Kojima Jeans Street in Kojima , Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture Prefecture, is famous as the mecca for domestically produced jeans. It is a popular shopping spot visited by jeans fans from all over Japan, but it is actually not just that. This time, we visited a spot that can be enjoyed with elementary and junior high school students.
2025.05.08-
Table of Contents
- What is Kojima Jeans Street?
- Enter the world of Denim the moment you step off the train
- Fun for kids: Indigo blue soft serve ice cream
- Fun spot for kids #2: Capsule toys containing Denim products
- Fun spot for kids③ Commemorative photo spot
- We rode on a special Denim-decorated bus
- Take a stroll to the Jeans Museum
- Fun spot for kids #4: Riveting experience
- The beautiful scenery of the Seto Naikai is also an attraction
- summary
What is Kojima Jeans Street?
Kojima , located in the Nanbu part of Kurashiki City , Okayama Prefecture , has been known as a textile industry town since the Meiji era. It is also the town that produced the world's first "second-hand processed jeans" (new jeans that have been washed and processed to give them a unique character) in 1965. At the time, it all began with the development of a revolutionary method of selling unwashed, stiff jeans after washing them to suit the body types and tastes of Japanese people.
Kojima Jeans Street is located in Ajino Shopping Arcade, which was once the most prosperous shopping arcade in Kojima. As a result of local jeans manufacturers and the Kojima Chamber of Commerce working together to attract businesses to vacant stores, many jeans-related stores are now lined up along the 400-meter street from the former Nozaki family residence (the mansion of a wealthy merchant who made his fortune through salt field development in the Edo period) to Ajino Dai-ni Park. This street is a particularly popular spot in Kojima, the mecca for domestically made jeans.
Enter the world of Denim the moment you step off the train
When you arrive at JR Kojima Station, you'll be greeted by a Denim-themed world. Even the vending machines and station decorations are Denim-patterned! When you leave the station, you'll see a lot of jeans on display, and you can only experience the spectacular sight by visiting the station in person.
When you think of jeans, you probably think of shopping, but Kojima is not just a place to buy jeans; it also has many fun spots for families. So this time, a father and his son, who is in elementary and middle school, visited Kojima Jeans Street.
Fun for kids: Indigo blue soft serve ice cream
Let's start with something sweet!
I found out about a shop called "RIVETS" on the internet and I definitely wanted to visit. Here you can try the "Indigo Soft Serve Ice Cream" (450 yen), which is only available at "Kojima Jeans Street." The indigo-colored soft serve ice cream, reminiscent of Denim, is topped with indigo leaf powder. Indigo has antibacterial and antioxidant properties, and is said to be good for your health.
The flavor is refreshing, using salt, one of the "Kojima Sanpaku" (a term referring to Kojima's three major industries). "Kojima Sanpaku" refers to Nishiki (silk fabric), salt, and Tamasuji-Uo (a type of small fish) that are the representative industries of Kojima : weaving (textile industry), salt, and fishing. You can feel the love for Kojima packed into each soft serve ice cream.
This is just my personal opinion, but the indigo powder has a flavor similar to matcha, and goes well with the salty soft serve ice cream. The kids finished it in no time.
"RIVETS" is located right in the Chuo of " Kojima Jeans Street ", so you can stop by and have a leisurely meal during your stroll. There is also a select shop attached, so you can enjoy shopping.
[RIVETS]
Address: 2-5-3 Kojimaajino , Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture
Phone: 086-441-9100
Business hours: 11:00-15:00 *Subject to change depending on the situation
Closed: Weekdays, New Year's holidays, and summer holidays *Please contact the store for details
Parking: Please use the Jeans Street parking lot or the municipal parking lot.
Fun spot for kids #2: Capsule toys containing Denim products
There are capsule toy machines in various places in Kojima Jeans Street where you can win Denim goods. The photo shows one at the unmanned tourist center, but some stores on the street also have machines that give you the chance to win Denim products. We tried our luck at the store of the famous Denim brand, BIGJHON!
It costs 500 yen per turn. You can win various Denim goods, but what will you get? The excitement of opening the capsule is a fun that only capsule toys can offer.
This time I won a strap and a key strap. They are Denim products, so they look very durable and easy to use, so I decided to use them as accessories for my smartphone. Thank you for giving me such a good prize! There are many different types, so please go to the site and try to find one you like.
