history

For over half a century,
Bobson brand that have supported the development of the domestic denim.
History will support the best one from the standpoint of the people who wear sewing technology and skilled high commitment to cultivated
material.

1940
1950
1960
1970
1980
1990
2000
2010
2020

Much-anticipated home production finally begins,
starting out with a sewing factory fitted out with
just a few sewing machines.

The home factory begins by manufacturing thick cotton clothing such as work clothes,
for which the Kojima district of Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture is famous.The strong,
high quality clothes gain an excellent reputation and business gradually progresses.

1945: Yamao Brothers is established in Asahimachi, Kurashiki City,
Okayama Prefecture with a few powered sewing machines and a few employees.

1947: Used housing is purchased in Tamachi, Okayama City and used as a factory and housing.

1948: New factory offices are built at 31 Kamiuchimachi, Okayama City.
Sewing machines and other equipment are significantly upgraded. The number of employees is more than 20.

BOBSON's forerunner,
Yamao Clothing Industries Co., Ltd. is established.

The company uses the robust production technology it has accumulated through
the manufacture and sale of school uniforms and work uniforms to produce hit product U.S. Zubon.
The company goes on to develop the high quality and technological know-how that BOBSON is famous for.

1950: Toshiharu Ozaki establishes Yamao Clothing Industries Co., Ltd. as the predecessor to BOBSON.
The company starts the manufacture and sale of school uniforms and work uniforms under the Sakura Sanei brand.

1951: The company develops U.S. Zubon based on a motif of the trousers used at West Point,
U.S.A. (United States Army) and the product becomes a major hit.
The company expands its production facilities and develops the business throughout Japan.
The company begins to build the high quality foundations for the BOBSON brand of today.

1952: Sales representatives start to travel all over Japan selling products.

1953: The Nagoya Office is opened.

1955: The Head Office and factory relocates to Iwai,
Okayama City as part of a business expansion.
The number of operating sewing machines exceeds 100.

1957: The company becomes a designated factory for the production of Toray school uniforms.
It begins sales of school uniforms under license from Sakura Sanei.
The Nagoya Branch is established at Higashimanchou, Naka Ward, Nagoya City.

1958: Further product quality improvements are implemented and the company aims to become a JIS Mark-approved factory.

1959: The company’s outstanding quality is recognized and it starts exporting men’s trouser to the United States.

The company leaps towards the next generation
with a thoroughly implemented
"focus on quality"policy. BOBSON is born!

JIS Mark accreditation is obtained and the company is recognized by society for its "high quality"
through awards such as the No.1 Working Sales Award in Okayama Prefecture.
This provides a springboard for the company to start jeans production.

1960: The factory becomes a Japan Industrial Standard (JIS) approved factory.
The company receives recognition from the Minister of International Trade and Industry.

1964: Sales of NY WORKING are launched. The company posts the No.1 sales results in Okayama Prefecture.

1965: The Button Change school uniforms brand is developed (patented).
The idea is very well received and the company gains an excellent reputation as a result.

1969: An application for trademark registration has filed to the Japanese Patent Office December 15. The BOBSON brand is born.

The company starts the production and sale of jeans

A huge boom in jeans occurs in Japan along with the increasing popularity of American culture.
As a specialist jeans manufacturer, the company becomes a pioneer in jeans fashion.

1970: The company begins producing and selling jeans in anticipation of the arrival of the Big Wave of American casual fashion.

1971: The company makes full-scale investments in the jeans industry
in preparation for the jeans boom.
It transfers its school uniforms and work uniforms business
to a competitor and takes its first steps
as a specialist jeans manufacturer.

1972: Sales networks are established throughout Japan.
Sales divisions are set up across the country.
Bell-Bottom Jeans 550 becomes a major hit product.
Mini-Book is published to provide information on jeans fashion and young people’s culture.
The company becomes a dominant force as a pioneer during the catalog fashion boom.

1973: The company changes its name to BOBSON Co., Ltd.
Toshiharu Ozaki is appointed as the first president.
Several new factories are built, including the BOBSON Yoshida factory.
The company introduces an online computer system ahead of the times.

