Clacking with your Japanese wooden clogs

11 Sep 2006 Category: Arts & Crafts, Fashion, Features, Japan

Clacking with your Japanese wooden clogs

Sometimes the busy streets of Tokyo are just too much for me, so I escape into the astonishingly quiet side-streets for taking a deep breath. The other day, I heard the sound of wooden clogs - or geta in Japanese - behind me: “cur-run-ko-ron, cur-run-ko-ron” - that is as close as I can get to discribing the wooden melody. The astonishing thing is, that this sound implies so much beauty, romance and fantasy for us Japanese… Without looking back I knew it had to be a girl beautifully wrapped in her Kimono making these clacking sounds. When she finally walked passed, I closed my eyes a little to travel to the gardens of Kyoto… Here is a little selection for you - choose, what suits your feet best.

Written by Ryoko
Translation by Mie Hashizume

Tsujiya Honten is a Japanese traditional footwear shop in Asakusa, the older part of Tokyo in the east. This shop has been established since 1912, the very beginning of the Taisho Period and currently two brothers and their families run the business. Everyone from Kabuki actors to housewifes, old and young - the shop deals with a wide variety of customers. Nobel-prize-winner writer Yasunari Kawabata and my revered, great writer Kafuu Nagai also used to buy their shoes here.


Asakusa in the early evening

Tsujiya Honten

The shopkeeper, a true-born Tokyoite (‘Edokko’) gave me an intersting presentation about the close relationship between the Edo Period and Japanese footwear. As for the business of Japanese traditional footwear, the custom of wearing geta and zori (Japanese flip-flops, so no “heels”) declined constantly until a few years ago, people started wearing them again with a new attitude and in new combinations. The Yukata - summer kimono - boom getting stronger every year, made lots of girls wear wooden shoes again. Young men also have come to enjoy geta and zori - with jeans and T-shirts.

This customer bought a pair of zori two years ago and came back to ask for a repair- service.

Edo, the Footwear Town

While they say that “people in Osaka love eating” (food culture) and “people in Kyoto love wearing kimono” (kimono culture), Tokyo remained a love for footwear. For Edo people shoes simply demonstrate their social status, so it is not surprising to find exclusive designs with precious details. For instance, they were particular about hanao - the thong of the sandal, the straight grain of the geta and especially in the images and patterns on them.

A lion carved into the wood, painted to enhance the 3D, comes with velvet thongs. Unfortunately, you cannot buy these geta, because they are too valuable for sale.

The nice thing about geta is, that they are not only good for walking, they even function as an object. Taking off your shoes at every entrance of a Japanese house or restaurant, the full picture skillfully painted on the geta gets revealed and leaves impressed faces of the ones watching, while you casually proceed to your seat.


color pattern with a very subtle kabuki-scene

Thong with a bird pattern

elegantly simple color coordination

Desin in mother-of-perl inlay. Coquettish.

This attitude of caring a lot about details has something to do with history as well. In the Edo Period countless ordinances were enacted. Those strict rules, in particular sumptuary laws regulated the lifestyle to anything from wearing clothes, to what to eat and where and how to live. You could say that the stricter those regulations got, the more sophisticated people’s feelings for the smallest details became.


Picture of a hawk

Ukiyoe wood block print is pasted to a pair of geta

There are so many different styles of geta - it is impossible to categorize them as one particular style of shoes, really.

The shopkeeper and a customer enjoying a little chat

a footwear- craftsman - his hand moved incredibly fast

…and his tools

numerous different models displayed in the shop’s showcase

Bright-colored thong!

Geta have been used since the dawn of time in Japan. Ta-geta - a particular model worn for working in the rice fields - were excavated from deepest layers of time - far older than the Yayoi Period.

