Nikka

Nikka (a.k.a. Nikka Zubon) is a workpants for "tobi shokunin", people who work on high places such as scaffolding and skyscrapers.

This baggy pants make it easy to move, easy to bend, stretch and stride.

Some say the wide legs work like a cat's whiskers by brushing against obstacles and alerting them to potential dangers.

Tabi (Jika Tabi)

This tight-fitting traditional boots widely used by Japanese construction workers.

The Tabi have a rubber sole. Wearing Tabi makes it easy to sense the ground condition for them.

In addition to this, they are very light. There are safety Tabi-shoes with steel toe caps, too.

Five-toed socks

Five-toed socks (5-toed socks) became famous and popular since New York Times had an article reporting that Daisuke Matsuzaka, a Japanese Major League baseball pitcher for the Boston Red Sox, favors these five-toed socks because he feels the socks improve his balance and foot-grip.

Hideki Matsui, also a Japanese Major League baseball player for the New York Yankees likes it, too.

Many workers in Japan love it because it eases up stiff necks.

There are over 300 different varieties of five-toe socks displayed in MannenYa.

Koikuchi Shirts

Koikuchi shirts (People also call it "Dabo shirts" in Japan) are commonly seen during Japanese festivals.

Men and women carrying mikoshi (portable shrines) or pulling dashi (Japanese style floats) wear them.

People who beat Japanese taiko drums often have on this kind of shirt, too.

Its wide open neckline makes it very confortable in hot and humid summer in Japan.

Tekkou Shirts

"Tekkou" means arm guard.

This shirt has heavy-duty protectors stitched on forearms and shoulders.

It protecst vulnerable arteries of your body when moving and working around in construction workplaces.