Hisao Manabe

CEO, Japan Blue

Hisao Manabe was born in 1954 In Kurashiki-City, the famous ‘Denim City’ in Japan. He started his career as a government worker of Kurashiki-City. He entered a textile company when he was 31 and fell in love with a traditional Japanese indigo dyeing method, Ai-zome. After mastering the technique, he founded a denim textile company, ‘Collect’, in 1992. The superb quality of its textile was internationally recognized. In 1996 he founded Rampu-ya’. In 2006, the company launched the famous ‘Momotaro Jeans’. In 2010 ‘Japan Blue Jeans’ was launched for the international market. In 2013 Hisao Manabe was elected as the vice-president of Kojima Chamber of Commerce. In 2014, the group companies were integrated as Japan Blue Co.Ltd. Mr Manabe is also known as an indigo artist has been invited to participate in various exhibitions.

Abstract

2nd keynote address: A personal history of Japan Blue

Among the high-quality Japanese denim makers, Japan Blue Co. Ltd., situated in the centre of the famous ‘Kojima’ denim cluster in Okayama, is considered one of the best. The owner and CEO, Hisao Manabe (The Indigo King of Japan) talks about his life as unique and beautiful as its denim products, Japan Blue's international strategy and future prospect, and what Japanese denim artisans can contribute to the global denim stage. Hisao Manabe has also been a key person of various denim related town revitalizing projects of the Kojima area, such as ‘Kojima Jeans Street’ and ‘Kojima International Art Festival.