacob Cohen limited edition jeans made in Italy with Japanese denim... the best jeans made! $500-$700.. price for entry.

7 reasons 1) because 2) they 3) are 4) made 5) in 6) Japan 7)..... ahhh.... period!

A really great in-depth video, thanks Nick.

Excellent review. I have several makes and you’re spot on with your remarks.

Levi's really dropped the ball in the mid 80s. It's my understanding that they sell about 20% of the 501s they did back in the day. They could've easily spent the money on modernizing the equipment to make high-quality selvedge jeans into the future. Now they're a shell of what they used to be and given the rise to these type of jeans that you have to pay $200-$1,000 for it to get something of quality.

I have a pair of Edwin Japan that I got around 1995. I wash them once in a year but then I don’t wear them that often 😂

I actually wear selvedge jeans without cuffing them. Not that I have anything against the look, but I am not a fan of the frays that happen from the creases of the folds. I’ll probably cuff a softer, thinner, more worn-in pair, but definitely not a fresh, rigid pair.

Bravestar selvedge is the only denim for me. You cannot beat them.

Very good and informative video. Explanations are very clear. Thanks for making this.

They look very nice but the Japanese women's jeans tend to be sized based on Japanese fit models, i.e. very short in the legs. Thanks for the detailed explanation of the quality differences.

I don't think I understand why jeans being "raw" makes them more expensive. I mean, I own quite a few pairs, and I don't doubt that it for some reason does, but taking out the sanforization process should simplify production, rather than complicate and cause more expense, like making heavier slubbier or more expertly dyed fabric complicates production. My guess is that Sanforized denim is harder to sew into a jean that will shrink and still properly fit, or is harder to mount hardware on. I know that its discourages zipper flies because they wont shrink with the denim, but most of us weirdos want button flies regardless. That, and my unsanforized STF levi 501zs from when they were doing that vintage production stuff were definately not less expensive than the same fabric with button flies. That can be chalked up to levi's nonsense though, I guess. TL;DR I know "raw" is more expensive, but I don't know "why" its more expensive when it's mostly just skipping a step in production, to grossly oversimplify.

Very nice explanation. I have a pair of Japanese salvaged raw denim jeans. what I can say about these jeans is that you can own a pair your whole life they last a life time.

I've seen you been doing Japanese jeans vids for a while but haven't really been very interested in them. I've been an almost exclusive wearer of Levi's jeans since high school (20 years, cringe) and like them a lot. But this video got me a little curious on maybe picking up a pair. What makes me nervous though is sizing. I can get a pair of Levi's 511 in 30x32 or 32x32 that fit spectacularly but I'm worried I wouldn't get that perfect fit with Japanese jeans which will shrink (by how much?). Plus I'd want to try them on in-store and I dunno if there's any store around me (I'm in metro Detroit).

For a while I didn't understood the price gap. But I've come to accept it and can reasonably buy a few pairs. You need to have fun wearing them though or there's no point. The average person won't notice all the little details that make it special. Btw, Naked and Famous is producing a 42 oz monster! Currently in the testing phase. They make the craziest stuff.

Nick, real nice, informative

Interesting, eloquent and informative! Thanks for the vid!

I prefer buying japanese jeans in Asia, I wouldn't do it online unless I have tried them on before. The sales associate looks at waist, length, and leghole size. Mine fit perfectly and still fit perfectly. All the hardware is branded, they are like the quality of antique hardware. I love the selvedge details. Mine also have embroidery. It really elevates the jeans when you wear them out in South East Asia, but in the USA it is probably too flashy. That said, jeans are still considered construction workwear so you don't see them often in the streets of Asia unless they are kind of a statement. Although it does have a slight negative connotation if you wear them out to do business.

Fascinating information ℹ️ Delighted I have a new idea for my next pair 😊

What a great denim education you provide, man! Thank you

Great episode Nick! Which Japanese jeans would have a medium or high rise? Hard to find them, and in my 50’s not too interested in low rise. Thanks!

Well, you don't have to buy Japanese brand to have a decent pair of jeans. I started with a couple of pairs of "Atelier la Durance" ( 14 oz denim, made in France.) 15 years ago. Then had a Blue Blood (Dutch, before it was know and bankrupt), one of the first Denham's ( before the brand was well known.) , Edwin's ( know for their cheap jeans in the 80's but now making top notch stuff), Japan Blue Jeans and currently wearing jeans made by the Grivec Bros. ( Dutch, 14 ounce selvedge denim.)

How about LVC. Love to see a video to compare the Japanese jeans vs US brand.

Loved the video and the explanations. Still have a question though : I got into the habit of wearing my raw unsanforized jeans without soaking : is there anything wrong with that ? I never wear them on a rainy day and I never wash them. Thank you in advance for your answer.

I love japanese denim, i will pay more money if i had too, but the most importanly is how they are looks on you, "the fit" i prefer to slimstraight fit or straight fit like ih 634 cuts, unfortunately you wore tapered cut apprently i hate those fit

The cuffed jeans is a look unto itself, salvage or not.

Hi, is Momotara Jeans true to size? Like I am 30 inches waist is going to order 30 inches for momotara??

