mizutori creates modern Japanese wooden sandals (geta) designed for comfort and everyday wear.
Episode 44
What Sustains Craftsmanship
More than ten years ago,
we received a photograph from one of our customers
that has stayed with us ever since.
It was a pair of geta,
beautifully decorated
with traditional tsumami-zaiku craftsmanship.
At the time,
we ourselves had been introducing ways to enjoy customizing geta—
adding studs or small decorative parts to the straps.
But this piece went far beyond those ideas,
both in technique and in its level of completion.
We still remember how all of us
paused in quiet amazement when we first saw it.
A few months later,
the same person sent us another photograph—
this time of a pair of geta
for which they had carved the wooden base themselves,
finishing both the base and the straps entirely by hand.
The sense of astonishment we felt then
is difficult to put into words.
Every day,
we think about new designs
as part of our product development.
And yet,
when we find ourselves at a standstill,
we sometimes remember this person.
What came through in those photographs
was a powerful energy toward making,
and a simple, honest feeling—
“I love creating.”
Whenever we encounter that kind of spirit,
we are reminded of something important.
Creating something
is not something that needs to be overthought.
At its core,
it may be something much freer,
and much more joyful.
Of course,
the desire to make something
that will bring happiness to others
is very important.
But before that,
there is the feeling of truly enjoying the process yourself—
of simply loving to create.
Things made with that kind of feeling
have a way of reaching people naturally.
Something born from a love of making
is picked up by someone who feels that same sense of love.
And that feeling,
in turn, begins to spread from person to person.
Perhaps that is how
mizutori’s geta
have gradually found their way into the world.
It is thanks to the people
who have come to love mizutori
that we have been able to continue walking this path.
Without remembering that,
we cannot create anything new.
Looking back,
we realize that we have always been creating together
with all of you.
A casual word from someone
becomes the seed of a new idea.
A simple inquiry
leads to a new kind of service.
The photographs and messages we receive
from those who wear our geta
are a constant source of strength
that allows us to keep creating.
At times,
we also receive candid and critical feedback.
But even those voices
become important insights
that help guide us forward.
From here on,
we hope to continue listening carefully
to your voices,
and to approach our craft
with the same passion for making.
If you feel inclined,
we would be very happy to hear from you—
your thoughts about mizutori geta,
or even small stories
about where they have taken you.
