Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1905-03-15
FooToEAR OF THE JAPANESE.
They Make the Feet Hard and the
Ankles Strong.


they are called, are on of the singh
larly distinctive features of Japanese
life which will strike the observer wita
wonderment as soon as he sees the1n
looming along the roadway or hears
them scraping the gravel with an IL
rltable squeak that makes his very
nerves shudder, says the London
Chronicle. Nevertheless, awkward
though the shoes appear, they are OF
kind constituted to make feet as
hard as sheet iron and ankles as strong
as steel Orders.
The shoes are divided into two varie-
ties; the low shoe is called the "koma-
geta" and is only used when the roads
are in good condition. The high shoes,
named "ashida," are worn when the
weather is rainy and the roads are
muddy. Both kinds have a thin thong
attached to the surface to secure them
to the feet, which are therefore not
covered as if they were in Shoes but
are left exposed to atmospheric con-
ditions. The ''koma geta" resembles
somewhat the Lancashire clog, and
their construction merely entails the
carving of block of wood to the prop
er size. The ''ashida," however, are of
more complicated design. They have
two thin pieces of wood about three
inches high at right angles to the
sOles, and occasionally, in the case Of
priests or pilgrims, only one bar at
tached.
Some Of the "geta" worn by little
girls are painted in many colors, and
others have tiny bell hanging from a
hollow place at the back, which, as it
tinkles in mystic way, heralds the
approach Of children. The superior
makes are covered with mats, made Of
panama. The highest price amounts
to about 10 yen, Or SIS, while the
cheapest is less than 10 sen, or a few
cents; but the ''geta" will not last
longer than month, and once out Of
repair can never be mended
Learning to walk on a "geta' is an
exceedingly difficult process. Indeed,
it IS far easier to acquire skating or
silt walking. The average child in
Japan takes about two months before
being able to move along on the ma
tional foOtgear, and the little ones re-
peatedly slip from the wooden blocks,
failing to the ground, which seems to
their miniature imaginations a consid-
cradle distance beneath thenl:- Al
though foreigners usually take with
readiness to the customs of Japan,
they are absolutely unable to manipu-
late the perilous ''geta"
A curious story is told of San
Francisco merchant who was invited
to attend a fancy dress ball. He
thought it would be quite the correct
thing to attend in Japanese costume,
and wrote to a friend in Yokohama to
send complete suit of the costume Of
gentleman of high class. On receipt
of the costume he was immensely sur
prised at it's extensive variety. He
mastered all the intricacies OF the flow
ing robes, but when he unearthed the
'geta" he was completely at loss to
understand it's use. Having only just
arrived in the country and not being
over Observant, he had omitted to no.
tice the foot arrangements of the peo-
pie. After much earnest consideration
he was suddenly seized with brilliant
idea. "Ah," he exclaimed in his desire
to extol everything Japanese, this
wooden block has got a very lovely
shape, it is very beautifully carved
and artistic. Therefore, it must be a
kind of decoration to be worn on the
shoulders like epaulets." And so the
merchant went to the ball with q
'geta' on each shoulder instead of on
each foot!
Some parents allow their children to
play barefoot in the streets, but when
going out with their elders or paying
visits 1t is essential that every one,
from the smallest to the tallest, must
mount the wooden clog and propel
themselves in this odd fashion. The
dislike of the Japanese children for the
activity Of outdoor games is to be
mainly attributed to the awkward in
cumbrances with which their little
feet are loaded. For instance, one sell
dom sees Japanese children gamboling
in open playgrounds-the have yet to
learn the feverish pleasures of hide
and seek" or FOUNDERS while such
thing as top-spinning or football never
obstructs the roadways.
Singular superstitions are associated
with the "geta," which at times are
decidedly useful. When host desires
that too attentive caller should de-
part he induces somebody to burn
moxa, which has peculiar odor, upon
his shoes, which are outside the door.
The guest will Immediately take the
hint and simultaneously his leave.
When thong Of a 'geta" is accident
ally severed on the return from the
visit to a sick person a firm belief ex-
lists that the patient must die. The
JananeSe however dearly love tho