Another factor that makes brands like Momotaro Jeans idiosyncratic – and expensive – is the use of very noisy old shuttle-weaving machines, which have only a quarter of the output of the latest factory looms.
They often break down, but the only people who know how to repair the machines are in their 70s or older, according to Shigeru Uchida, a weaving craftsman at Momotaro.
The brand uses a handful of shuttle looms made in the 1980s by a company owned by Toyota.
“There are only a few of them in Japan now” because they are no longer made, the 78-year-old Uchida said, walking back and forth between the machines to detect unusual sounds that could signal a breakdown.
Despite the complexities, he says their fabric makes it worth it.
“The texture is very smooth to the touch… and when made into jeans, it lasts quite a long time,” Uchida said.
Suzuki says Momotaro Jeans is a “sustainable” choice because “no matter when you bring it to us, we will take responsibility for fixing it”.
“When people spend a lot of time in their jeans, the path of their life is left on the clothes”, depending on how they wear or wash them and even where they live, Suzuki said.
“We want to preserve such a mark as long as possible.”
Source: CNA
