In 1972, the Japanese textile company Kurabo produced the first made-in-Japan selvedge denim fabric, marking a significant shift in the global denim industry. Japanese denim, known for its superior quality, attention to detail, and traditional manufacturing techniques, would later become highly prized by denim enthusiasts worldwide. This event established Japan as a major center of denim production and innovation.

The rise of Japanese selvedge denim represented a cultural exchange that poets interested in globalization and craftsmanship have explored. The meticulous production process of Japanese denim, which mirrors traditional textile arts, resonates with the themes of labor and materiality that appear in the poetry of the 1970s and beyond. The global spread of denim manufacturing also reflects the transnational movements that poets like Derek Walcott and Seamus Heaney have chronicled in their work.