| TOYAMA, Dec. 1 – Pairs of socks sold by Sukeno Co., Ltd., a socks manufacturer based in Takaoka City, Toyama Prefecture, are selling well. The “Sushi Socks,” which look like sushi when rolled up, are popular, particularly among inbound tourists, and the company has sold 220,000 pairs so far.
There are nine types, including ikura fish eggs, tako octopus, and masu-zushi, traditional sushi in Toyama made using sliced trout or cherry salmon. The manufacturer uses white yarn for rice parts and yarns in five to six colors for sushi ingredient parts so that they look tactile. By rolling and tucking a sock in its cuff, you can make it look like a sushi roll or a gunkanmaki-style sushi. A pair of Sushi Socks is priced at 660 yen. Sukeno has developed high-performance socks for fishermen who wear boots for a long time and nurses who are on their feet all day at work. It also has a plan to develop products for farmers. Takashi Matsumoto, a 50-year-old company director, is now looking for partners. “I want to develop new products with people involved in agriculture,” he said. (Reporter: Hiroyuki Koda) |
True-to-life sushi “toppings” of “Sushi Socks” are made by knitting yarns. (in Takaoka City, Toyama Prefecture)