駿河塗下駄 Suruga-nuri-geta Suruga Lacquered Wooden Clogs
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Suruga lacquered wooden clogs are traditional handicraft products made in Shizuoka Pref. In the Edo period, Shizuoka developed as the center of the Tokaido Road, where things in fashion in every part of the country were quickly introduced and so were foot ware. Making of lacquered wooden clogs dates back to the early Meiji period (around 1878), when a craftsmen, Kyujiro Honma, started to coat wooden clogs with lacquer. In the Taisho period (1912-1926), some craftsmen engaged in Suruga lacquer ware turned over to wooden clog making and gave various contrivances in their techniques. After the World War II, the demand for wooden clogs declined and wooden clogs became the articles of taste. Today, expensive products such as the ones with Makie (sprinkling of gold and silver) or hand-carved decoration or lacquered ones are popular. Shizuoka Pref. is now the top producer of high quality lacquered wooden clogs. This crafts is a fruitage of a fine tradition and craftsmen’s painstaking contrivance.
- address
- 9-22 Seikan-cho, Shizuoka, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan 420-0047
- name
- Shizuoka Nuri-geta Kogyo Kumiai
- phone
- 054-253-4917