YAMANE (EVISU Lineage) Lot 1926 Kintarō and Carp Embroidered Jeans, Early-to-Mid 2000s, Tagged 31 × 31

Kintarō, the Golden Boy of Japanese folklore, crouches above a rocky waterfall while carp surge through the foam below, embroidered with sukajan density down the front thigh of these YAMANE Lot 1926 jeans. A large smiling face fills the left back pocket, giving the dark-indigo pair a second, wittier personality from behind.

The Piece

This pair of YAMANE Lot 1926 jeans combines dark indigo denim and classic five-pocket workwear construction with an elaborate folklore scene extending across the front left thigh. The embroidery depicts Kintarō, Japan’s legendary “Golden Boy”, crouching above a rocky waterfall with his characteristic axe while powerful carp surge through foaming water below. Worked in coral red, black, yellow, turquoise, silver-grey, pale green and gold-toned thread, the composition has the scale and density of sukajan embroidery translated onto heavyweight denim.

From a distance the jeans read as richly aged dark indigo with restrained fading; up close the embroidery opens into a miniature narrative. The upper body is mostly undecorated, leaving the denim’s natural whiskering, vertical grain and tonal movement visible, and the scene begins below the front pocket and travels from the upper thigh toward the knee in a strong asymmetrical composition. The child hero’s vermilion complexion and striped apron supply the brightest color, while the lower section shifts into cooler aquatic shades: silver and charcoal carp emerge through turquoise water among reeds, foam and rock formations, with gold-toned fins and vegetation catching the light against the deep blue ground.

Kintarō is traditionally shown with a ruddy or vermilion body, a patterned apron and a large axe, and one of his most celebrated narratives places him beside, riding or wrestling an enormous carp near a waterfall. Historic versions survive in major museum collections, including a nineteenth-century Kintaro with Carp at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and a British Museum diptych of the strong boy wrestling a giant carp at the base of a waterfall. Here the confrontation is arranged vertically, Kintarō on the rocky summit and the carp rising below, drawing together themes of exceptional strength, spirited determination and the struggle to overcome powerful natural forces. It is a complete pictorial embroidery rather than a small logo, placing the jeans in the visual universe of sukajan jackets, wagara workwear and tattoo-influenced denim.

The reverse has an entirely different personality. The left back pocket carries a large smiling face with rounded cheeks, prominent ears and pale blue-grey hair. The labels do not name the character, so it is presented as an auspicious or humorous YAMANE face motif rather than given an unsupported identity. The embroidery fills most of the pocket while preserving its curved shape and contrast stitching, an unusual placement that departs from the painted seagull or oversized Daicock-style pocket treatments associated with many EVISU-family jeans. A narrow red textile accent shows inside the upper edge of the opposite back pocket. Front folklore scene and rear portrait together let the garment change character with the viewing angle.

The fly closes with several individually decorated metal buttons rather than a zipper, and the hardware has darkened naturally in harmony with the worn indigo. The jeans themselves are branded YAMANE; Japanese retailers and vintage specialists frequently catalogue Lot 1926 garments within the broader EVISU/YAMANE collector category, reflecting the close design and market association between the names. The dark indigo keeps the pair surprisingly wearable, quiet and workwear-like from one side, with the Kintarō waterfall as the visual center from the other, and the embroidery has enough scale and narrative detail to stand as a collectible textile object on display.

Details

• Maker: YAMANE / ヤマネ, within the EVISU and YAMANE denim lineage
• Model: Lot 1926
• Era: Likely early-to-mid 2000s
• Origin: Made in China (interior woven label)
• Material: 100% cotton denim; multicolor embroidery thread; metal buttons and rivets
• Color: Dark indigo blue
• Size: 31 × 31 (tag)
• Measurements: Waist laid flat 40 cm / 15.7 in · Approx. waist circumference 80 cm / 31.5 in · Front rise 30 cm / 11.8 in · Inseam 70 cm / 27.6 in · Total length / outseam 100 cm / 39.4 in
• Construction: Five-pocket: two curved front pockets, small coin pocket, two rear patch pockets; reinforced belt loops; metal rivets; multi-button fly; contrast copper-orange stitching; V-shaped rear yoke; large branded waist patch
• Silhouette: Regular upper block with legs previously shortened and tapered
• Style: Japanese amekaji, embroidered denim, folklore streetwear; unisex

Condition

• Good pre-owned vintage condition with visible wear, natural fading and a previous alteration to the legs.
• Natural whiskering and fading across the upper thighs, with visible fading around the lap, front pockets, knees, seat and seam edges; soft vertical and horizontal tonal variation and creasing from wear and storage, the lower legs comparatively even and dark.
• Mild abrasion around pocket edges and seams; wear and loose fibers around selected belt loops; fraying around the buttonhole and fly area.
• Natural oxidation and darkening to the hardware and surface wear to the rear waist patch.
• Minor loose or raised embroidery threads and light rubbing across portions of the carp and foliage embroidery; softening around the back pockets and seat.
• Legs previously shortened and tapered, with visible alteration at the hems.
• The Kintarō, carp and rear-pocket face embroidery remain visually strong and substantially intact, their colors keeping excellent contrast against the indigo.
• No major open tear or large structural loss is visible in the photographed areas.

Fit and Alteration

Originally tagged 31 × 31, the pair appears to have been previously shortened and tapered into a cleaner contemporary silhouette. The present inseam of approximately 70 cm / 27.6 in is significantly shorter than the original 31-inch tagged length, so the actual measurements take precedence over the tag.

The tagged 31-inch waist remains broadly consistent with the photographed measurement. The upper block has a classic amekaji profile with a substantial rise and comfortable room through the seat and thigh, while the adjusted lower legs give a more tapered finish. The pair may suit someone who normally wears approximately W30–31 and prefers a cropped or ankle-length line; fit will vary with body shape and where the waistband is worn. The altered length can be used deliberately to show boots, patterned socks or high-top footwear, and pairs well with plain tees, loopwheel sweatshirts, sukajan, chore coats, leather or military outerwear and engineer boots.

Dating Notes

This Lan Kwai Fong and Made in China YAMANE label configuration was already being discussed by denim collectors in 2006. That documentation supports an early-to-mid-2000s attribution for the line, although it does not establish the production year of this individual pair.

The Lot 1926 designation, Lan Kwai Fong patch, multi-button fly, oversized embroidery and dark-indigo finish are consistent with surviving YAMANE examples from the period when YAMANE and EVISU-related denim expanded beyond minimalist heritage reproductions into elaborate embroidery, humorous character work and regionally distributed fashion lines. The most responsible attribution is therefore vintage-era YAMANE Lot 1926, likely early-to-mid 2000s.

Authenticity & Care

The rear patch reads “YAMANE Sophisticated Urban Genes, No. 13 Lan Kwai Fong, Central, Hong Kong, Lot 1926, Size 31 × 31”, and the interior label repeats the size and states 100% cotton, Made in China; no claim of Japanese manufacture is made. Every piece is examined and documented in Japan before dispatch and is offered with the Japonista authenticity guarantee.

Delivery from Japan

Packed by hand in Japan and shipped insured and tracked by EMS or an equivalent express service. Import duties and taxes, where applicable, are payable on arrival. Returns follow our published policy.

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