Suruga Lacquered Geta (Suruga Nuri Geta) are lacquered geta clogs made in Shizuoka City. They are characterized by lacquer applied to the wooden base and by gorgeous decoration with maki-e, carving and other techniques. They are said to have begun in the Meiji period, when the geta maker 本間久次郎 conceived of high-end lacquered geta by applying lacquer to geta, which until then had been inexpensive everyday items. Mass production was pursued using light Abe cedar (Abe-sugi), and once the geta were shipped through wholesalers they became a nationwide fashion. In the Taisho period, craftspeople from the struggling export lacquerware industry turned to making lacquered geta. The kawari-nuri (decorative lacquer finishes) techniques of Suruga Lacquerware were applied to geta as well, and the area grew into such a production center that people said, 'For high-end lacquered geta, it has to be Shizuoka.' Today they are designated a Shizuoka Prefecture Designated Local Traditional Craft, and craftspeople in the city carry on the traditional techniques.
Origin
In the Edo period, Shizuoka was a key point on the Tokaido, so fashions from various regions arrived quickly, and many kinds of footwear were made there. In the Meiji period, the geta maker 本間久次郎 came up with the idea of applying lacquer to geta, which had been consumable goods for ordinary people. The beginning of Suruga Lacquered Geta is said to be the elaborate lacquering applied to plain paulownia geta, such as high-toothed geta and azuma-geta. Shizuoka City dates this to 1887 (Meiji 20).
History
本間久次郎's lacquered geta were shipped through geta wholesalers in Shimizu such as '三島屋' and became a nationwide fashion. From Meiji 30 onward, a division of labor among wood-base makers, lacquerers and maki-e artists advanced. In 1912 (Meiji 45), 井上半蔵, the second-generation head of 三島屋, founded '清江下駄株式会社,' opening the way to mass production by machine. In the Taisho period, the ingenuity of craftspeople who had come over from export lacquerware was added, and the industry reached its peak.
Features
The appeal of Suruga Lacquered Geta lies in the lustrous colors of lacquer and maki-e and in their unique designs. Kawari-nuri techniques of Suruga Lacquerware, starting with kijiro-nuri, are applied, and the variety of decorating methods is another feature. They are finished with layer upon layer of work: 'carving, lacquering and polishing.' In recent years, new products have also been developed, such as geta to go with yukata.
Techniques
Applying kawari-nuri
When lacquerware craftspeople joined geta making in the Taisho period, the kawari-nuri techniques of Suruga Lacquerware were brought into geta. A variety of lacquer finishes, such as kijiro-nuri, in which gold leaf is rubbed into the wood grain or the wooden base is colored, decorate the surfaces of the geta.
Chinkin-bori and 香雅彫り
Chinkin is a decorating technique in which patterns are expressed by filling grooves carved into the lacquer surface with gold leaf or gold powder. The geta lacquerer 佐野成三郎 specializes in chinkin-bori, said to be the only such work in Shizuoka, and in '香雅彫り,' which combines carving and lacquering.
Materials Used
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Artisans & Workshops
静岡塗下駄工業組合
The production-area association for Suruga Lacquered Geta, with its office in 清閑町, Aoi Ward, Shizuoka City. Together with the association for covered geta (張下駄), it organizes the 'Suruga Geta Festival Craftspeople's Exhibition' (駿河の下駄祭り 職人展) at Sunpu Rakuichi (駿府楽市) in JR Shizuoka Station, which reached its 25th edition in April 2026.
駿河塗下駄工房 佐野
A workshop in 清閑町, Aoi Ward, Shizuoka City. The geta lacquerer 佐野成三郎 began training in 1953 and mastered the various kawari-nuri techniques of Shizuoka. 佐野成三郎 has been honored as a Shizuoka City Master of Traditional Craft Techniques (静岡市伝統工芸技術秀士) and also serves as the representative of 静岡塗下駄工業組合.
Official site →How to Buy
- 駿府楽市
- A crafts shop in the ASTY Shizuoka West Building at JR Shizuoka Station, which Shizuoka City recommends as a place to buy Suruga Lacquered Geta. At the '25th Suruga Geta Festival Craftspeople's Exhibition' in April 2026, about 200 items, including lacquered geta and covered geta made by six craftspeople from the city, were on display.
FAQ
Q. What is the difference between Suruga Lacquered Geta and Suruga covered geta (駿河張下駄)?
A. Lacquered geta have lacquer applied to the surface and are decorated with maki-e, carving and so on. Covered geta are geta made by pasting on materials such as washi paper or cloth (shifu, or 'paper cloth') and adding fine detailing. Both are designated Shizuoka Prefecture Designated Local Traditional Crafts and are made from high-quality paulownia.
Q. Why did lacquered geta making flourish in Shizuoka?
A. Shizuoka had a lacquerware industry that had taken root after the construction of Shizuoka Sengen Shrine in the Edo period. When export lacquerware declined in the Taisho period, many craftspeople switched to lacquered geta, whose production processes were similar. Making use of the kawari-nuri techniques of lacquerware, the area gained fame as a production center of high-end lacquered geta.