It takes between one to two months for Hisao Manable to dye these threads a deep indigo blue. Denim made from these threads will maintain this rich color, and so will Manabe's nails for three weeks. That's because Manabe uses real indigo instead of the synthetic dyes most jeans are made with today. A pair of Momotaro jeans dyed with natural indigo can cost over two thousand dollars. But using real indigo is just one element that can raise the price of Japanese denim. Each stage of production requires meticulous attention. So what exactly makes Japanese denim different? And is that enough to make it so expensive? In basic terms, Japanese denim refers to denim made in Japan. But today, it often implies selvage denim. The name comes from the way fabric is woven on these old shuttle looms. They weave fabric with a sealed, or self-finished, edge, hence the name selvage. It means the end of the fabric won't fray or unravel.

It takes between one to two months for Hisao Manable to dye these threads a deep indigo blue. Denim made from these threads will maintain this rich color, and so will Manabe's nails for three weeks. That's because Manabe uses real indigo instead of the synthetic dyes most jeans are made with today. A pair of Momotaro jeans dyed with natural indigo can cost over $2,000. But using real indigo is just one element that can raise the price of Japanese denim. Each stage of production requires meticulous attention. So what exactly makes Japanese denim different? And is that enough to make it so expensive? In basic terms, Japanese denim refers to denim made in Japan. But today, it often implies selvage denim. The name comes from the way fabric is woven on these shuttle looms. They weave fabric with a sealed, or self-finished, edge, hence the name selvage. It means the end of the fabric won't fray or unravel.

It takes between one to two months for Hisao Manabe to dye these threads a deep indigo blue. Denim made from these threads will maintain this rich color, and so will Manabe’s nail for three weeks. That’s because Manabe uses real indigo instead of synthetic dyes most jeans are made with today. A pair of Momotaro jeans dyed with natural indigo can cost over $2,000. But using real indigo is just one element that can raise the price of Japanese denim. Each stage of production requires meticulous attention. So what exactly makes Japanese denim different? And is that enough to make it so expensive? In basic terms, Japanese denim refers to denim made in Japan. But today, it often implies selvage denim. The name comes from the way fabric is woven on these old shuttle looms. They weave fabric with a sealed, or self-finished, edge, hence the name selvage. It mean the end of the fabric won’t fray or unravel.

It takes between one to two months for Hisao Manable to dye these threads a deep indigo blue. Denim made from these threads will maintain this rich color, and so will Manabe's nails for three weeks. That's because Manabe uses real indigo instead of the synthetic dyes most jeans are made with today. A pair of Momotaro jeans dyed with natural indigo can cost over $2,000. But using real indigo is just one element that can raise the price of Japanese denim. Each stage of production requires meticulous attention. So what exactly makes Japanese denim different? And is that enough to make it so expensive? In basic terms, Japanese denim refers to denim made in Japan. But today, it often implies selvage denim. The name comes from the way fabric is woven on these shuttle looms. They weave fabric with a sealed, or self-finished, edge, hence the name selvage. It means the end of the fabric won't fray or unravel.

It takes between one to two months for Hisao Manable to dye these threads a deep indigo blue. Denim made from these threads will maintain this rich color, and so will Manable's nails for three weeks. That's because Manable uses real indigo instead of the synthetic dyes most jeans are made with today. A pair of Momotaro jeans dyed with natural Indigo can cost over $2,000. But using real indigo is just one element that can raise the price of Japanese denim. Each stage of production required meticulous attention. So what exactly makes Japanese denim different? And is enough to make it so expensive? In basic terms, Japanese denim refers to denim made in Japan. But today, it often implies selvage denim. The name comes from the way fabric is woven on these old shuttle looms. They weave fabric with a sealed or self-finished, edge hence the name selvage. It means the end of the fabric won't fray or unravel.