1974: The Basic Blue Jeans advertising campaign is held (TV commercials and magazine advertisements),
with filming carried out on the West Coast and Grand Canyon, United States. Sales of blue wash color variation jeans
Washout 10 are launched.
720 Color Slim, which responds to the demand for colored jeans, becomes a hit product.
Product number advertisements become a hot topic.

1975: National Radio Network program Sound Circle is broadcast.
The program has a big impact on young people and music culture.

1976: The company launches sales of ladies teens brand Thomaston.
Ryudo Uzaki and Down Town Boogie Woogie Band are hired to carry out
a nationwide radio-based sales campaign promoting jeans shops.

1977: The TOO-TOO brand is launched, targeting women.
A jeans advertisement in women’s magazine MORE targets young women
in a way that appeals to their sense of independence,
and this becomes a hot topic.

1978: The company concludes a license agreement with America Tobias Company. Launches Japanese sales of Angels Flight.
205 Bontan, which moves away from the basic style to create a loose silhouette, is a hit product.
Takaishi Tomoya & The Natasha Seven are hired for a sales campaign promoting corduroy, becoming a hot topic.
MUSIC IN U.S.A, a popular American TV music show featuring big artists, is broadcast in Japan.
This has a big impact on Japan’s music scene.

1979: A license agreement is concluded with local Taiwanese company JUMBO GARMENT CO., LTD.
Trademark license agreements for BOBSON brand Men's Shoes are concluded
with Toyo Tire & Rubber Co., Ltd. and Ayabe Toyo Rubber Co., Ltd.
A succession of different designer jeans appear on the market, and sales of Broadway are launched
in response to the boom in status symbol jeans. Beautiful jeans become a hot topic of conversation.

Towards a new Blue Huge new possibilities
for jeans are opened up.

Switch from American Blue to Japan Blue. New styles
and possibilities for jeans are opened up using BOBSON’s unique
sense of style and state-of-the-art technologies.

1980: The company launches exports of BOBSON jeans to Sweden.
A new BOBSON Head Office building, cutting center and product inspection center are opened.
The New Traditional and Hamatora booms help processed soft flare product Angels Flight become a big hit.

1982: The Overseas Business Division is established. Sales of BOBSON brand products
are launched in Malaysia after concluding a license agreement with a local Malaysian company.
Sales of BOBSON brand products are launched in Hong Kong and Thailand.
Despite a slump in the jeans market, OD Pants, a new casual city-style army pants product, becomes a major hit.

1983: MM-8 is launched as a casual line in ladies jeans, promising a more refined “jeans life.”

1985: BOBSON Yamaguchi Co., Ltd. is launched.
The new BOBSON Takuma Factory is completed.
Designs develop to include panel cut and pedal pusher products and 16oz Super Barrel Wash becomes popular
for the new expression created through its special wash process and crinkle denim.

1986: A license agreement is concluded with global designer Kenzo Takada.
Sales are launched of KENZO JEANS, which express a unique world view on denim materials
through a motif of natural colors and forms.

1987: Chemical wash jeans become a huge hit. The company launches sales of Super Wild Denim.
Toru Kazama, who worked as an exclusive model for men’s fashion magazine Men's Non-No,
is hired as an image character, attracting huge attention.

1988: The variation of ladies jeans is increased for different age targets through products
such as El Garfunkel and Thomaston.
29 With motor sports becoming increasingly popular among young people, the company sponsors
German racing team Real Racing Team at the Japanese F1 Grand Prix.
The company goes on to back up motor sports by supporting races such as the Saurus Cup.

1989: A license agreement is concluded with EV-VOUS, well-known for producing
a natural style loved by chic Parisians and Parisiennes.
SHIHAKU BOBSON Co., Ltd. is established as a local joint venture in China.
A factory which has been under construction in China for a long time is completed and begins operation.
The company offers self-selection sales locations at major stores to provide for a wide variety of body shapes,
and 5-pocketed European casual-style jeans Bobson Pro becomes a hit product.
The company supports Team Shinsuke, led by celebrity Shinsuke Shimada,
at the Suzuka 8 Hours motorcycle endurance race,
becoming a hot topic of conversation.