I will say in regard to getting the right fit - I've been an online customer of SE and BiG for over 10 years....if you're in doubt about what size you need, take some measurements of some jeans that fit you well and shoot them an email asking for help. Both stores have a awesome customer service and will get you on the right track. I'm envious of y'all that live within driving distance 🥲

What makes the black henley your wearing in the outside shots?

you are the only person online ive seen do he popsicle squat. i do it all the time.

i was an evisu maniac. i had a pair of evisu millenium edition witht he 24ct gold button fly, i sold them on ebay as i was worried about taking a knee out drunk.

More expensive? Twice as heavy? Where do I sign up? Nah, but fr, the main reason to cop “Made in Japan” is to soothe one’s own inner-drip. No one else can tell they’re Japanese. And the price makes us feel like we did something right. “These BETTER not suck!”

Mm. I learned something new today and it's 5 am.. Good start to my day. Thanks.

Interesting, I used to weave carbon fiber on old Draper shuttle looms. It was a fun gig

Just yesterday I watched documentary about momotaro jean, then your video pop-up.

"Cheap jeans like Levis". Depends on the country. We have Levi factories here in southern Africa and they are still over $50. Most shops sells Chinese ones.

Nice content, so informative.thanks

Thing is. It’s a bit like watches. In daily life, no one gives a toss what type you wear and hardly anyone notices. Especially in a darkened bar. Only you know.

That was really informative. Nice work!

Great vid nick

You can get them jeans in Thailand for dollars 😂❗ I was stationed in Yokosuka, Japan and those same Peter Pan jeans fit both males and females. Friends would take those same jeans to Thailand when we'd hit it up during port visits, drop them off at some side hut and have them make like 10 pairs exactly the same feel, color, stitching, buttons, texture, and ALL for less than a hundred dollars 😂❗❗ Get back to Japan and sell off the Japanese pair and get back more money just for wearing them! Had family in Texas send me jeans from garage sells and goodwill for less than$5 and sell them to these jean stores that were everywhere for over $90 and up.... also Levi belt buckles and Texas belt buckles from garage sells would go for $70 or more depending on styles and sizes ❗❗

The fact that japanese denim is sold raw shouldn’t contribute to the price. In fact it should even make them cheaper than if they were washed

Great information Nick from stride wise! Got some unbranded brand jeans in 21oz raw denim and they’re transforming nicely, would like to see your thoughts on those if a dozen pairs isn’t enough! Thanks 🙏

Where you get the pink /blue flannel ! Love it !! Love to have one too Thanks for video

Very interesting video. Personally I wouldn't wear those if they were free. My jeans have to be soft, light. European designers are the way to go. It all depends on what look are you going for.

Nick, can't you show us your full jeans collection?

Why iam watching this ...when I don't even own a pair of legs

Dude, I had no idea!! How is the resale market? What do they go for generally, used? 50% of new? 80%?

What do you recommend BIG or Self Edge in NY? What’s the difference? Thanks

Expensive does NOT always equal quality , but quality does cost and if you buy a good quality product that usually is more expensive as a result , it's always worth it .

Very cool! Thank you, never knew! I love learning new things! Mark in Milwaukee Wisconsin 🇺🇸🧀🍻.

How much did your jeans shrink after you washed them?

Thanks for the vid! Please tell me, whats your favourite model in tanuki?!

I got 3 raw denim jeans... Visvim from japan (bought in Japan, at half price than USA), Raleigh denim, and Burberry. Honestly... they aren’t very comfortable. So I hardly ever wear them.

Ironheart always in my heart lol

I think the expensive reason is “hype” I spend like $20 per pair of jeans and or pants . Levi’s have never failed me

What's the shade on that Tanuki jean? It's gorgeous

Great vid! I have one pair. Edwin jeans. Love them only thing is a made a mistake and washed theM and shrank about inch of the bottom. Really would like to start again with a new pair but any recommendations for and around the £130-£150 ?

I have read that raw, unsanforised and loom state are not synonyms. Please help!

Fantastic explanation!

Great Review, perfect for newbies to the Japanese Denim Community..... next review needs to be best matched Red Wings with Japanese denim....

Where can I buy Japanese denim. No links ???

Great video! I’m wearing my nice selvage jeans right now. I would rather have one pair of great jeans than a lot of mediocre jeans. They wear like iron.

I’ve done measurements and I’m STILL terrified of buying any jeans online, let alone quality expensive Japanese denim. I want a pair so bad but I would be so upset if I spent the money and I ended up not liking them.

I'd choose a pair of Levi Strauss 501s ANYTIME hands down. I have a 19 years old pair of 501s that has naturally faded into light blue to almost white and natural rips on both the kneecap areas! 💙💙💙 Although I appreciate the craftsmanship that goes into the production of these Japanese jeans I'm not keen on purchasing a pair any time soon. At the moment I'm contented with my 501s and religiously believe in the Levi's slogan that says, "Quality Never Goes Out Of Style"! Besides you could never beat a pair of jeans being pulled at both ends of its waistline by two horses! Can you REALLY beat that?💪💪💪🤣🤣🤣 Have a great day jeans lovers! 🤟🤟🤟

Exquisite overview, as always. First-rate content.

Great video!

What boots at 3:36?