Visvim is a Japanese menswear label established in 2000 by Hiroki Nakamura. The company's headquarters are in Tokyo, Japan, and it has stores in both Japan and the United States. Visvim is also available abroad in department stores and boutiques such as Bergdorf Goodman in New York and Dover Street Market in London. Visvim's denim collection is called Social Sculpture. Nakamura created the denim "from the yarn up," and the process of breaking it down and rebuilding it created the image of a sculpture.

Visvim has developed a cult following over the last two decades, with Eric Clapton, Kanye West, and John Mayer among its devotees. Visvim is known for fusing Native American designs with classic Japanese workmanship, providing the ideal balance of the classic and the contemporary. Despite being on the more expensive end of the scale, they pay homage to the original Japanese method by being woven on selvage looms. The classic dark indigo ones are a good choice because they can be dressed up or down.

Founded: 2000

Headquarters: Tokyo, Japan

Instagram: instagram.com/visvimwmv (399K followers)

Website: https://www.visvim.tv/

Evisu, also referred to as Evisu Genes, is a Japanese designer apparel brand that specializes in making denim wear using traditional, time-consuming methods. Evisu ranks second on this list of the best Japanese denim brands. Hidehiko Yamane created Evisu, which is famous for the geometric squiggle that adorned the outfits of nineties rappers and cool kids alike. The company was started in Osaka, Japan, in 1991.

The initial production line allowed about 14 pairs of jeans a day to be produced, with each of them having a seagull (kamome) hand-painted on them by Yamane himself. The Japanese folk god of money, known as Ebisu, is typically shown with a fishing pole. Early in the 1990s, Yamane debuted a tailoring line, which was followed by lines for fishing and golf. To complete the development of Evisu as a full-fashion range going far beyond a jeans brand, he developed a lady's fashion line named Evisu Donna in 1999. Japan has 65 Evisu stores.

Founded: 1991

Headquarters: Osaka, Japan

Instagram: instagram.com/evisu1991/ (338K followers)

Website: https://www.evisu.jp/

Iron Heart is a Japanese denim and clothing manufacturer with a distinct love for high-quality, trendy, and long-lasting garments. Shinichi Haraki, the mastermind behind Iron Heart, launched The Works Inc. and the Iron Heart brand in Tokyo in 2002 with the purpose of making traditional and timeless clothes crafted from the finest materials and constructed to the highest standard. The goal is not to just replicate antique clothing but to re-engineer workwear styles with heavyweight fabrics for today's lifestyle.

Iron Heart is actively involved in the entire garment's lifetime, from the cotton type to the weave of the denim. The mills and workshops used are mainly modest and family-run businesses that take great care in their work. This is not reproduction clothing; rather, it is an examination of classic denim and workplace styles and their adaptation to today's lifestyle. However, little attention is paid to fashion trends; one of the brand's basic design principles is that you should look as good in an Iron Heart garment 20 years from now as you did the day you first tried it on.

Founded: 2002

Headquarters: Tokyo, Japan

Instagram: instagram.com/ironheartdenim (158K followers)

Website: http://www.ironheart.jp/IH-WP/

Momotaro was founded in 2006 as part of the Japan Blue Company and has since entirely concentrated on making high-quality denim. Momotaro still manufactures the majority of its jeans in the Kojima region of Okayama, Japan. Momotaro jeans are made from 100% Zimbabwean cotton, which is known for its quality, durability, distinctive fading properties, and ability to keep the indigo color. The jeans are assembled by hand to provide the required quality in their denim.

Momotaro now has a variety of labels that cater to a wide range of price points and denim preferences. The labels are the copper label, the vintage label, and the battle label. The Copper label features rope-dyed denim that has been rinsed once in mineral water. The Vintage label includes a shrink-to-fit construction and rougher denim. The Battle label is distinguished by the heaviest weight, dark indigo denim, and trademark white stripes on the back pocket. There is also the Gold label, which contains denim woven on hand-operated shuttle looms and costs a stunning $2000.

Founded: 2006

Headquarters: Okayama, Japan

Instagram: instagram.com/momotarojeans_official/ (107K followers)

Website: https://momotaro-jeans.com/

Ichiro Nakutsu established OrSlow in 2005 in Kobe, Japan. The moniker "OrSlow" alludes to the brand's philosophy of thoughtfully designing clothing in response to the fast-moving fashion industry and contemporary society. OrSlow strives to slow it down by paying close attention to fit, detail, fabric selection, and manufacturing techniques. The end result is a stylishly understated collection that you may wear right now and in the future and that is inspired by old military and workwear items.

OrSlow probably makes the best denim pieces you can find. They design items with historic inspiration that integrate comfortably into the modern world using the best materials and innovative methods. Everything was produced in Japan. OrSlow creates the kind of denim that lasts a lifetime and is arguably the best manufacturer of workwear-inspired clothes on the market. The business, which specializes in labor-intensive handcraft techniques and opposes fast fashion, offers dependable, classic pieces that draw on the designer Ichiro Nakatsu's extensive knowledge and expertise in vintage military accouterments.

