What were netsuke used for in Tokugawa-period Japan?

During the Tokugawa period in Japan, netsuke served as essential, toggle-like fasteners for men's traditional dress. Because the rising merchant class was prohibited from wearing jewelry, these intricately carved items functioned as a primary form of personal adornment.12

Netsuke were used to secure personal items—specifically medicine boxes known as inro, as well as pipes and tobacco pouches—to the obi (sash) of a kimono. Beyond their utilitarian purpose, they were highly regarded as miniature works of art, often featuring delicate carvings of figures, animals, or landscapes. Following the end of the Tokugawa regime and the adoption of new dress customs, their practical use declined, and production shifted toward items for foreign tourists.132