Gyoda’s Japan
Heritage Story
Gyoda is a city in Saitama Prefecture on the central Kanto Plain. It is Japan’s leading producer of tabi (split-toe socks), and its backstreets are dotted with tabi storehouses. Constructed using a range of materials—including stone, brick, mortar, reinforced concrete, and wood— these buildings are part of a unique townscape that tells the story of a 300-year-old industry.
Tabi craftsman
The beginnings of tabi production
Tabi production in Gyoda developed in the seventeenth century, drawing on the region’s sewing heritage and abundant natural resources. Gyoda’s location provided ideal conditions for cultivating cotton and indigo. The Tonegawa and Arakawa Rivers, which flank the city, deposited sandy soil during floods and supplied abundant water, and the region’s high summer temperatures supported growth.
According to legend, the ruling daimyo (regional lord) encouraged the wives and daughters of his warriors to make tabi, spurring the production of the footwear. Gyoda became so well-known for its tabi that it is mentioned in the 1765 Tokai Kiso Ryodochu Kaiho Zukan (Illustrated Guide to the Treasures of the Tokai and Kiso Territories).
Because the tabi trade was not regulated by a merchant guild, it remained relatively open and production flourished. While only three tabi shops were listed on a town map in the early eighteenth century, by the mid-nineteenth century, as many as 27 shops lined the streets of Gyoda.
Sashi tabi (quilted tabi)
The growth of the tabi industry
From the late 1800s, tabi socks increased in popularity, and demand grew. Gyoda’s tabi merchants traveled to the Tohoku and Hokkaido regions in northern Japan to expand their business and supplied tabi to the military. Gyoda quickly surpassed other regions in tabi production, becoming the most well-known producer.
The economic boom that followed the Russo-Japanese War (1904–1905) led to the construction of more tabi factories, and special sewing machines designed for the production of tabi were introduced at different stages of the manufacturing process.
Storehouses were essential to keep up with the increased demand for tabi—this is where finished products were stored until peak shipping season in early fall. Existing storehouses were repurposed, and new storehouses were built to accommodate the growing tabi industry in Gyoda.
Post-war stone storehouse (Koushi storehouse)
Japan’s premier tabi town
Gyoda tabi stores began expanding their sales far outside the region without the use of wholesalers, each shop building its own exclusive sales network. For example, in northern Japan, Rikiya Tabi Shop would sell directly to Hachinohe in Aomori, while Dofu Tabi Shop would ship its wares directly to Kazuno (Osarizawa Mine) in Akita. In this way, tabi sales channels expanded nationwide and eventually overseas.
“Zeri” fried snack (left)Fried snack (right)
During its peak, Gyoda’s residents of all ages and genders worked to produce tabi. “Fries,” a crispy savory pancake, and “zeri fries,” a type of croquette, became popular as easy snacks among tabi makers. These eventually became part of the local food culture. Narazuke pickles seasoned in sake bran, for example, were popular gifts that Gyoda’s tabi merchants would send to their customers as thanks for their patronage.
Thanks to their efforts, Gyoda was the number one producer of tabi in Japan, producing approximately 80% of the nation’s tabi. Its output was such that it is mentioned in folk songs. It has retained the title of “Japan’s number one tabi town” ever since.
Preserving a town of tabi storehouses
Socks are now commonplace, but tabi production continues in Gyoda, and people associate the town with split-toe socks. Gyoda remains Japan’s top producer, introducing new tabi products regularly and selling domestically and internationally. There are approximately 80 tabi storehouses that still stand in Gyoda. They symbolise the prosperity of the tabi industry in the twentieth century and its continued importance today.
The sound of sewing machines creates a soundscape unique to the backstreets of Gyoda. Some of the older storehouses have been repurposed for new businesses, adding to Gyoda’s overall charm.