Yesterday, I had a chance to visit the Kokuyo live office in Kasumigaseki. Kokuyo is one of the largest stationary manufacturers in Japan. They also produce office furniture and more recently began consulting for how to improve office environment and productivity. Their head office doubles as a show room displaying some of their “open office” concepts in a real working setting. It was an very eye opening tour and afterwards they gave me some nice stationary items.
1. First is a Campus Notebook paracuruno that is beveled two ways at the edges to make it easier to flip through 2. Mekurin rings are a more fashionable alternative to those ugly rubber thimble things OLs use when they need to count cash or flip through thousands of pages 3. Punyo Punyo Pins are pins that have a rubber ring around the pin part which prevents you from pricking your finger when you pick up a bunch 4. Tamahocchi is an egg shape stapler with a rubber grip bottom that keeps it stable on your desk 5. Kadokeshipuchi is a small eraser that will always have a shape edge somewhere in case you need to do some precision erasing 6. A pen designed as part of the WILL (nothing really special about this)
Japan has lots of cool stationary stuff that make fun and practical souvenir alternatives. I think when I first came to Tokyo I spent a good part of my time looking at all the neat pens and stationary supplies they have. Make sure to check out the art/stationary supply shop Sekaido or the stationary floor at Tokyu Hands the next time you visit.
This stuff is pretty cool but the pushpins with rubber on them to stop you from pricking your fingers strikes me as way over the top. If you lack the dexterity to pick up the fat end of the pin (or are dumb enough to grab a handful), you probably deserve to get stuck by one of them.
BTW, I love these kinds of posts where you show a bunch of stuff of ordinary stuff which is somehow extraordinary.
Yeah, I thought their gift package was a pretty nifty selection of useful items that also serve to display the company’s creativity.
I will strive to post more extraordinary-ordinary items.
I think all artists are ‘drawn’ to pens and paper. I too spent a lot of time at Japanese stationary departos.
Pilot makes a ballpoint pen that I absolutely love for sketching and it isn’t sold outside of Japan. Yeah, I stocked up last July.
http://www.pilot.co.jp/products/pen/ballpen/gel_ink/hiteccslimknock/index.html
I remember trying to describe the concept of “hanging folders” to several stationery store folks. I knew that Kokuyo made them, but I didn’t know the correct term, so I had to do a lot of “kakeru” talk with sign language before ultimately getting the “double forearm batsu”. I miss Japanese stationery and office supplies very much.
I too enjoy these type of post. Just something about stationary and writing items that can keep me interested for hours. ^^;
The Health & Safety Executive here in the UK would love the Punyo Punyo Pins lol :)
I love Japanese stationery! I’m hooked on Pilot Hi-Tec-C pens. I get them at http://www.jetpens.com, one of the few sources for Japanese stationery in the US. My favorite of Kokuyo are their erasers, they work so well…