The Story Of Our Indigo Denim : Toyota Production In Japan

Toyota founder Sakichi Toyoda was born in 1867 in Kosai city, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. As a teen he became interested in the hand loom used by local farm families and out of curiosity thought that he could find a way to improve it’s efficiency; something he hoped would be benefit craftsmen across his homeland.

Sakichi’s first patented invention was the Toyoda manually operated wooden hand loom in 1891. He was 24 years old.

In 1896, after explorations into automation, Japan’s first steel and wood power loom was perfected. However, this loom still used the bobbin to hold the weft meaning the loom had to be stopped to replenish.

Sakichi’s aspirations for even better efficiency led to the invention of the first shuttle-changing mechanism to automatically replenished the weft yarn without stopping the machine, producing the world’s first fully automatic loom; the Type T.

After World War I, Sakichi benefitted greatly from the economic climate and in 1918 with investments from friends and family, Toyoda Spining and Weaving Co Ltd was founded.

New inventions and commercial trials allowed big change and the Type G was soon born. This loom delivered the finest performance for both productivity and quality in the world and is still lauded today for its pivotal role in the history of Japan’s technological advancements.

Encouraged by the Japanese government (who needed domestic vehicles at the time helped develop the new business venture for the company), Sakichi instructed his son to investigate automobile production and gasoline-powered engines.  The rest (as they say) is history…

The authentic selvedge denim produced by the Toyoda machines is the best Japanese denim production in the industry and we are proud to manufacture on the same original looms across our indigo denim styles.