Harinawa Marche - A market event organized by an apparel brand. Enjoy carefully selected flavors at Momotaro Jeans Kojima Ajino Main Store.

Interview about the Commitment of Hare Niwa Marche

We spoke with the public relations representative of Japan Blue Co., Ltd. about the background that led to the establishment of Hare Niwa Marche.

We will introduce the background of how Hare Niwa Marche was born and what aspects it is committed to.

Background of the Marche

Why did an apparel shop start a marche event?

Representative

Momotaro Jeans Kojima Ajino Main Store was one of the first three stores established when Kojima Jeans Street was launched in 2010.

As a long-established apparel store on Kojima Jeans Street, we conceived a marche event that could attract not only tourists but also local residents to invigorate the community.

In 2021, Momotaro Jeans celebrated its 15th anniversary as a domestic jeans brand, and Momotaro Jeans Kojima Ajino Main Store underwent a major renovation and reopened.

At that time, we created a backyard so that it could be utilized as a community event space.

The founder Manabe's desire to contribute to the local community as a representative apparel store of Kojima is embedded in this initiative.

Who is inviting the vendors?

Representative

At Hare Niwa Marche, staff from Momotaro Jeans invite recommended restaurants and shops.

For example, the sweet potato shop Fukafuka Taiga is recommended by the manager of JAPAN BLUE JEANS Kojima Store, who is a huge fan of sweet potatoes and was eager to invite them to the marche event.

Additionally, Hige Ryohin offers curry rice made with curry roux from Naish Curry, which has a store in Kurashiki City.

Since Naish Curry also has a store in Kojima, it is no exaggeration to say that it is a favorite comfort food of the staff.

We invite our favorite restaurants and shops to participate in Hare Niwa Marche.

About the Workshops

Who is planning the workshops?

Representative

The content of the workshops is also conceived by the staff.

In past Hare Niwa Marches, we held a denim fabric weight guessing game.

Jeans are represented by the weight unit called ounce.

To compare based on the weight per area set as a standard, lighter fabrics are called "light ounce," while heavier fabrics may be referred to as "heavy ounce."

The staff's realization that "it's interesting to express fabric by weight" led to the creation of the weight guessing game.

Additionally, there are workshops born from the idea of utilizing leftover denim fabric, such as making Christmas wreaths to avoid waste.

In previous Hare Niwa Marches, we have conducted workshops related to jeans based on staff ideas.

Why was the workshop for stamping leather created?

Representative

Momotaro Jeans accepts custom orders for belts.

Tochigi Leather Co., Ltd. uses a leather called Tochigi Leather, which, like jeans, allows you to experience the texture that changes over time.

Although it is high-quality leather, custom belt production inevitably generates unnecessary scraps.

We planned a letter stamping event to utilize what would normally be discarded as waste and to enjoy the texture while touching the leather.

What characteristics does the leather have?

Representative

Tochigi Leather Co., Ltd. manufactures leather using a traditional tanning technique that employs a component called tannin.

There are two main types of methods for processing the "hide" obtained from cows into "leather" as a material, and leather is classified based on the processing method.

One method uses the metal chromium, which allows for efficient leather production.

Leather processed using chromium is called chrome leather, and it is said that 90% of the leather in circulation is chrome leather.

The other method uses plant-derived tannin, which is a labor-intensive traditional method.

Leather produced using tannin is called tannin leather.

In fact, chrome leather is difficult to appreciate the changes over time, and it is generally said that the enjoyment of the aging characteristics of leather products is found in tannin leather.

Although the tannin-based manufacturing method is inefficient, Tochigi Leather Co., Ltd. has been committed to traditional methods.

Now that older methods are being reevaluated, tannin leather is gaining popularity, especially among core fans.

Visiting the Marche Event Born from Artisan Spirit

Only carefully selected products are sold at Momotaro Jeans.

You can feel the commitment to the marche event through the highest quality ingredients used in hamburgers, unique dishes like chicken over rice, and a wide variety of sweet potatoes.

The staff invite their favorite stores and plan workshops where you can learn about clothing, and there is a reason behind each action.

The spirit of creating carefully selected products as a domestic jeans brand naturally reflects in Hare Niwa Marche.

During the holidays, visiting Kojima Jeans Street and enjoying not only domestic jeans but also the artisan spirit of the marche event is highly recommended!

We deliver selected articles from Kurashiki Tocotoco via LINE