Tourism in Japan : The Japanese socks Museum 足袋の博物館

Tabi museum - Tabi that It still make with German sewing machines -

※Tabi is Japanese socks
It is a Japanese shoes(Tabi) that was used actively from the late Edo period to the beginning of Showa era. I have never seen any Tabi for a long time. When wearing kimonos, it is necessary footwear. Footwear suitable for Waraji and Geta only needed Tabi.
※ Waraji is footwear made of straw.
※ Geta is footwear made of wood.

In the history of Gyoda's Tabi, there is a legend that Kameya began making Tabi from 1684' to 1688'. Fukiage village has been introduced to the road guide "Tokai, Kiso, An illustration of Road" in 1765', and it is written as "Tabi is Walk quietly specialties" here. An illustration of Road is a travel guide book in modern times.
From 1886' (Meiji 20) the production of Tabi has been changed from handmade to sewing machines. This resulted in mass production and became footwear to be used by more people. There were 27 eaves who make deal of Tabi in the city of Gyoda. Along with that, a lot of workers specializing in Tabi called Tabi craftsmen was working. In the early Showa period(about 1930'), Tabi not familiar with western footwear, Tabi were no longer used along with the demand for clothes. In the museum It made Tabi with German sewing machine that It used in the late Meiji period and thy sell Tabi now too. There are also colorful Tabi which arranged contemporary.
※ Obi is a long Belt worn in Japanese clothing.
※ Short sleeve is a slightly small Japanese clothing

※ See Google Maps location → here.

The museum I visited was an old socks(Tabi) plant. When I said that the owner of the former factory will stop producing the socks, it bought this place was people who liked socks. Now, the only one who makes socks is the old man. In Gyoda-shi, which is said to be a famous place of Tabi, this museum and several factories are only making Tabi. The management of museum whole suffer from difficult conditions. There seem to be receiving assistance from people in the city.

I have grown up and have never wear a kimono. I do not wear Tabi. Tabi is a living fossil for me.

足袋の博物館　- 今もドイツのミシンで作る足袋 -
江戸後期から昭和初頭にかけて盛んに使用された履物です。現代では身の回りで見ることはありませんが、着物を着る際には欠かすことができない履物です。
足袋は日本独特の履物として発展していたようですが、草鞋や下駄に添える足の袋は足袋しかないのでしょう。
行田の足袋の歴史では1684～1688年に亀屋が足袋作りを始めたとの言い伝えがあります。1765年の道中案内「東海、木曽、両道中懐宝図鑑」に吹上村が紹介されており、ここに「忍のさし足袋名産なり」と記されています。道中案内とは現代で言う旅行ガイドブックです。
1886年(明治20年)頃から足袋の生産が手作りから機械のミシンに変わりました。このことが量産に繋がりより多くの人に使われる履物になったのです。ここ行田の街には足袋を商いとする生産業者27軒ありました。それに伴って足袋職人と言われる足袋専門の職人も多く搬出していました。昭和初期に、西洋の履物、靴に馴染まなかった足袋は、洋服の発展と共に使用されなくなりました。
博物館では明治後期に使用したドイツ製のミシンで足袋を作り、今も販売しています。現代風にアレンジした色鮮やかな足袋もあります。