Yūki Geta

Yūki City in western Ibaraki lies off the Kinugawa river and is famous for manufacturing cultural handicrafts. Yūki "Tsumugi" silk is the most famous of these products. However "Geta" of Japanese clogs are also produced in Yūki.

Geta are traditional informal outdoor footwear consisting of a thong attached to a wooden platform with crosswise supports. Geta are usually worn with "Yukata". The wearing of Geta is said to trace back some 2,000 years. The basic shape has not changed for more than 1,500 years.

There are a number of Geta producers in Yūki and it is possible to go and watch them being made.

Geta are mostly made of "Kiri" wood (paulonia wood). The wood is cut into blocks, the size depending on whether the finished product is going to be for men's or women's geta. Women's geta are usually narrower and smaller than men's. The cutting of the wood is then called "Kidori". The wood is then piled in circles and left out in the rain for 120 days. This is done to season the wood and to remove any bad parts from the blocks. This process is called "Kansō."

After the weathering of the blocks, they are taken and shaved to standard size with a circular plane. The blocks are marked and then cut with a fret saw. A fret saw is a saw with a long narrow fine toothed blade that is used for cutting curved patterns on wood. One pair of geta are cit from one block. This ensures that no materials are wasted. This step is called "Kumidori".

The next step of the process is called "Shichibu". The cut geta are now placed in a machine that has four circular blades that are set to pre-determined measurements to finish off the bottom of the geta.

After this step, the sides of the geta need to be finished. The square sides of the geta have to be rounded off. This is called "Hanamawashi". This determines the shape of the geta. The geta are rounded off with the use of a circular plane.

The finishing touches include the boring of three holes, painting and or firing to add color to the geta. Lastly the thong part of the geta is threaded through the holes in the geta and fit to size. At first the geta are made a little tight but soon loosen to fit the foot of the wearer. After many years the foot print of the wearer is only worn into the wood.

There are many types of geta. There is the basic type, unpainted with two crosswise supports. There are fancier ones that are either smoke treated or painted with gloss. There are even some designed for the rainy season with a waterproof covering over the toes.

One interesting type of geta is the "Ipponha". This is a stilt type geta with only one support. It was popular with the "Yamabushi" or mountain priests. It is also associated with the "Tengu" or half bird half man creature of Japanese folk law.

You can even get what is called "Kenkō geta" or "Health Geta" where the top is lined with a bumpy surface that stimulates the bottom of the foot as one walks. It is based on a Chinese principle of medicine that explains that different areas of the sole correspond to different areas of the body.

While Yūki is famous for its cultural handicrafts such as Geta, it is also known for the kindness of its people. This care and kindness of others can be felt wherever you go in Yūki. The same type of care goes into the manufacturing of geta. Put some on your feet and feel the warmth of Yūki!

How to get there

Yūki is on the JR Mito Line. It is about 1 hour from Tomobe. It is also only a few stops away on the Mito line from Oyama, which is on the Tōhoku Line. By car it is on the Route 50 from Mito or take the Yawara Interchange of the Jōban Expressway and follow Route 294, then turn left on to Route 50.