Beyond ordinary jeans Creating new value

The company comes up with jeans fashion concepts befitting of the BOBSON brand,
including the development of rayon materials
that overturn the accepted wisdom of jeans as a denim product, and new concept brands.
A succession of new hit products is developed.

1990: A ladies version of Bobson Pro is released, becoming a hit product.
Durable and fashionable Products are developed to cater to all age groups, from children through to adults,
including Boys & Girls jeans, which make full use of the advantages of denim, and MINI jeans for toddlers.
licenses agreement is concluded for the BOBSON brand with Thai company NEW PRETTY AUGUST CO., LTD.

1991: A license agreement is concluded with Italian company INVICTA,
and the company develops business in bag imports and sales and casual clothing manufacturing and sales.
The company launches sales of de France, a product that caters to
European casual-style tastes with a unique BOBSON style.
The company develops its men’s casual line and increases the variety of products such as West Point,
which uses chino material.

1992: Intertrad is launched with two lines catering to American and European traditional tastes,
with a unique BOBSON interpretation.
1950 is released as a limited edited jeans bearing the name of the year in which
the BOBSON business started based on a concept of "more original than the original."
A trademark license agreement is concluded with Okamoto Corporation to use the BOBSON brand on socks.
Magazine-type catalog book BOBSON STYLE-BOOK is launched.
The company launches sales of 04 (Zeroyon) Jeans,
a ladies rayon jeans product that completely overturns accepted wisdom.

1993: A men’s version of 04 (Zeroyon) Jeans is released.
The product becomes a huge hit thanks to its soft feel and comfort.
The company becomes an official sponsor of the Japanese professional soccer league (J-League) upon its inauguration.

1994: Earth Culture is launched as a collaborative brand with Adriano Goldschmied,
a globally-renowned Italian designer famous for his sensitive jeans designs.
A BOBSON trademark license agreement is concluded with South Korean company Han Ju Corporation.

1995: Sales of Japan’s first knitted fabric jeans 210jeans are launched.
The Quick Response System is launched to deliver the necessary items as promptly as possible.
A new logistics center begins operations and the center plays the main role in the Quick Response System.
The Shanghai Factory begins operations as a production base under the overseas strategy.

1997: With interest in the 1970s remix fashion trend on the rise,
Cattle Horn is launched to provide a new perspective on the blue jeans split.
British film star Ewan McGregor is hired for a promotion.

1999: Style-up Jeans is launched using special mannequins that emphasize the hipline, an industry first.
This attracts attention as a sales promotion technique.
Ultra-Wash is launched as a magazine tie-up product.
Original colors with a unique use of dyeing and washing becomes a hot topic among young people.

All Just Fit Towards an Era of
Beautiful Jeans Across the Generationsindividual.

The company develops jeans for every conceivable generation
and style with the aim of achieving a “just fit” fashion style for each and every individual.

2000: BOBSON ONLINE SHOP is launched as an internet-based online shop.
The company leads its competitors in constructing an online jeans ordering system.

2001: Queen’s Low is launched to target street-style trend items with a low-rise style concept.
The product gains an excellent reputation for its style, particularly at department stores.
PURE DENIM is released. As jeans become increasingly diverse,
as a jeans manufacturer the company decides to pursue the original fantastic qualities of jeans
and comes up with new products to meet this goal.

2003: The company opens a flagship store in Uraharajuku, offering the full range of the BOBSON brand.

2005: BOBSON GENOESE is released as a young men’s product that fully utilizes processing technology.
The brand has a major impact by using for its name a word that is thought to be one of the roots of the word "jeans."

2007: BOBSON GENOESE is released as a young men’s product that fully utilizes processing technology.
The brand has a major impact by using for its name a word that is thought to be one of the roots of the word "jeans."

2009: BOBSON Co., Ltd. is newly established by an investment fund.
The original BOBSON company changes its names to Peachfort Co., Ltd.
DOUBLE O is released as a jeans product for dancers that makes use of sports materials.

BOBSON'S 40th Anniversary Moving to the Next Stage
with a Spirit of Challenge

Establishment of BOBSON Holdings Co., Ltd. More Global
- Towards a New Zone BOBSON will continue to develop new possibilities
for casual jeans fashion in the years to come.

