The Day Japan Stepped into Western Shoes

March 15th annually marks the day that Western-style footwear truly took root in Japan. According to the Japan Footwear Federation, the date marks the founding of Japan’s first Western shoe factory in 1870. Thus, March 15th annually is known as Shoe Day 靴の日（くつのひ).

A monument now stands in Chūō Ward marking this birthplace of Japan’s shoe industry. Its inscription explains that this site represents the origin of domestic shoemaking. Apparently, the project began with a practical need: imported military boots were far too large for Japanese soldiers. At the suggestion of Ōmura Masujirō, the father of the modern Japanese army, the factory was established to create boots that fit Japanese feet.  

The photo in this post is of shoes lined up outside a hall at a school. It is quite common to have to take shoes off to go into a school hall. There are cubbyholes to store shoes, but for larger than normal events - such as a graduation - there aren't enough cubbyholes for everyone, so they put down a blue sheet, like the one pictured, for people to place their shoes!