Fast-growing Japan Blue to set up Kojima hub
Denim company Japan Blue Co is setting up an integrated “monozukuri” (craft-based production) hub in Kojima next year, designed to “strengthen its global competitiveness”.
This facility will not be a conventional factory, but rather a “cultural creation hub for Japanese denim”, it said, integrating planning, development and production.
It will serve as a platform to communicate the brand’s philosophy and values, encompassing materials, techniques, philosophy and spatial design.
Founded in 1992 as Collect Co, a textile planning and sales company, Japan Blue later expanded into denim production. It launched the Momotaro Jeans brand in 2006 and Japan Blue Jeans in 2011.
It was bought in 2022 by Japanese private equity firm Karita & Company, which embarked on a restructuring and global growth plan.
At the premium end, Momotaro Jeans has focused on enhancing its signature deep indigo, Tokuni Blue, “denim that evolves with the wearer”. The brand now accounts for 40% of total sales (around ¥3.1 billion), representing a 3.5-fold increase since 2021. This year, it has opened a store in Osaka, with one in Fukouka opening on May 15.
Japan Blue Jeans has been repositioned for a broader audience, offering a balance of accessibility, design and quality, and has seen sales double.
In the textile business, overseas sales for Collect Denim Heads have tripled over the past five years.
In North America, its largest market, the company is restructuring wholesale partnerships and expanding distribution channels. In Asia, it is developing a franchise model. In Europe, Japan Blue is increasing its presence in select shops and plans to open its first pop-up store in Paris, France, this summer.
Group chief operating officer, Masataka Suzuki told Inside Denim what made the group special and how it plans to attract a wider global following in a Dialogue in Issue 14.