Professional Geta


This is a replica of those Ta-geta, which has bee been unearthed in Toro remains.（From：Japan Footwear Museum）

Ooashi (large-seized ta-geta) - working geta for rice planting（From：Japan Footwear Museum）

Tachikomi (laver geta) - working geta for laver cultivation（From：Japan Footwear Museum）

Chakkiri-geta (Tea-cutting geta) - working geta for making tea（From：Japan Footwear Museum）

Lacquer-coated geta and front-covered geta appeared around the Edo-days, which were very useful in rain or snow (as we said before - it were the Tokyoites who were most inventive when it comes to footwear). At this point in time, only people in high positions were allowed to wear geta in the first place. It took until the Meiji Period to see common people enjoying these wonderful Japanese sandals. From the Meiji period to the early Showa period more than 90 percent of families had at least one pair of geta at home. However, now that the strict rules disappeared and geta were free for everyone to wear, the general lifestyle and conditions of roads changed, so that in fact people started wearing them less. The old game of the grass is always greener….

Geta from the Edo Period


Renshi-geta (two-support geta). The most popular geta. （From：Japan Footwear Museum）

Pockuri-geta. The name “Pockuri” came from the sound it makes while walking. （From：Japan Footwear Museum）

Nakaguri-geta. Street footwear for women at the end of Edo Period. （From：Japan Footwear Museum）

Hanaboh-geta. For strolling in the garden. （From：Japan Footwear Museum）

And even more to come….

Ippon-ba-geta (one-support geta). Yes, this is what the Japanese long-nose goblins called Tengu like to wear! It is supposed to be good for excercising your general balance.

Sigure-geta for rainy days.

Kado-geta, called Shamisen-geta at this shop.

Hooba-geta. You can change the supporting parts of this geta which is why these were often worn by poor students…

Geta for little boys

Geta for little girls

Now after all this history lesson, I have to confess, that it was a major lesson for myself… Originally being from Kyoto, I am ashamed to realize how little I know of Edo’s culture, especially when entering such a traditional shop like the Tsujiya Honten. Tremendously moved by the patience and knowledge of the people of this friendly shop, I want to say a big THANK YOU for passing on tales and facts about “good Japanese things” to all of us.

Now, why don’t YOU try clacking around in geta sometimes? There are even more to look at on our Flickr Gallery

28 Comments

  1. what a wicked, interesting lil artcile… beautiful!
    d

    Posted by: Dave Twomey on September 11th, 2006 at 10:09 pm

  2. I get strange looks when I wear my geta to the market here in NYC [I'm not Japanese].

    Very nice feature and great images.

    Posted by: Silent K on September 11th, 2006 at 10:40 pm

  3. this is so cool, here in brazil we only got havaianas :)

    Posted by: victor b. on September 11th, 2006 at 10:58 pm

  4. very nice article. informative and pretty.

    Posted by: amiya on September 11th, 2006 at 11:51 pm

  5. I love my geta. There truly is something about the sound they make. Though, personally, I think it’s more like “klak-kurr. klak-kurr. klak-kurr”

    Also, it takes some geting used to. After the first time I wore them, it felt like I had a sever sunburn on the webbing between my toes.

    Posted by: Græme on September 12th, 2006 at 1:02 am

  6. damn. Spelled my website address wrong. Oops!

    Posted by: Græme on September 12th, 2006 at 1:03 am

  7. fantastic article! you meant to say that asakusa is on the EAST side of tokyo …

    Posted by: mike on September 12th, 2006 at 2:25 am

  8. The ippon-ba-geta looks scary to walk in XD.

    Interesting article.

    Posted by: DeuS on September 12th, 2006 at 2:33 am

  9. yet again delightful article!
    Just arrived a month ago from Japan and it was precisley stuff like this that thrilled me most . Not the ubiquous technology but the way tradition is so well blened with everyone and present all the times! I personally can’t find that kind of feeling elsewhere in Europe, much less on the States. I can’t even find that feeling in a such-a-traditional-european-country like Portugal where i’m from! Just lovely.

