The Story of Komorebi Stationery and Our Passion for Japanese Artisanship

Hello! I'm Taka, the owner of Komorebi Stationery! This is our first blog post to commemorate.

Writing this article has been very important to me, yet I've been too caught up in work and childcare to find the time to sit down and write it calmly since we opened three months ago. I'm glad I've finally been able to take a moment to do so. In this article, I want to share who we are and why we are running this store.

The Beginning of Komorebi Stationery

Let me introduce myself again. I am Taka, and together with my wife Sayuri, we opened this store. We are just a regular family living in Tokyo with our young child. I was born in Japan, and my wife was born in China and has Korean roots, but she has been raised in Japan since she was a child. When we met, we were both working in different companies, but in 2020 after getting marriage, we started a cross-border e-commerce business selling traditional Japanese tableware abroad. Thanks to the support of many people, it grew to become the world's largest store of Japanese tableware within several years, and we were able to hand it over to a successor. Then, as our next new challenge, we launched Komorebi Stationery, venturing into the realm of stationery, something we both love.

Our Passion

Life is short and incredibly precious, and we want to spend this valuable time dedicated to our passionate pursuits. Fortunately, we have had things we wanted to achieve throughout our lives, and these have been the driving force behind both our previous and current ventures.

In Japan, there are traditional crafts and works by artisans and creators that, due to changes in the times, have seen a decrease in demand and are in danger of disappearing. Some of these are recognized by a portion of people abroad, but many have not yet been sufficiently introduced to overseas markets. Unlike impersonal mass-produced items, these products are filled with long history, the thoughts and techniques of craftsmen, and a sense of aesthetics and belief. By accurately and in detail introducing these overseas, we want to allow people around the world to enjoy the good things of Japan and help pass them on to the next generation.

What is Komorebi?

It is said that words reflect the culture and sensibilities of a country. "Komorebi" is a word unique to Japan, referring to the sunlight that filters through the leaves of trees. The fact that there is a word in Japanese to describe this natural phenomenon suggests that historically, the people here have possessed a unique and delicate sensibility. Many traditional Japanese patterns and designs created by artisans are extremely delicate and possess a unique sensibility that is recognized worldwide. Inspired by the desire to share such uniquely Japanese goods with the world, we named our brand Komorebi Stationery.

Parting Words

Thank you very much for reading our story so far. In the next articles, I hope to share how we select the products we introduce to you, what our business trips are like, and the charm of our products that can't be fully captured on the product pages. When we post an article, we also send it out in our newsletter, so please consider subscribing below. I look forward to meeting you again in our next post!

Taka