Denim from Okayama Prefecture is renowned around the world.
Among its producers, Ibara City is known as the “holy land of denim,” and as a production area for denim made using traditional dyeing methods.
Today, denim seems to have acquired an almost fixed social image, from luxury brands to fast fashion. It is probably not easy to view it in a different context and present new value to the world.
However, in Okayama Prefecture’s Ibara City, there is a company that continues to take on new challenges in the denim and fashion industries, which are often seen as conservative.
That company is Aoki Hifuku Co., Ltd.
We spoke with designer Aoki Toshiki, who rose to prominence with his own brand, FAGASSENT, about Aoki Hifuku’s challenges.
The information presented was current when this article was published in September 2025. Please note that it may differ from current information.
A denim company with more than 60 years in business: Aoki Hifuku
Aoki Hifuku Co., Ltd. (hereafter, “Aoki Hifuku”) is a denim factory based in Ibara City, Okayama Prefecture, manufacturing and selling apparel, primarily denim products.
Ibara City, in the southwestern part of Okayama Prefecture on the border with Hiroshima Prefecture, is a major producer of “Okayama denim,” alongside Kojima in Kurashiki City.
Ibara has accounted for as much as 70% of denim production nationwide, and its high-quality denim is highly regarded both in Japan and overseas.
The roots of Ibara’s textile industry date back to “Bicchu Kokura-ori” in the Edo period.
Denim production began when people noticed that indigo-dyed cotton cloth resembled American denim, and denim fabric began to be produced in earnest after the war.
Aoki Hifuku was founded in 1961 in Nishiebara-cho, Ibara City.
Its OEM (contract manufacturing for other brands) sewing factory was reportedly thriving.
In the 1970s, the company also expanded its own factories in Japan and overseas, growing into one of Japan’s leading denim factories and establishing its position in the apparel industry.
Its own brand, captivating celebrities with groundbreaking expression
In 2010, executive director and designer Aoki Toshiki launched the collection line FAGASSENT.
The collection debuted at the men’s fashion weeks in Paris and Milan, and its distinctive vision and designs earned high praise overseas.
With designs rooted in the brand’s philosophy and high functionality, the brand has won strong support from discerning stylists and artists with a talent for self-expression.
From the latter half of the 2010s, the brand also gained recognition in Japan and began creating stage costumes for artists such as Tsuyoshi Nagabuchi, Koshi Inaba (B’z), and Taka (ONE OK ROCK).
In sales, the company began operating retail stores in 2018. It now has five stores in Japan and overseas, including three in Kurashiki, as well as locations in Asakusa and Taipei, Taiwan.
New developments in denim production
In recent years, Aoki has actively pursued production projects through a variety of collaborations to expand the possibilities of denim.
Driven by an unwavering pride in denim, his activities span a wide range, but this article introduces three initiatives.
- Kurashiki Glamping SORANIA × AOKIHIFUKU
- [BLUE DRIVE] Fagassent × MINI Okayama
- [AOHARE] Ryobi Bus × KANKO × AOKIHIFUKU
Kurashiki Glamping SORANIA × AOKIHIFUKU
This glamping dome was produced in collaboration with OKAYAMA GLAMPING SORANIA, a glamping facility in Kurashiki City. Aoki took part in its creation as a supervisor.
It was named “PREMIUM DOME TENT AI—Indigo—” to bring its fantastical indigo world to life.
The result is a luxurious space that beautifully brings together two seemingly opposing qualities of denim’s indigo color: “splendor” and “tranquility.”
The ceiling panels depict the beautiful indigo of Okayama denim spreading across the skies of Okayama, the Land of Sunshine. The inspiration, it seems, came from the fleeting beauty seen in the indigo-dyeing process.
[BLUE DRIVE] FAGASSENT × MINI Okayama
“BLUE DRIVE” is a concept car created through a collaboration between MINI Okayama and FAGASSENT.
The car’s exterior uses an original special material made by joining blue denim woven with silver thread by Kuroki Co. and black denim, then distressing it.
The interior uses PLAZMA LEATHER finished with indigo foil, skillfully creating a sense of glamour and luxury, as if light were shining from within.
The inspiration for BLUE DRIVE was reportedly the sight of a MINI speeding along the cobbled streets of London.
The contrast between the aggressive exterior, accentuating a sense of speed, and the luxurious indigo interior expresses a distinctive character worthy of the name BLUE DRIVE.
[AOHARE] Ryobi Bus × KANKO × AOKIHIFUKU
The “AOHARE bus” project, an SDGs art bus, was born from a collaboration among Ryobi Holdings Co., Ltd., KANKO GAKUSEIFUKU CO., LTD., and Aoki Hifuku.
The bus was decorated with denim and school uniforms under the theme of “the power of youth.” Aoki supervised the interior and exterior design.
At a workshop held as part of the project, children created artworks using denim and uniform fabric to decorate the bus interior, creating a world imbued with handmade messages.
The bus ceiling is decorated with denim sailor bows and school uniform buttons, making the imagined blue sky seem to come alive. One of the AOHARE bus’s unique features was that pressing the stop button played an announcement by a child inside the bus.
We spoke with Aoki Toshiki, executive director of Aoki Hifuku and designer of the company’s own brand.
Aoki Hifuku Co., Ltd. Information
| Organization Name | Aoki Hifuku Co., Ltd. |
|---|---|
| Industry | Apparel manufacturing and sales, primarily denim products |
| Representative | Representative Director Shigeru Aoki |
| Year Established | 1961 |
| Address | 501 Nishiebara-cho, Ibara City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Contact | 0866-62-1105 |
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