Waraji (straw sandals)

These are of various materials, such as hemp, stalks of myouga (a kind of ginger, Zingiber mioga), palm fibres, cotton thread, rice straw, etc., and all the materials named last very well. There are also various ways of arranging the cords which tie the waraji to the feet, such as nakachi-nuki, yotsu-chigake, takano-gake, etc., the best being called takano-gake. It is very important to use a nakagukuri or extra tie across the instep, as this will be a great help in marching on steep, snowy, or muddy roads, and in crossing swamps or rivers, in any case you must not forget the nakagukuri when marching on hard roads. It is better to have 6 tabs on your sandals than 5, for then you will not catch pebbles between your sandals and your feet when crossing rivers or marching on rough roads. An extra pair of sandals must be carried at your waist; this is quite as important a thing as carrying provisions.