Hello! My name is Melanie, and I am a new
shop staff and English advisor at Meri! Not many locally-owned shops have a
strong presence on the English web, so I am writing this new blog series with
the hopes that English speakers can learn more about this side of Japan.
Being from Canada, something that I am
frequently surprised about is the number of items that are handmade on a small
scale in Japan. When I imagine manufacturing, I picture large factories such as
the Hershey’s chocolate factory that I toured several time in my youth. This massive
factory was an hour outside of town and my only direct interaction with
manufacturing when I was growing up. I was always happy to make the trip there
because that meant buying chocolate from the discounted gift shop, but this experience
also shaped my image of manufacturing – an assembly line with countless workers
in a grey environment, constantly repeating the same task.
When I moved to Tokyo, noticed that many
items that were made in Japan, and some items even claimed to be made in Tokyo.
Where, I thought, could they possibly have the space do this? Certainly not
anywhere in the 23 special wards, a space filled with businesses and living
spaces.
I have been working in the Sumida area of
Tokyo, one of the aforementioned 23 special wards, as an English language
advisor at various companies for over three years. Sumida is known for its
manufacturing tradition, and I have had the chance to see more small-scale
manufacturing up close. Teams of under ten people work hard to produce goods that
will be sold all over the country and overseas. It’s hard for these companies
to compete with massive corporations, as they simply can’t lower their costs
the way large-scale manufacturers can. However, thanks to the relatively low
volume, the quality control is unrivaled.
This brings me back to Merikoti. The
majority of the items sold are made in Japan, not only in Sumida but other
localities around the country. The zori (Japanese-style slippers) are made at
small factories all across the country, with one craftsperson only able to make
two or three pairs a day. Each craftsperson undergoes training for about two
years before they are able to make the zori without supervision.
If you come to Tokyo, don’t miss the chance
to come to Sumida and take a walk around this small-scale manufacturing area.
You are sure to see something special. Of course, don’t forget to stop by
Merikoti as well!
It’s common knowledge that Japanese people don’t wear shoes indoors. However, that doesn’t mean that they go barefoot!
Zori are often called “Japanese-style sandals”. There are zori for outdoor use, but the ones Meri makes are exclusively for the indoors. They are all handmade by expert craftsmen, and it takes even the pros around 3 hours to make one pair!
Even though they are handmade, they are durable and can be machine washed.