What Big John is known for
Okayama-prefecture denim pioneer, founded in 1940 by Kotaro Ozaki in Kojima as workwear maker Maruo Hifuku; produced Japan's first domestically sewn jeans in 1965 and the country's first Japanese-woven denim fabric in 1972, seeding the Kojima denim industry.
Big John began in 1940 as Maruo Hifuku, a small Kojima-district sewing operation founded by Kotaro Ozaki that initially made workwear and school uniforms. In 1965, Ozaki produced Japan's first domestically sewn jeans, cut from imported American denim; in 1972 the company went further, developing the country's first Japanese-woven denim fabric. In 1973 Big John released 'World,' described as the first jeans made entirely in Japan. These milestones are widely credited with establishing Kojima, in Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture, as Japan's denim-manufacturing center. Big John remains headquartered in Kojima today.
Best for — Raw Denim, Japanese Selvedge
Japan
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