An Indian Woman Made Traditional Japanese Zori Slippers Using Our DIY Kit
Back in early April, we received a lovely Instagram message from Anokhi san, who lives in India.
She told us that she was interested in making traditional Japanese fabric zori and wanted to join one of our online lessons.
We still don’t often have guests from India joining our workshops, so we were incredibly excited to hear from her. That message became the beginning of a wonderful exchange.
Anokhi san had actually already tried making zori before using materials she had at home, and she kindly sent us photos of her first attempt.
From our perspective, they already looked impressively close to real Japanese zori. Honestly, we even thought it would be interesting to continue developing that version. However, the core material looked quite thick and difficult to weave comfortably.
In the end, she decided to order one of our Japanese zori-making kits. We suggested that she first try making them by herself using our English instructions, and if it became too difficult, we could switch to an online lesson later.
About a month after we shipped the kit, we received another DM from Anokhi.
And inside was this beautifully handmade pair of zori.
How incredible is this?!
Making Japanese fabric zori is honestly very difficult. Even many people in Japan struggle at first.
Knowing that someone was weaving zori alone all the way in India made me feel emotional — honestly, it even made me want to fly to India immediately.
And then, she kindly sent us photos of herself actually wearing the zori she made.
Look at them!
They are absolutely beautiful.
This is what can be created with a DIY kit at home.
If you have ever been curious about Japanese crafts, traditional Japanese slippers, slow handmade culture, or creative experiences from Japan, I truly hope you will try making zori someday.
And if you feel nervous about ordering from overseas or are unsure how to start, please don’t hesitate to contact me anytime. I’m always happy to answer questions.
After all, Anokhi’s journey also started with a simple message:
“I’m interested in making zori.”