Japanese Culture Working with Water
Anchoring the Body in Seaweed FarmingAt first glance, these do not look like footwear.They are wooden frames tied to hea...
Japanese Culture
Japanese Culture 
Japanese Culture Not All Japanese Snow Is Powder
Subtitle: Climate Shapes the SoleWestern Japan: Walking on Wet SnowIn western Japan, snow is often wet and heavy.Tempera...
Japanese Culture Wearing Rice and Wearing Lacquer: Footwear and Social Hierarchy in Ancient Japan
What did people wear on their feet in ancient Japan?For many overseas readers, the image is simple: straw sandals. Rough...
Japanese Culture When Shoes Become Tools: The Straw Boots Used to Step on Hot Soybeans
Steam rises from freshly cooked soybeans.They are hot. Soft. Heavy.And someone must step into them.Not barefoot.Wearing ...
Japanese Culture Walking on the Land: How Japanese People Made Footwear from What Grew Around Them
Modern shoes are industrial products.Rubber is synthesized, foam is engineered, leather is globally traded, and design i...
Japanese Culture Waragutsu: Straw Boots for Snow and Survival
When Sandals Were Not EnoughIn much of Japan, straw sandals were sufficient for daily life. But in colder regions, espec...
Japanese Culture Before Rubber: Straw Sandals in Traditional Japan — For People and Horses
Walking on Straw: Life Before Modern ShoesBefore rubber soles and leather boots became common, everyday life in Japan de...
Japanese Culture The Well of Authority: Water at the Heart of Edo-period Governance
IntroductionIn many countries, a well is simply a source of water.In Japan, however, water often carries something more ...
Japanese Culture Kanro Soy Sauce: A Traditional Taste from Yanai, Japan
Yanai is a small historic town in western Japan.It is known for its preserved streets and traditional culture.One of its...
Japanese Culture From Wood to Sake
A quiet journey through traditional sake brewing1. Wood Before Steel(Tradition before efficiency)Long before stainless s...