Ibara is the holy grail of denim, with a denim industry that has been around since the Edo Period (1603-1868) in Japan. In the middle of the Edo Period, Ibara was an area rich with agriculture, which led to it becoming a large production area of indigo dyed fabric. When Japan entered into the Meiji (1868-1912) and Taisho (1912-1926) eras, Ibara denim was produced at a larger scale, with the brand Bichuu Kokura at the centre of it all. With this increase in production, it led to school uniforms being denim, and the products even being exported out of Japan.

One of the variations of denim was called the Back white style, where the front of the denim was blue, and the back was white. This was the same style as what was called denim in the United States, and is named the roots of Japanese produced denim.

After World War 2, and with the influence of Allied Powers, with the influence of American culture came the increased use of white back based jean production. In 1970, 75% of Japan made denim was produced in Ibara.

In recent times, Ibara Denim has been attracting a lot of attention from the world, and buyers are flooding in from the west.

Ibara Denim Shop

To act as a base for promoting Ibara Denim all of the world, the Ibara Denim Shop has been built inside Ibara Station. They sell products made from denim, such as jeans, suits, kimono, handbags, etc.

Denim Factory Experience

Experience how to create denim by actually using a mechanical sewing machine. To allow you to enjoy your time there, there is a selection of various experiences that you can select.