The zori are more correct than the wooden mules and will have a more forgiving sole. (I have lacquered wood geta, I know what a long day in them is like).
www.japan-zone.com/store/fashion.shtml has some "rustic" zori made of straw that look REALLY good, but there's only one size and that may be too small for you.
You might find this of interest, it's an excerpt to something I posted on SCA_BARDS about a month ago:
Pierre Souyri's "The World Turned Upside Down: Medieval Japanese Society" (translated into English by Kathe Roth, 2001, Columbia University Press, ISBN0-231-11842-2) devotes several pages to the social impact of "Heike Monogatari" (HAY-kay MOH-No-GAH-Tah-Ree) or "The Tale of the Heike." As I think I mentioned in an earlier post,
the subject matter is the rivalry of two clans which ultimately resulted in the formation of a military government based in Kamakura in the late 1100's.
"....In the Middle Ages, more than a literary work, the Heike was a 'recited story.' It told of the exploits of the Taira, the history of the grandeur and decadence of the household of the Hei (Hei is the Sino-Japanese reading of the character for Taira), memorializing those who had died during the uprisings and and describing their triumphs
and failures. A little like the *Iliad* and *Odyssey* in ancient Greece, the *Heike* was recited and sung by bards - in this case, blind men dressed as monks who accompanied themselves on the biwa, a sort of lute. They made their way along the roads, wearing high wooden
clogs and preceded by young monks who served as their guides.
"These blind men sang the acts of Buddha's glory. Starting from the respective temples with which they were affiliated, they traveled through the countryside reciting edifying or extraordinary tales and performing rites of purification, and they were always respectfully received and offered lodgint. These men were organized in regional
brotherhoods in Kyushu, Yamato, Kyoto and elsewhere. In the thirteenth century, the Kyoto brotherhood specialized in the art of reciting the *Heike* and formed a guild, choosing as their protective divinity San'o, venerated at the Hie Shrine, linked to the Enryakuji temple (on Mount Hie). This guild nevertheless accepted the favor of other
gods, those of the Kamo and Gion Shrines, as well as the protection of certain powerful families in the court, such as the Nakano and the Koga. Finally, in the 14th century, Kakuichi set down a written version of the *Heike* and created a school of recitation."
Souryi goes on to explain the medieval Japanese belief that speaking of the dead would appease their souls. Heike therefore, is not just a story, but an invocation to the souls of those who died during the Genpei War, and particularly to pacify the restless spirits of the
vanquished Taira clan. was Souryi describes medieval listeners covering their faces behind their sleeves or fans or hats when hearing recitations of *Heike*, so moved were they by the performances.
*Heike* recitations might occur in shrines, temples or other places of worship in Kyoto (the medieval Imperial capital), while in more rural areas, the biwa-hoshi might draw crowds at a crossroads standing beneath a parasol.
"The Tale of the Heike" is available in English. Helen McCullough's translation is in print and regarded as one of the best.
This link may also be of interest as it has a sound clip from a biwa recitation of Heike.
www.sonic.net/~tabine/Heike/Heike_performing.htmlMakiwara
