Road Trip | Kobe, Tokushima & Okayama

December 22, 2020

World’s colliding over the love for Japanese denim 👖
Two generations (the sixth & seventh, respectively) of one of Japan’s finest denim mills met the Head of Instagram Japan (@ianspalter) during a exploration trip we organized taking us to three prefectures in Japan, over the course of two days.
After a completely random hang at one of Sam's events in Tokyo, Ian and I quickly realized the connection ran much deeper than either of us knew. Having coincidentally shopped from Okayama Denim from the States for years prior to even moving to Japan, we were already planning these factory visits halfway into our very first conversation. Ian’s earnest curiosity to explore and learn more about meticulous craft & culture in Japan is both commendable and awe-inspiring for our team to watch and share.

After coordinating the entire trip over IG DM (naturally), we started in Kobe where we spent the morning with The Real McCoy’s at their HQ in Kobe, Japan.
We then set off to Tokushima to visit the Natural Indigo dyeing factory responsible for dyeing & weaving many of the iconic Natural Indigo fabrics we curate for the site.
The following day was spent at Nihon Menpu, one of our favorite boutique Selvedge denim mills with a rich history spanning over 100 years in Ibara, Okayama.

Learn more about Ian’s story, currently featured on Netflix called Abstract Design, a show celebrating the craft of varying contemporary designers.

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