TOKYO >> Mukojima Meugaya is about a 10-minute walk northwest from Oshiage Station at the foot of Tokyo Skytree in Sumida ward, Tokyo. With a foot-shaped sign and a traditional noren (curtain) out front, Meugaya produces and sells tabi, traditional Japanese socks, which have become a rare sight in Japan.

The shop was founded in Taito ward’s Asakusa area in 1867, at the end of the Edo period (1603-1867). (Meugaya is pronounced “myogaya.”) The shop moved to its current location in 1923.

Once inside, the first thing that draws attention is a large sewing machine. According to Yoshikazu Ishii, 72, the fifth-generation owner of Meugaya, the 100-year-old machine is capable of carrying out complicated stitching work and was brought into the store about 50 years ago.

Ishii uses the machine specifically to stitch the toe section of tabi. Turning the handle of the machine by hand, he carefully sews the socks. This is one of the most difficult tasks when making tabi.

“The sewing machine and the workbench are irreplaceable. I take good care of them because it’s difficult to repair them now,” Ishii said.

Between 70% to 80% of tabi manufactured at Meugaya are custom-made and sold to geisha in the Mukojima area of Sumida ward, which once flourished as a place for nighttime entertainment. Other customers include Noh actors, sumo wrestlers and instructors of tea ceremony and flower arrangement.

Tabi making involves 20 steps, including measuring each foot and creating patterns. Ishii divides the work with his wife, Kiyoko, 73; their son Kensuke, 46; and others. They make between 10 and 20 pairs of tabi a day.

The store also sells ready-to-wear products, including eye-catching patterned tabi.

To give his tabi their finishing touches, Ishii places them on a wooden mold and taps the top of the tabi with a wooden mallet to shape them. The sound of the mallet tapping the cloth is a comforting one.

Ishii has 45 years of experience making tabi, and many of his tools have been in use since the founding of the store.

“In order to keep the tradition alive, I have to keep improving my skills. I think training takes a lifetime,” he said with pride.