KOKUYO

KOKUYO began in 1905, when Zentaro Kuroda opened a shop in Osaka making covers for Japanese-style account ledgers; the Kokuyo trademark came in 1917 and the present company name in 1961. From paper it moved into metal and wood — filing cabinets in 1960, steel desks in 1965, office swivel chairs in 1966 — and in 1969 the Live Office initiative opened its own workplace to the public as a testing ground.

The Campus notebook, released in 1975, the same year KOKUYO started making furniture for educational facilities, became the house standard for writing paper, and the Jibun Techo planner later extended the idea to personal organisation. The company, headquartered in Osaka, now groups its activity into Stationery, Furniture, Space Solutions and e-commerce, with a stated purpose of stimulating curiosity and individual creativity.