Yes famous for the samurai, katanas, sushi, cherry blossom, tea, manga and taking shoes off at the door, but more than anything else right now among the jeans geeks, is the denim they produce.

Is it better?  Well we think so.

The denim immediately feels more substantial in the hands; the yarns seem to take the dyes better giving more depth of colour.

Their innovation within this sector of the market is pretty cool too.

Kantanmen meaning easy care cotton is the latest fabric from Kurabo, the denim is crease and shrink resistant. It even remains super soft after many washes.

In all the technologies used to create this denim is obsessive even by Japanese standards.

What counts most though is that we as consumers have noticed the difference and the bar has now risen across the world.