[BIG JHON Kojima Main Store]
Address: 2-2-43 Kojimaajino , Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture
Phone: 086-473-1231
Business hours: 10:00-18:00 *May vary depending on the season
Closed: New Year's holiday
Parking: Please use the Jeans Street parking lot or the municipal parking lot.
Fun spot for kids③ Commemorative photo spot
There are face-in panels (decorative panels where you can stick your face in to take photos) all around the street, perfect for taking commemorative photos. In addition, "G-Pans", a yurukyara (local PR character) born in Kojima, the textile town and birthplace of domestic jeans, will also be appearing all around the street.
As an aside, only the last character of "G-pan da" is written in hiragana. Did you know that? It was fun to look for the characters while walking around.
The unmanned tourist center also has a crane game (UFO catcher). I got a "Denim Chu" (a type of candy) that can only be purchased here!
We rode on a special Denim-decorated bus
To get from JR Kojima Station to Kojima Jeans Street, I took the Jeans Bus. The photo shows a route bus that travels around Kojima's tourist spots. Of course, you can also get to Kojima Jeans Street on this bus. The interior of the bus is cutely decorated with Denim.
Just riding the bus was a fun experience. For more information about the Jeans Bus, which is also convenient for sightseeing, please check the official website of Shimoden Bus (a local bus company).
Take a stroll to the Jeans Museum
While we were there, we decided to take the jeans bus and visit the Betty Smith Jeans Museum& Village. It's about 20 minutes from JR Kojima Station. It was very interesting to learn about the history of jeans, but our main purpose was to try the riveting experience that was available here.
You can try your hand at riveting at "Betty's Store" inside the museum.
Fun spot for kids #4: Riveting experience
A rivet is a metal part attached to the edge of a jeans pocket. A sharp metal piece is inserted through the back of the fabric and the part sticking out from the front is fixed with a metal piece. In English it is written as "rivet". The name of the "Indigo Soft Serve" shop introduced earlier, "RIVETS", comes from this.
First, choose the item you want to rivet from among pouches, tote bags, pen cases, and straps. You can choose on the day. Next, choose two rivets of your favorite color and shape to start the experience.
The staff were happy to explain anything I didn't understand, so my son, who is in the upper grades of elementary school, was able to fully understand and enjoy the experience.
We will use a special machine to rivet. There are some parts where you have to step on the steps at your feet like an old sewing machine, so it may be easier to experience if you are a little taller. My son, who is in the upper grades of elementary school, was able to do it without any problems. The experience takes about 5 to 10 minutes per person. If you don't have too much trouble choosing, the whole experience will take about 20 minutes.
I finished my tote bag and pouch. The rivets were not only round, but also gear-shaped and flower-shaped. It's nice to be able to add your favorite shape and create your own unique Denim product. I called in advance to reserve the time I wanted to participate, so the experience went smoothly. It seems that you can experience it without a reservation if there is availability on the day.
The experience fee is 2,200 yen (tax included) for a tote bag and 1,650 yen (tax included) for a pouch. This time I chose a simple pouch, but you can also choose a pouch with a pocket for 2,200 yen (tax included) or a pen case for 1,100 yen (tax included).
[Betty Smith Jeans Museum& Village]
Address: 5-2-70 Kojima , Kojima , Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture
Phone: 086-473-4460
Business hours: 9:00-18:00 (9:30-17:00 from December to February) *Lunch break from 12:00-13:00 (weekdays only)
Closed: New Year's holiday
Parking: 10 standard-sized cars
The beautiful scenery of the Seto Naikai is also an attraction
Kojima is surrounded by the sea, so on the way back from the museum, I took a walk along the seaside. The view of the Seto(a magnificent bridge connecting Honshu and Shikoku) was beautiful. The calm view of the Seto Naikai always soothes the soul.
summary
This trip to Kojima Jeans Street had many things to enjoy even with children. Please use this as a reference for your next outing with your children.
[Kojima Jeans Street]
Location: Okayama Prefecture , Kurashiki City, Kojimaajino
Phone: 086-472-4450 (Kojima Chamber of Commerce and Industry)
Business hours: Varies by store
Parking: Private parking for 10 cars (free), Municipal parking (100 yen per hour)
Access (car): Approximately 10 minutes from Kojima IC on the Seto Chuo Expressway, or approximately 15 minutes from Mizushima IC
Access (public): 15 minutes on foot from JR Kojima Station. Or 5 minutes by bus (Kojima Cultural Center, Taisho Bridge, Nozaki Family Former Residence) *Bus stops vary depending on the route.
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