Straw sandals

草鞋 waraji

Straw sandals

Large straw sandals are offered at shrines for strong legs and safe travel; a pair stands for a journey and for walking through life together.

Everyday footwear from at least the 9th century; votive offering custom of long standing

Straw sandals were ordinary footwear for travel and labour from at least the 9th century until the 20th. People offered them at temples and shrines when praying for safe journeys and strong legs, which mattered for working people. The giant pair hanging at Sensō-ji's Hōzōmon in Asakusa was first given in 1941 by the town of Murayama (Yamagata) and has been remade about every ten years since 1964.

Giant waraji at temples and outside some old-style bars keep the custom visible.

Technique catalog · draft for review

Every way to wrap, carry and wear a furoshiki.

The furoshiki.com archive, sliced into annotated steps with plain directions, plus techniques found in research.