Nakahashi Knitting Co., Ltd.

　Nakahashi Knitting Co., Ltd. was founded in 1951 in Sumida Ward, Tokyo, a district known for its thriving knitwear manufacturing since the Edo period. Leveraging its expertise in knit fabrics and cut-and-sewn products for domestic manufacturers, Tomonori Nakahashi, the fourth-generation owner, established the in-house brand of room shoes called "merippa," proudly bearing the "MADE IN JAPAN" label. Since its debut in 2013, the brand has steadily gained popularity both in Japan and overseas, initiating business with a select shop in the U.S. in 2015, and opening its flagship shop "merippa house" near its headquarters in 2018.
The next goal of "merippa" is to expand its fan base in Europe. "First, we have worked to establish a local subsidiary and a shop in Paris," says Nakahashi. Around the same time, the Tokyo Metropolitan Small and Medium Enterprise Support Center informed him of the Buy TOKYO Promotion Support Program.
　“We had long desired to exhibit at MAISON&OBJET, a joint exhibition in Paris, as it is a prestigious event that attracts visitors from across Europe. However, it costs 5 to 6 million yen to participate in an overseas exhibition including travel and accommodation fees. Therefore, our primary objective in applying for it was to receive financial support to exhibit at MAISON&OBJET.”

Taking advantage of the expense subsidy for the Paris exhibition.
Finalized a contract with Le Bon Marché, a long-established department store in Paris!!

　Nakahashi mentions, "We were prepared to exhibit even if we had to bear the entire cost of the exhibition ourselves." However, upon being selected for the Buy TOKYO Promotion Support Program in 2022, he enthusiastically exclaimed, "Alright, let's keep going!" As he expressed, he gained opportunities to exhibit "merippa" in MAISON&OBJET three times: in September 2022, January 2023, and September 2023.
”At the initial exhibition, we exchanged business cards with 140 companies from 21 countries, resulting in sales of approximately 5 million yen.”
A variety of experts serve as advisors in the hands-on support provided by the Buy TOKYO Promotion Support Program. An advisor, specializing in supporting overseas expansion, comments that “this amount is astounding for a first-time exhibitor." Prior to the second exhibition, we asked the advisor with expertise in the European market to provide hands-on support and advice in preparing materials for our booth.
“From the second exhibition onwards, we achieved even greater results. We received an order from Le Bon Marché, a long-established department store in Paris, prompting us to organize a pop-up shop for two months. Furthermore, we have garnered an exceptional response from Asia and Africa, resulting in an order of 500 pairs from Taiwan. This development was a welcome bonus to our main focus of expanding into Europe.”

The hands-on support advice expanded our knowledge including:
SEO measures and effective use of Instagram!

　In 2023, "merippa," a room shoes brand proudly MADE IN JAPAN, will celebrate its 10th anniversary. This milestone presents an ideal occasion to renew our e-commerce platform created a decade ago. The expense subsidy also contributed to renewing this domestic e-commerce platform. "By making it possible to search by color and material, we were able to revitalize sales of older product lines as well," says Miho Ozawa, who is in charge of “merippa” along with Nakahashi.
　After the completion of the e-commerce platform, we leveraged the benefits of the hands-on support that allowed us to receive advice from a wide range of experts, including web marketing specialists, public relations specialists, and specialists in video production for social media.
“We didn't have sufficient knowledge about SEO measures, although we have handled the planning and promotional activities for our e-commerce platform ourselves. Therefore, the hands-on support helped us to learn a lot. Additionally, we lacked specialized knowledge about Instagram, so it was reassuring to receive personalized advice. Instagram serves as a crucial channel for connecting with international clientele, as evidenced by the numerous "likes" and business-related direct messages we receive from overseas accounts. We aim to continue implementing what we have learned even after the conclusion of the support next year.”

Established the foundation for overseas expansion for the two years under the Buy TOKYO Promotion Support Program.
After Europe, heading towards the U.S.!!

　Prior to exhibiting at MAISON&OBJET, Nakahashi found himself in a state of uncertainty, saying, “We won't know until we try…” After completing the third exhibition and successfully establishing the Paris shop, which he had initiated even before being selected for the Support Program, he senses a feeling of accomplishment, believing that he has “built a solid foundation for entering the European market.”
“Our upcoming goal is to expand into the U.S. In fact, the exclusive sales agreement with a local select shop for "merippa" is set to expire at the end of 2023. Consequently, we are planning to exhibit in New York in February 2024, and to explore the U.S. market on our own again.”
　Upon deciding to exhibit, they asked experts familiar with the U.S. market for hands-on support advice. Extensive research on market trends and the unique features of each exhibition led them to the final selection of the SHOPPE OBJECT exhibition. “The support period for the Buy TOKYO Promotion Support Program ends at the end of March 2024. If any additional expense subsidy is available, we would like to apply for it. With our initial year of exclusive sales contracts with select shops reaching 500 pairs, and expanding to 20,000 pairs in two years, we have confidently determined to re-enter the market.”
　The reasons why the "merippa" room shoes have been so popular overseas include their high design quality, reversible design, comfort of wearing by combining multiple parts sewn by machine and by hand, and the fact that they are indoor shoes, which are still rare overseas. Above all, "MADE IN JAPAN is very favorably accepted overseas."
“I realized again when I went to Paris that Japanese craftsmanship is outstandingly meticulous, and that "MADE IN JAPAN" is a significant brand built by our predecessors.” "There are still many challenges in our journey towards global expansion,” says Nakahashi. However, in pushing forward with "merippa," the company aims to "emphasize the motto, 'Made in pride of JAPAN.'” Furthermore, there is a strong commitment to eventually establishing their own factory in Tokyo and promoting the "MADE IN TOKYO" concept. Their grand vision of "merippa" is expected to continue to expand worldwide even after the support period of the Buy TOKYO Promotion Support Program.

URL : http://merippa.com
Nakahashi Knitting Co., Ltd. / Tomonori Nakahashi
〒130-0014　2-14-3 Kamezawa, Sumida Ward, Tokyo
Phone : 03-3625-4505 FAX : 03-3625-4574