Pure Blue Japan – History, Philosophy, & Iconic Products

A closer look at Japanese denim label, Pure Blue Japan, known for their highly-textured denim fabrics made with traditional Japanese methods.

Daniel Rockburn

If you’re deep in the hole of Japanese denim, chances are you’ve heard of Pure Blue Japan, or seen their jeans grace the pages of our Fade Friday. Not to be confused with Japan Blue, or Blue Blue Japan, Pure Blue Japan (PBJ) is focused on making jeans with character.

Like a lot of Japanese denim brands, PBJ is certainly influenced by American fashion of the mid-century—but they’ve taken that fashion and made something of their own, as you can see from their unique fabrics, contemporary silhouettes, and overall product line.

If you want to learn a bit more about Pure Blue Japan, this article will take a closer look at their history and philosophy, as well as showing you their iconic products and where to buy them.

Pure Blue Japan History

Founded in 1997 in Kurashiki-city Okayama by Ken-ichi Iwaya, Pure Blue Japan is a longstanding Japanese denim manufacturer, known for the incredibly textured fabrics deployed on its denim garments. PBJ makes indigo and Ai (natural indigo) dyed jeans and garments, all of which are made to last and age beautifully over time.

Ken-ichi Iwaya started his journey in denim at a young age with his first pair of Levi’s 501s. Iwaya rubbed his jeans with a pumice stone to artificially distress them. After spending time working in clothing sales in Okayama at the age of 20, Iwaya decided to make jeans of his own and later founded Pure Blue Japan.

Iwaya-San initially called his brand Syoaiya, after the name for natural indigo dyeing in Tokushima, “Shoai”. After changing to Pure Blue Japan and perfecting his initial silhouettes, Iwaya-San looked to the Western market to expand PBJ. It wasn’t until 2005, when buyers from New York retailer Blue in Green visited PBJ’s Tokyo store, that PBJ would reach Western shores. Iwaya-San began a wholesale relationship with Blue in Green, and Pure Blue Japan soon became a darling of the growing raw denim scene in North America. More international stockists followed, and the brand garnered legendary status among denim heads across the globe.

Pure Blue Japan Philosophy

PBJ’s affinity for indigo can be seen in the indigo leaf embroidery on the back pocket of their jean (in lieu of pocket arcuates), as well as in the blue selvedge line on all of their jeans – most of which are indigo-dyed. Pure Blue Japan’s deerskin patch on their jeans depicts a man dipping a pair of jeans into a vat of indigo, further reinforcing the brand’s philosophy of championing Japanese dyeing methods and well-crafted denim.

Iwaya-San stresses the importance of  yarn dyeing in the production of PBJ denim. All cotton yarns are rope-dyed with natural (ai) or synthetic indigo prior to weaving, which creates a rich, nuanced tone. While this is core to PBJ’s philosophy, the most noticeable characteristic of Pure Blue Japan’s denims is their slubby and/or neppy texture. The rope-dyed yarns are slowly woven on vintage shuttle looms to give the fabrics a slubby surface, and nep is often achieved through special yarns and loom chatter. Garments are sewn with longer stitches to double down on texture:

After beginning his journey making what he calls ‘bad jeans’, Iwaya has, in fact, propelled denim craft through PBJ’s unique fabrics, producing some of the most interesting selvedge goods in the land. PBJ even carries this philosophy over to non-denim garments like sweatshirts, t-shirts, and knits, allowing the brand to offer a full line-up of highly textured, nuanced garments

Pure Blue Japan Today

Today, Pure Blue Japan continues to innovate in the world of selvedge denim. It offers a full product line which includes a range of different jean silhouettes, knitwear, and womenswear: all made in Japan by skilled craftspeople. Pure Blue Japan’s flagship store is located in Harajuku, the fashion district located in Shibuya ward of Tokyo. Twenty years on, the brand retains a strong partnership with Blue in Green, making exclusive models for the retailer every year.

Pure Blue Japan specializes in slimmer-fitting denim with trimmer legs and some heavy tapers, but they do make straight-leg jeans under their 003 silhouette. As well as indigo, the brand utilizes sulfur-dyeing for black and olive denim, and other natural tannins like persimmon (kakishibu). Alternatives to traditional denim can be found in their sashiko, cotton duck, and wabash products.

Pure Blue Japan Products

Pure Blue Japan jeans revolve around 4 core silhouettes, each with its own code:

• 003 – Regular Straight

• 005 – Slim Straight

• 013 – Slim Tapered (slim top block, low rise, and heavily tapered leg)

• 019 – Relax taper (roomy top block with a tapered leg)

Standard denim options (usually weighing around 14 oz.) are given the prefix ‘XX‘ before their silhouette code, i.e., “XX-019″, while special denims are given their own prefixes:

• SLB or WSB – Slub denim

• KS – Kasuri denim (warp yarns dyed to various hues of indigo)

• OL – Olive denim (sulfur-dyed warp yarns)

• OG – Organic cotton denim

• PER-EX – Persimmon (kakishibu) dyed weft yarns

• PBE – Beige weft yarns

• SMBL – Smokey blue denim

14 oz. XX jeans are typically available every year, with special editions being seasonal or limited editions:

XX-003 Straight Leg

The 003 is Pure Blue Japan’s widest jean, offering a regular straight cut with a mid-rise and regular hem opening. Not too slim, not too wide, this is a go-to if you like a standard jean that lets the fabric do the talking.

Available at Blue in Green for $340.

XX-019 Fit Jeans

This incredibly popular relax-tapered jean, the 019, comes in a variety of fabrics—the standard being a 14 oz indigo selvedge denim. Plenty of room in the top of the jeans, with a strong taper down to the leg opening, the 019 is a practical, modern fit. This standard 5-pocket jean comes complete with PBJ’s signature deerskin patch, low stitch-per-inch detailing, iron buttons, and rivet reinforcements.

Available from Blue in Green for $340 from Blue in Green.

XX-013 Fit Jeans

Pure Blue Japan’s slim-taper, the 013, is a more form-fitting cut of denim for slimmer builds. The 013’s slim profile and lower rise makes them PBJ’s modern skinny jean, also available in a slew of fabrics, and with all the standard details you’ll find on the 019.

Available from Blue in Green for $326 and Redcast Heritage for $292

Yarn-Dyed Indigo T-Shirt

The Yarn-Dyed Indigo T-Shirt is Pure Blue Japan’s basic T-Shirt, stitched together with rope-dyed indigo yarns, and detailed with the brand’s Indigo Leaf embroidery along the side seam. Made to fade like any of your favorite jeans, the Yarn-Dyed Indigo T-Shirt features a double-needle stitched collar, rinsed once to quell any excess denim bleed.

Available at Blue in Green for $149.

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