Above: Isami School Factory , existing Tabi factory with the longest history in Gyoda
2. TABI(JAPANESE SOCKS) AND GYODA
Tabi shop in old GYODA
(1) Features of Gyoda Tabi-gura:
---Interior---
*Many columns are placed at wall side and little column on central area to move goods and materials smoothly.
*The floor is put at high position from the earth to move an air better.
---Exterior---
*Late Edo period: Clay storehouse
*Late Meiji period～: Stone storehouse
*Late Taisho period: Iron and brick storehouse
*Showa period before war: Iron-Concrete, Mortar, Wood storehouse
*Showa period after war: Mainly stone storehouse(Lack of wood)
There are still six old buildings that were approved to National Registered Corporeal and Cultural Property.
-1.Old Chujirou Ogawa Shop and House(Chujirou Storehouse):
Built in 1925
-2.Musashino Bank Gyoda Branch Office:
Built in 1934
-3.Old Arai Hachiro Office, House and Western House(Saisai-tei
Restaurant):
Built in 1926-1937
-4.Jumangoku Fukusaya Head Office and shop(Cake shop):
Built in 1883
-5.Osawa Old Document Storehouse(Oasawa Storehouse):
Built in 1926
-6.The Takazawa(The Takazawa’s House ):
Built in middle~late Edo period
Coffee Break 1:
Why had they needed storehouse in Gyoda? Reasons were as follows.
-1. They had two big fires in 1846 and 1873.
-2. Tabi is used most in winter, however, to keep flat production they manufactured Tabi through a year and kept finished goods in storehouse.
(2) Tabi and Gyoda
Gyoda area was called Oshi Han. They had rich field of cotton trees around Oshi Han. So, Gyoda located at advantageous area to get cotton cloth as Tabi materials. “Tabi” is a traditional Japanese cotton socks to put on when people wear Kimono. Gyoda is known as a Tabi manufacturing area. Tabi manufacturing had already begun from around the end of Edo period and developed further in Meiji period.
Gyoda tabi industry had received exclusive order of tabi from Imperial Japanese Navy when we had war against China in 1895, so Japanese sailors on the ships were expected to put on tabi from Gyoda. Furthermore when the war against Russia began in 1905, Gyoda Tabi groups had received a lot of order of Tabi from Imperial Japanese Army. Gyoda Tabi industry had been prosperous since that time.
In Korea, Donghak Peasant Revolution occurred in 1894. This was the origin of war between Japan and China.
In the U.S.A, Thomas Edison established General Electric Company in 1891. And the U.S.A. went into war with Spain in 1898. Albert Einstein published his theory「Special Relativity」in 1905.
Tabi industry needed the material shop, factory with saw-toothed roof, merchant shop and they had their own storehouses. Different type of storehouse was built such as, clay, stones, clay with thin iron. A storehouse has had thick clay more than a feet and the thickness showed the financial strength of the family.
In 1938 about 80% of Tabi used in Japan were manufactured in Gyoda area. Approximately 90 storehouses where finished Tabi was once stored still remain in the city today. There is Tabi Museum in Gyoda, and visitors can make own tabi with material that fancy you and choose by themself at the Museum. (Or visitors can bring their own material with them)
Industries of Gyoda were mainly Tabi and military uniform. After Tabi was replaced by nylon socks, they manufactured uniforms for various companies and school uniforms.
Now, traditional Tabi is used not only for ordinary people, children in a kindergarten, but also its technology is applied for jogger’s
shoes. So, it is expected that Tabi would be used in daily life and sporting life.
Left: Tabi (Japanese split-toe socks)
Visitors can make your personal tabi at the "Tabi and Lifestyle Museum". (Reservation is required)