Kojima Jeans

I did not plan to be in Kojima, but here I am visiting friends.

When one reaches Kojima by train, as I did when I returned from Okayama this afternoon, it is difficult to miss the message. Kojima wants to be known for its fine denim.

Here are some pictures I took in and around the Railway Station.

Another day, at the station, I saw this taxi waiting, an advertisment for one of the brands, I imagine.

And this board has a story.

Kojima Shopping Street used to be the shopping hub in Kojima, with shops on the ground floor and homes above the shops where the shop owners lived. A move to bring shops closer to “town” brought most of the shops out of the street and closer to Kojima Station, leaving Kojima Shopping Street a ghost town. But with the city wanting to make Kojima the denim capital and all that, the street has been remodeled, and the empty shops are gradually being occupied by various denim brands. Of course, the street is now called Kojima Jeans Street.