While corporations such as Staples or Office Depot may sell supplies, a retailer like Itoya sells stationary.

The difference is stationary comes with a charm just as essential as the equipment—creativity, possibilities, and consideration.

If you visit Itoya’s 18-floor flagship store in Ginza, you’ll find all sorts of incredible products. When I went, I saw chess sets based on cities, featuring iconic buildings as pieces. I’d never imagined something like that before. (Better known as skyline chess.)

While each product is different, each one has in common the work and care a person put into choosing each one. This care has kept Itoya in business for 120 years.