2010: A ceremony is held to mark the 60th Anniversary of the company's
establishment and the 40th Anniversary of the BOBSON brand.

2011: The fifth president from the founding Ozaki family Hiroshi Ozaki is
appointed as President of Peachfort Co., Ltd., which changes its name from BOBSON.

2012: The BOBSON brand is transferred from BOBSON Co., Ltd.
(which is established by an investment fund) to BOBSON Holdings Co., Ltd.,
which is established as a new company to manage the BOBSON trademark in Japan and overseas.
Hiroshi Ozaki is appointed as the first president of BOBSON Holdings Co., Ltd.,
and continues to hold the position of President of Peachfort Co., Ltd.

2013: A license agreement is concluded with JIINZU Inc., which is based in the Philippines.
NHK’s TOKYO FASHION EXPRESS program introduces BOBSON's
corporate activities in more than 130 countries around the world.

2014: The company comes up with Galapagos Jeans as an original Japanese jeans product.
It develops jeans that utilize towel material from Imabari,
Shikoku and Kurume kasuri fabric, the first time this has been achieved in Japan.

A license agreement is concluded with Kimuratan. In the autumn,
the company plans to open BOBSON shops around Japan and begin sales
of baby and children's clothing and miscellaneous items.
On April 10, BOBSON jeans are displayed as a main brand at the Japan Jeans Museum which opened in Kojima,
Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture.

2015: A sales dealership agreement is concluded with Kishi Universe Inc. ,which is based in the Japan.
A license agreement is concluded with Kiishihara Kogyo Co., Ltd. which is based in the male shoes field.

2016: Kishi Universe Inc. launch " WHEIR Bobson" collaborated with a young influential designer.
Bobson jeans start to be sold at Kuala Lumpur in Malaysian,

: JOURNAL STANDARD relume and BOBSON release collaboration denim

2017: We conclude a license agreement with belts and wallets company Marusho.co.,ltd.
We conclude a license agreement with furniture company SUE woodworks Inc.

: Men's Bigi Rattletrap and Bobson collaborate to launch their own products

: BESV BIKE and BOBSON collaborate to create their own products.

: MYSELF ABAHOUSE and BOBSON collaborate to release original wear

: BSFINE "Wearing Bedrock Bath" and Bobson collaborated to develop original products.

: Dwango and Bobson collaborate on the jeans "Compass" [Combat Providence Analysis System].

2018: The company becomes an official sponsor of professional table tennis team
Okayama Rivets in the table tennis league (T-League).

: Beams and Bobson collaborate on "Cross Heat", a warm clothes using carbon fiber.

: Beams and Bobson collaborated on「BEAMS ×BOBSON 」at < the International Gallery BEAMS >Beams flagship store, which gathered the best of trends around the world.

: Call & Response, Kyushu's largest men's casual shop, and Bobson collaborated.

2019: Bobson shoes shop opened in Chinese Hunan province.

: Bobson collaborates on the creation of BESV uniforms.

: Okamoto Shoten, the largest long-established store in Kurume Kasuri in Kyushu, and Bobson release Kurume Kasuri collaboration jeans。

Bobson global expansion accelerated. Bobson revived the 1970 fashion.

Classical jeans such as bell bottom style and chemical wash processing by Bobson are attracting attention.

2020: Bobson and SADO Co., Ltd. signed a licensing agreement for domestic belts and accessories.
Bobson started a support activity for the spread of large ball table tennis.

: JOURNAL STANDARD and BOBSON collaborated to release "BOBSON WORKERS".

: At the request of Sekisui House, Japan's largest house manufacturer, Bobson designs the NAGI Kurashiki Hotel & Lounge in denim.

2021: Bobson and Aylin Co., Ltd. signed a license agreement for underwear.
On December 21, 2021, the seventh BOBSON store in Shanghai LALASTATION opened.
Bobson long-standing bell-bottom style and chemically washed classical jeans are attracting attention.
Soft Athlete Co., Ltd. was established as a Bobson Group to support citizen sports.

2023: Bobson and Volley Co., Ltd. signed a license agreement for knitwear.

2024: Aiming to support the wide-area denim industry
Established Bobson New York Stars Co., Ltd.