I’m sure many raw denim addicts will be very familiar with Momotaro, but I just recently took a closer look at producer when a few friends were planning a trip to Japan.

After some brief research, I found out Momotaro is essentially one of the premier raw denim manufacturers in Japan.  While they use 100% Zimbabwean cotton, which is widely considered the best cotton in the world for its ultra smoothness and durability, they do all the dyeing and needle-work in Japan.

What’s even more impressive about Momotaro is that they produce some (I doubt all) of their denim by hand-weaving on an old loom that was traditionally used to create kimonos.  The entire process takes 3 months to reach finalization, with each 1m requiring 8 hours!  Some pair’s price as high as $2,000 USD (or 178,500 Yen). Too pricey for me, but definitely worth taking a closer look at.