The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1905-03-11
FooToEAR OF THE JAPANEse
They Make the Feet Hard and the
Ankles Strong.


They Make the Feet Hard and the
Ankles Strong.
the japanese shoes, or s'geta." a
they are called, are on Of the siner.
larry distinctive features Of Japanese
life which will strike the observer with
wonderment as soon as he sees them
looming along the roadway or hears
them scraping the gravel with an ir-
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 "a
hard as sheet iron and ankles as strong
as steel girders.
The shoes are divided into two varie-
ues; 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 II they were in Shoes but
are left exposed to atmospheric con-
ditions. The "komageta" 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
tlnkles 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 S., while the
cheapest is less than 10 sen, or few
cents; but the "geta" will not last
longer than a month, and once out Of
repair can never be mended.
Learning to walk on a "geta" is an
exceedingly difficult process. Indeed,
1t 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,
falling to the ground, which seems to
their miniature imaginations consid-
cradle distance beneath them. 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 a San
Francisco merchant who was invited
to attend a fancy dress ball. He
thought it would he quite the correct
thing to attend In Japanese costume,
and wrote to q friend in Yokohama to
send complete suit Of the costume of
| q gentleman Of high class. On receipt
of the costume he was immensely sur
prised at its extensive variety. He
mastered all the intricacies of the flow
ing robes, but when he unearthed the
| 'geta" he was completely at a loss to
| understand it's use. Having only just
arrived in the country and not being
| over observant, he had omitted to no
tce the foot arrangements Of the peo-
pie. After much earnest considera ton
he was suddenly seized with brilliant
l I, hn Lot n Tn h osi
to extol everything Japanese, this
wooden block has got a very lovely
shape, it Is very beautifully carved
and artistic. Therefore, it must be q
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 footl
| Some parents allow their children to
play barefoot in the streets, but when
going out with their elders or paying
visits it il 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 b
mainly attributed to the awkward In.
cumbrances with which their little
feet are loaded. For instance, one sci.
dom sees Japanese children gambolina
in open Fairgrounds have yet to
learn the feverish pleasures OF hide
and seek" or FOUNDERS" while such q
thing as top-spinning or football never
obstructs the roadways.
Singular supersitions are associated
with the ''geta," which at times are
decidedly useful. When host desires
that a 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
| yubnr a thnnO nf "0ofa" fS accident