TOKYO -- Wataru Shimamoto, a native of the historic coastal town of Kamakura just southwest of Tokyo, was studying law when a high-end fashion trend took him in a new direction.
Arts
Passion and precision: Japanese artisans conquer the shoe world
How law and architecture students plus consumers reshaped a hot fashion trend
A leather upper fitted to a wooden shoe last: "Japanese shoemakers have a strong sense of curiosity, taking much time and effort to find prewar materials about shoemaking," a magazine editor says. (Photo taken at Orma, in Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture)
Read Next
Latest on Arts
