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The Passion Towards Footwear Culture Embodied in 'JOJO Naitou', Which Traces Its Roots to Straw Sandals
If you look at the feet of passersby, you'll see everyone wearing leather shoes, heels, or sneakers. If you only look at the footwear, you might not be able to tell if you're in Japan. That's how much Japanese footwear culture has been influenced by the West.
Traditionally, Japanese footwear consisted of straw sandals and geta (wooden clogs). Kimono, now mostly worn as formal wear, is seldom worn in everyday life. However, Seiji Naito, the head of Gion Naitou, is challenging this status quo.
Based on the belief that what originates from the climate and culture of a place is most suitable for its people, he has developed 'JOJO Naitou', which adapts straw sandals to modern life.
It seems that straw sandals have hidden charms that we're unaware of. So, in this article, we asked Naito about his passion for Japanese straw sandal culture and what 'JOJO Naitou' represents.
PROFILE
Seiji Naito
As the fifth-generation proprietor of 'Gion Naitou,' a traditional craftsman boasting a 140-year tradition founded on the crafting philosophy of 'beauty of utility.'
He himself is also active as a shoku-shonin (a merchant who also crafts by hand). In response to the Great East Japan Earthquake, in 2011, he launched a new brand, 'mana project'. Using the techniques cultivated over 140 years and modern sensibilities, he unveiled a new form of footwear, 'JOJO Naitou'. In 2020, amidst societal changes due to the pandemic, he created 'KAPPO,' the second product under the 'manaproject.' In 2021, he released 'kodori,' a wedge sole type that does not differentiate between Japanese and Western style. Under the belief that 'the power of footwear is to bridge the most basic aspects of life, namely, clothing, food, and housing, and thus, connecting life and dreams,' he continues to express a unique worldview, promoting beauty and health.
The Crucial Few Millimeters of the Toe Thong
Please tell us about the production process of 'JOJO Naitou.'
We started selling it in 2013, but the inspiration came from 2011 when the Great East Japan Earthquake occurred. A Shinto priest who went to India to pray for the calming of the earthquake invited me to accompany him.This article is for members only.
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