    Posted by: pricca on September 12th, 2006 at 11:41 am

  10. argh….. east, west….. I meant “right” ;-)

    Posted by: Uleshka on September 12th, 2006 at 2:42 pm

  11. Great designs. I would love to buy few geta for my footwear collection.

    Posted by: Paavani on September 12th, 2006 at 3:06 pm

  12. Aren’t these slippers risky to wear in smooth surface, as anyone can slip…
    Anyhow, they are very different pieces in world :)

    Posted by: disha on September 12th, 2006 at 3:25 pm

  13. Aren’t these risky in rain and smooth surface…
    Anyhow they are very different pieces in world

    Posted by: disha on September 12th, 2006 at 3:27 pm

  14. What a wonderful article! I’m bookmarking it!

    I had a pair of geta which I thought fashionable with my jeans…but I kept twisting my ankle. Ouch! It does take practice to walk in them! Finally gave them away.

    Posted by: pat on September 12th, 2006 at 7:32 pm

  15. very clear explanation about the Japanese traditional footwear … thanks.

    Posted by: Balakumar Muthu on September 12th, 2006 at 9:14 pm

  16. Another fantastic article - I’m off to buy some clogs for everyone I know right now…

    Posted by: paul jason on September 13th, 2006 at 4:31 pm

  17. [...] I forget how I ended up at this article, but it is fascinating none-the-less. There is an interesting article about geta, a style of traditional japanese footwear at Pingmag. All that is left is to figure out where to buy a pair. [...]

    Posted by: iconolith » Blog Archive » Geta on September 14th, 2006 at 1:57 am

  18. [...] ** A more female shoe form (?) are may be japanese geta, which have already a berlinized analog. [...]

    Posted by: randform » Blog Archive » signs of fashion on September 14th, 2006 at 4:45 pm

  19. [...] Bridge Part 2 Redefining myself into something a lil bit geek-ier   Sep 11th 2006 Geta Posted in General | P9020082.JPG Originally uploaded by pingmag. I know I love themthe first time I saw them. Popularity: 3% [...]

    Posted by: Lust::Geek Building The Bridge Part 2 » Geta on September 15th, 2006 at 3:23 pm

  20. I’d like to thank you for this article. I own 7 pairs of geta and I have to say I appreciate this. It gives credit to footwear few people know anything about.

    Posted by: lorenzosama on September 16th, 2006 at 7:46 pm

  21. Very accurate and informative article. I’ve been to that shop in Asakusa, nice place, nice people. I’ve got couple pairs of geta and wear them around town (Cape Cod). The one tooth variety look harder than they actually are. The tricky part isn’t walking, it’s standing in one spot.

    Posted by: Geta Man on September 24th, 2006 at 10:50 am

  22. This is a really good article . I have just got a pair and can walk in them reasonably, but I need a bit more practice before I can walk in them perfectly!

    Posted by: Jack the Lass on October 22nd, 2006 at 8:19 pm

  23. [...] pingmag and The Metropolitan [...]

    Posted by: stone snow - muse on January 31st, 2007 at 1:29 am

  24. What an awesome post! A few years ago Kateigaho International Edition had written a piece on the revival of men’s kimono fashion using some footwear from Tsujiya Honten. And exactly as you said it, I am looking to shop from them for some new seta to go with summer yukata!

    Posted by: Ben on May 10th, 2007 at 2:26 pm

  25. shit…now I really want a geta!

    Posted by: nwl on November 7th, 2007 at 10:48 pm

  26. wow

    Posted by: emily on April 7th, 2008 at 4:28 pm

  27. Excellent. As an aspiring illustrator this article was really inspirational. Thank you Ping Mag. I love your site. :)

    Posted by: bursa evden eve nakliyat on March 31st, 2009 at 7:01 pm

  28. I have made 2 Geta. 1 regular and 1 Ippon-ba-geta. I love to wear both. I live in a rural area and I like the looks peple give me.

    Posted by: rus on July 18th, 2009 at 3:23 am

  • Share and Enjoy:
  • del.icio.us
  • digg
  • Fark
  • NewsVine
  • RawSugar
  • Reddit
  • YahooMyWeb
Previously on PingMag