Waraji

() are light tie-on sandals, made from (usually straw) ropemaking fibers, that were the standard footwear of the common people in Japan.

Use

resemble other forms of traditional Japanese footwear, such as zori and geta, with a few key differences. They were historically the simplest form of outdoor footwear (sandals of any type were not worn indoors). , due to their cheap and rustic nature, are considered to be a very informal type of footwear, and are not worn with formal kimono. They are typically not worn with socks, and are woven so that the wearer's toes generally protrude slightly over the edge of the shoe.

were once common footwear in Japan. There are records of in the Heian period (794–1185 CE), with the possibility of having existed before this time. In the Edo period (1603–1867 CE), geta were worn in cities, but anyone making a long journey wore . (sponsored article) They were also worn for energetic or prolonged labour. Their light weight and grip were valued.

In modern-day Japan, are worn by Buddhist monks, and by some fishers of mountain streams. Zori and geta are worn far more commonly by the general population.

Construction

File:Home Made Shoes in Japan (1914-09 by Elstner Hilton) (borders cropped).jpg, were traditionally made in the home, as shown here (September 1914). Note twine warp, held between hands and toes, and loose-fiber weft, to his right.
File:Zori sandals instructions.jpg, Pictorial instructions on how to weave zōri (similar to ) in Hida Minzoku Mura Folk Village; most Japanese no longer regularly make .
File:大祭 人足衆 草履 (3521710144) (cropped).jpg, These rough festival zōri were made like the instructions, but the straps were wrapped in fabric before they are twisted together.

In constant use, rice-straw only last three or four days, or roughly 24 hours of active use and so people would have to make about a hundred pairs a year, on average, if they wore them constantly. As could be homemade from cheap materials, and many people learned how to make them in childhood, that was not a problem. could also be cheaply bought. Travellers carried a supply and discarded them when they were worn out.

Materials

File:Waraji on tatami.jpg, woven entirely from rice straw (somewhat finer straw, and more tightly packed, than the festival zori above)
File:Waraji 1.JPG, with two different-coloured fibers for the warp and weft. Side loops are made from the outer warps of the opposite side; each is woven as a weft across, made into a side loop, and woven back again, trapping the loop
File:Kuro-Shozoku-Ninja-Costume-at-Iga-Ninja-Museum (cropped to waraji).png, Finely-woven from a museum exhibit at the Ninja Museum of Igaryu, showing multiple fibers, indigo dye, and loops secured with whipping

Rice straw is the common and traditional material for weaving . Long straw (not broken by the processing methods) must be beaten to soften the fibers before use. Most other ropemaking fibers can also be used, such as cotton, hemp, palm fibers, or even strips of rag. The straps of the might be covered, often with paper. Cardboard soles are used on some modern commercial designs.

Tying

File:Kyoto Gion Matsuri J09 130.jpg, These are made as in the instructions above, but two small loops are woven on each side (instead of one big foot-crossing loop), and the leftover-warp loops at the heel are retained. A separate rope is then woven through these loops to attach the to the foot.
File:Kyoto Gion Matsuri J09 129.jpg, A method of tying the without a fastening around the ankle. (Gion Matsuri, 2009)
File:Jidai Matsuri 2009 466.jpg, Another more complex tying variation; the leftover heel loops are drawn through the rear set of side loops, with a separate piece of rope threaded between them. (Jidai Matsuri, 2009)
File:20111023 Jidai 0012 (cropped to first pair of waraji).jpg, Another tying variation, worn over

There are a number of different ways of tying straps; even historically, there was no standardised method of attaching the shoes to one's feet.

Ceremonial use

File:Waraji by mrhayata in Kyoto.jpg, hung as offerings in Kyoto
File:Waraji-1.jpg, A giant in Asakusa Temple, Tokyo
File:Gyoja wearing a renge-gasa.jpg, A pilgrim performing laces over , 1954
File:Waraji on Hiei Mountain, next to Enryaku-ji Kyōin.jpg, The worn-out of monks who have completed the , 2009
File:Nakiri-jinja(Mie) 08.JPG, An is carried into the sea at a festival, Nakiri-jinja, 2006
File:金網 (5581030058).jpg, straw- and rag-woven sandals hung as offerings

Traditionally, were donated to temples as offerings for healthy feet and protection on journeys. This practice, while now less common, is still followed. More modernly, giant () kept in temples are touched as a charm for tireless endurance in walking.

See also

*Geta, traditional Japanese wooden clogs
*Zori, traditional Japanese sandals
*, traditional Japanese wooden platform clogs
*, traditional Japanese split-toe socks
*, traditional Japanese split-toe workboots
*Bast shoe, similar Northern European shoe
* Huarache (shoe), traditional Mexican sandals constructed from woven strips of leather

Notes

References

External links

{{Japanese (samurai) weapons, armour and equipment

Sandals
Folk footwear
Samurai clothing
Japanese footwear
Straw objects
Weaving
Japanese words and phrases