Founded: 2005

Headquarters: Kobe, Japan

Instagram: instagram.com/orslow (95.8K followers)

Website: http://orslow.jp/store/

Studio D'Artisan is one of Japan's most recognizable denim labels, with the slogan "Reconstruction of Great Old Things." Studio D'Artisan, founded by Shigeharu Tagaki in 1979 and reproducing classics of French and American workwear since then, is proud to be one of the Osaka 5. The Osaka 5 (Studio D'Artisan, Denime, Evisu, Fullcount, and Warehouse) were the first five manufacturers in Osaka to start recreating the classic American jeans that were a cult object in Japan, seeking perfection by employing antique shuttle looms. The Osaka 5 established a precedent and laid the groundwork for what is now known as Japanese denim culture.

Today, Studio D'Artisan represents a return to tradition while remaining open to new ideas. They constantly employ the best techniques and materials available. Some of the many elements used by Studio D'Artisan to create timeless and durable-quality pieces include the use of vintage Toyoda G3 shuttle looms and special raw materials such as "Fox" or "Suvin Gold" cottons.

Founded: 1979

Headquarters: Osaka, Japan

Instagram: instagram.com/studiodartisan/ (59K followers)

Website: http://www.dartisan.co.jp/

Blue Blue Japan ranks 7th on this list of the best Japanese denim brands. Blue Blue Japan was founded in 1996 in Tokyo as an in-house brand of OKURA. Since then, it has expanded slowly, accumulating a cult-like following of indigo enthusiasts worldwide. It's one of the best-known names in Japanese fashion, having paved the way for natural indigo dye.

Indigo is more than just a dye at Blue Blue Japan; it is the company's lifeblood, pouring through practically everything they make. The name says it all, with production taking place exclusively in Japan and almost entirely in blue. It is currently available on luxury apparel websites all around the world, including Mr. Porter, End Apparel, and Matthews Fashion.

Blue Blue Japan takes inspiration from Western fashion and interprets it in its own way. Their jeans have a relaxed fit, but their tapered trousers are extremely stylish. The beauty of using natural fibers and all-natural indigo is that the first vivid blue color fades with time to match the wearer's body and habits, only becoming more lovely with age. Instead of focusing solely on indigo, the Blue Blue Japan line is the place to go for specific Japanese expertise in other natural dyes, patterns, and construction processes.

Founded: 1996

Headquarters: Tokyo, Japan

Instagram: instagram.com/blue_blue_japan/ (52.6K followers)

Website: https://www.bluebluejapan.com/

The Flat Head, a Japan-based clothing business founded in 1996, is one of the denim industry's pioneers in producing superior selvage denim. The Flat Head is most recognized for its mid-weight raw denim jeans, which are somewhat stiffer than lightweight denim, but this results in a more structured fading over time. The Flat Head is heavily inspired by old 1950s and 1960s Americana motorcycle and hotrod culture and tries to lovingly reconstruct selvage denim, outerwear, and shirting from America's nostalgic past on ancient shuttle looms, employing time-honored artisan skills and superior materials.

They also provide greater warmth during the colder months. All of their jeans are dark blue and are meant to fade vertically over time. Founder Koboyashi-Sin stated, "At the time of purchase, the product is only 50% complete, but this level of completeness rises with repeated wearing as the product begins to meld itself to the unique shape of each individual." You can pair it with a Flat Head flannel shirt for true California-cool style.

Founded: 1996

Headquarters: Nagano, Japan

Instagram: instagram.com/theflathead1996 (36.2K followers)

Website: https://www.flat-head.com/

The Real McCoy's is a Japanese clothing label with a well-deserved reputation for its immaculate reproductions of antique apparel. It was founded on passion, obsession, and zero compromises. For more than 20 years, The Real McCoy's has been a sought-after brand for vintage enthusiasts old and new, with their reproductions of the American military, sportswear, workwear, and even some early twentieth-century dress wear, each piece exceeding expectations on all levels.

To give each sub-brand a different identity, the brand is actually divided into distinct sub-brands. Joe McCoy's collection includes American sportswear, denim, and workwear. Double Diamond is a brand committed to recreating authentic historical workwear from the turn of the century. And Buco is the famed motorcycle clothing business (founded by Joseph Buegeleisen) known for its J-100 and J-24 jackets, among other things. The denim for all of the collections is created in a 200-year-old workshop in Kojima.

Founded: 1978

Headquarters: Kobe, Japan

Instagram: instagram.com/therealmccoys.jp (30.2K followers)

Website: https://therealmccoys.jp/brand.html/5

Noriko Machida's Chimala, another important Japanese denim company that should be on your radar, is arguably the best-kept secret in the business. Chimala is the last company on this list of the best Japanese denim brands. Japanese apparel brand Chimala creates styles that are reminiscent of old industrial clothes. Only using genuine selvage denim from a Japanese mill, each item is made by regional craftsmen.

Each pair is hand-washed and given distressed treatments, giving them their true individuality. Chimala is renowned for its flawlessly tailored jeans as well as a wide selection of shirting, knits, and other non-denim clothing that is produced using conventional techniques on pre-World War II vintage shuttle looms. Each piece is handcrafted in small amounts at a specialized Japanese workshop using natural fibers and traditional looms.

Chimala is a brand favored by true denim lovers. Only a small number of stores worldwide carry the brand, which creates handcrafted items from fabric that go through a meticulous production and design process. In recent seasons, Chimala has produced some stylish overshirts that have become essential must-haves. Its somewhat oversized shape is ideal for layering and would look fantastic in contrast to indigo denim to create a tonal style.

Founded: 2005

Headquarters: New York, US

Instagram: instagram.com/chimala_nyc (4.8K followers)

Website: http://chimaladesign.com/