Traditional craft
Gyoda Tabi
行田足袋
Cotton split-toe tabi socks from Gyoda in Saitama, the town that became Japan's biggest tabi maker.
Key facts
- Officially recognised
- 20 November 2019
- Type
- Other textile crafts
- Region
- Kanto
- Official name in Japanese
- 行田足袋
- Official area (in Japanese)
- 行田市
The sock that goes with kimono
Tabi are split-toe socks worn with kimono and sandals. Gyoda in Saitama has made them for centuries, in cotton with small metal clasps called kohaze, of brass or aluminium, that fasten at the ankle.
Sewn in three dimensions
- Tsuma-nui: the toe top and sole are sewn together with a gentle swell, so the toes sit comfortably.
- Mawashi: the rest of the top and sole are joined, holding the outer and lining fabric in place with the fingertips so nothing shifts.
- Finishing: the tabi is turned right side out with special rods, then shaped on a stand with a spatula and wooden mallet.
Japan's tabi capital
Gyoda tabi were known as a local speciality from the mid-Edo period and were shipped to Edo and the Tohoku region. When sewing machines arrived in the late Meiji period, output grew and Gyoda became the largest tabi producer in Japan. The craft was designated on 20 November 2019.
Good to know
- Tabi make a practical souvenir; bring your shoe size, as tabi are sold by foot length in centimetres.
- Gyoda's old tabi storehouses are a Japan Heritage story; read Gyoda, the town of tabi storehouses before you go.
Questions travellers ask
What are kohaze?
The small brass or aluminium clasps that fasten tabi at the ankle.
Why did Gyoda become the tabi capital?
After sewing machines arrived in the late Meiji period, its output grew to the largest in Japan.
Where it comes from
More crafts from the same area
Heritage stories from the same area
Sources
We checked the facts on this page against these sources.