When you think of Kojima, Kurashiki City, you think of “the holy land of jeans.”
“THE DENiM,” which made a comeback last year (2023) after a four-year hiatus, was held again this year (2024).
I went to the fashion event on April 27, the day it was held. It had expanded and powered up, with more vendors than before.
This annual festival offers jeans from Kojima brands, beloved by denim fans around the world, at bargain prices.
The information presented here was accurate when this article was published in May 2024. Please note that it may differ from current information.
What is “THE DENiM 2024”?
“THE DENiM 2024” is one of Japan’s largest denim events.
It is one of the events at “2024 Spring Kojima Festival #Seni-sai,” held in Kojima on April 27 and 28, 2024.
The festival has three venues: the area around Kojima Station, the Sanpakuichi area, and the Kojima Jeans Street area. “THE DENiM 2024” is held in the Kojima Jeans Street area.
On April 27, the day I visited, street performances and a kendama performance show from 11:00 to 11:40 a.m. enlivened the venue.
A BINGO tournament was also held at 1 p.m. on both the 27th and 28th.
There were plenty of prizes, including jeans, denim accessories, and bags.
▼See the images below for details about the vendors and more.
The event runs for two days
“THE DENiM 2024” is held at the lawn plaza of Kojima Civic Exchange Center.
The event hours are as follows:
- Saturday, April 27: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Sunday, April 28: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The weather was unfortunately poor on April 27, the day I covered the event, but the venue was bustling with people, as it was also the first day of Golden Week.
The nearest parking is the municipal parking lot (paid), and there were many cars with license plates from outside the prefecture.
I saw many families and foreign visitors among the attendees.
At the event venue set up on the lawn plaza, each brand and shop had its own booth in a tent.
Get famous Kojima-brand jeans at bargain prices
The booths with lines were those of “Momotaro Jeans” and “JAPAN BULE JEANS”—a testament to their popularity.
I was surprised when I peeked inside the booths with lines: the prices.
These world-famous, popular brands were selling their products for less than half price.
No wonder people came from outside the prefecture, too.
“What? Momotaro Jeans for 10,000 yen?”
I thought I must have read it wrong.
That’s cheap!
Payment was cash only, and returns and size exchanges were not accepted.
Each booth also had a fitting room (changing room).
A great selection of leather goods, accessories, hats, and more
Since it’s a denim event, it’s easy to focus on the jeans, but don’t overlook the other products.
The booths selling leather goods, bags, hats, T-shirts, biker gear, and more were also bustling with visitors.
They were even selling fabric by itself.
High-quality leather goods were also on sale at affordable prices.
The American-style booth entrance really suited this fashion event.
Denim bags were all priced at 2,000 yen before tax. What’s more, each was one of a kind, with no two alike.
With this much work put into them, isn’t 2,000 yen a bargain?
Cute little denim and fabric pouches and other accessories caught the attention of female visitors.
Denim straps were 500 yen each from the capsule toy machine.
You can finish making them yourself.
There’s more than just shopping
After walking around the booths for a while, you’re bound to get a little tired.
The kids start getting bored, too.
In addition to shopping, the festival entertained visitors with street performers, a kendama performance show, a BINGO tournament, and more.
There was also “Walk Across! on the Exchange Center,” which allowed visitors to climb to the roof of the Exchange Building for a limited time and take in a panoramic view of the venue.
Visitors could climb to the roof of the Exchange Building at Kojima Civic Exchange Center.
The dome-shaped stairs were a little unsteady.
The activity would have been canceled in rainy weather, but the rain stopped a few hours beforehand, so we were able to climb to the roof of the Exchange Building.
Incidentally, the jeans in the photo are the author's Momotaro Jeans.
Wearing jeans to a jeans event is part of the fun of taking part.
The venue as seen from the roof.
The municipal parking lot is in the distance.
Get caught up in shopping and you'll work up an appetite
I'm sure I'm not the only one who has been so absorbed in shopping and events that, after walking around, I suddenly realized it was already past noon.
Naturally, you start to get hungry, too.
The food booths offered Okayama specialties such as “Tsuyama Hormone Udon,” “Bizen Black Beef Skewers,” and “Momotaro Fried Chicken,” as well as sweets and coffee, so there was no need to worry about finding a place to rest or have lunch.
Kota Chinese Noodles, which has a shop in Kojima, also had a booth.
The restaurant is popular enough to draw lines, and the booth was busy with customers, too.
Since I was there, and was really hungry, I decided to have ramen for lunch.
It tasted just like it does at the restaurant, and the combination of soy sauce and pork-bone broth with seafood and thin noodles was excellent.
From the Writer
By the way, I wondered what the difference was between “denim” and “jeans,” and looked it up. Apparently, “denim” refers to the fabric, while “jeans” refers to the finished product (a type of pants).
However, there doesn't seem to be a clear-cut definition.
Considering that, with fabric for sale as well as denim bags and accessories, “THE DENiM” is indeed the most fitting name for the event.
Visitors included people of all ages and genders, from both inside and outside the prefecture, as well as from overseas.
The “one of Japan's largest denim events” in Kojima, Kurashiki City, may soon become “one of the world's largest denim events.”
The event is held once a year, but most of the brands that had booths this time can be found on Kojima Jeans Street.
Why not visit the “holy land of jeans”?
THE DENiM 2024 Information
| Name | THE DENiM 2024 |
|---|---|
| Dates | April 27, 2024 (Saturday), 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. April 28, 2024 (Sunday), 9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. |
| Location | Kojima Civic Exchange Center Lawn, 2-2-38 Ajino, Kojima, Kurashiki City |
| Admission (tax included) | Free |
| Website | THE DENiM 2024 |
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