Okobo

File:Okobo pokkurigeta.jpg

A pair of with a woven bamboo top surface

, also referred to as , or (all onomatopoeic terms taken from the sound make when walking), are traditional Japanese wooden sandals worn by young girls for , young women during Coming of Age Day and apprentice geisha in some regions of Japan.

are typically made from a solid block of paulownia wood, a lightweight hardwood native to East Asia and often cultivated there. range from Template:Cvt tall, and can be decorated, lacquered black or left plain; the plain varieties are not waxed. are kept on the foot with a thong strap known as the ; this is tied to the shoe by the use of knots passed through drilled holes – one at the front of the shoe, through the underside of the slope, and two through the central block of the shoe. The centre of the shoe is drilled out, leaving it hollow, and the ends of the are tied in this hollow. The front knot may hold a small bell in place, and the hole is typically covered with a small metal cover known as the (Template:Linktext, literally Template:Linktext , "front" + Template:Linktext , "metal"). In smaller , the bell is secured by the back two knots.

The worn by apprentice geisha are generally taller than most, being Template:Cvt tall, and have either no finish or, in the summer months, a plain black lacquered finish. The worn by young girls and women are generally shorter, and often feature multicoloured, lacquered designs on the sides of the shoe. worn for celebrations may instead feature brocade fabric decorating the outside of the shoe, with a woven bamboo base (known as ) on top.

straps can be made of any material for young women and girls, though they are typically made of brocade fabric, velvet or otherwise decorated silk or polyester silk. For apprentice geisha, are always worn plain, with the colour worn indicating the stage of an apprentice's training: red straps are worn by new apprentices, whereas yellow straps are worn by senior apprentices at the end of their apprenticeship.

• Side view of another pair. Red-gold-green brocade Script error: No such module "lang"., wood lacquered in red with gold and green decoration
  Side view of another pair. Red-gold-green brocade , wood lacquered in red with gold and green decoration
• The same pair as adjacent, showing Script error: No such module "lang". (four-warp woven bamboo-skin topsole; see zōri)
  The same pair as adjacent, showing (four-warp woven bamboo-skin topsole; see zōri)
• The same pair from below, showing Script error: No such module "lang". more clearly than side view
  The same pair from below, showing more clearly than side view
• A third pair from below. Black lacquer sides, red plush Script error: No such module "lang"., no Script error: No such module "lang".
  A third pair from below. Black lacquer sides, red plush , no

See also

• Geta
• Jandal
• List of items traditionally worn in Japan
• List of shoe styles

External links

• Template:Sister-inline

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