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Itoya Premium Gifts and Stationery Shop

Itoya 5

DO you prefer jotting down notes instead of typing them? Do you politely decline the free notebook your company issues in favor of your own?
It most likely takes 5 minutes to decide which notebook to use in your brainstorming session and you probably own more journals than the thoughts in your head. There’s also nothing more euphoric than the crisp sound of fresh blank pages before the worthlessness of your writing on its precious pages sinks in. If you’re guilty of any of these, here’s big news for you—you, certified stationery addict.

Japan’s finest pen and paper brand Itoya is now available in Cebu. Itoya Stationery, in partnership with National Book Store, brings in a high quality of craftsmanship from writing notes and letters to different important school and office tools to curious pieces for traveling.

The concept of Itoya products revolves around excellent design, impeccable material and multi-functionality. Majority of Itoya products are developed in Japan and pass strict quality control to ensure that the design and style meet world-class standards. The first store is at Ginza District in Japan. Today, Itoya has already 12 floors with curated merchandise, and operates 18 stores all over Japan. One store is in San Francisco, California. The
iconic stationery brand has a corner shop at National Book Store in Ayala Center Cebu. Itoya is known for its 112 years of experience in producing unique products and premium stationery lines around the world. The first store is listed in the Lonely Planet as one of the must-see stores in Ginza.

“A certain lady told me a very good point: Stationery is almost dying. I said, yes it is, but we are not just stationery store anymore. We are premium gifts and stationery shop in Japan and Philippines,” said Isamu Suzuki, senior vice president of Itoya LTD, during the press conference on June 10 at Laguna Garden Café, Ayala Terraces.

National Book Store Managing  Director Xandra Ramos-Padilla  (center) with  Mr. Takahiko Kanai, president of Itoya Time Value Ltd. (left) and Mr. Isamu  Suzuki, senior vice president and  corporate officer  for international  operations of  Itoya Ltd.

National Book Store ManagingDirector Xandra Ramos-Padilla (center) with Mr. Takahiko Kanai, president of Itoya Time Value Ltd. (left) and Mr. Isamu Suzuki, senior vice president and corporate officer for international operations of Itoya Ltd.

Itoya collections include:

The Color Chart was launched in 2013. The collection is a colorful range of beautifully designed products for the working professionals such
as ballpoint pens and accessories, mechanical pencils, notebooks, leather jacket for journals, pouches, binders and office supplies. The colors come in Magenta Pink, Sunset Orange, Pear Green, Sky Blue, Navy Blue and Earth Brown. Each vivid color is made versatile to match with other colors to create your own style.

The Romeo is based on the first fountain pen made in the Taisho era a hundred years ago. In 2004, they relaunched the brand Romeo intended for the modern businessman. Its products are mostly 100 percent handmade and well-designed using only the most premium materials. The bestseller Romeo No. 3 has its unique acrylic swirls making sure that no two pens are alike, and the crown of each pen is designed to be reminiscent
of the crown of a clock. The Romeo collection also includes pad bands with pen holders, file binders, notebooks, and pencils, and leather products such as wallets, card cases, memo pads, ID holders, and pen cases. Romeo products are available in black, brown, dark brown, dark blue, beige, red, and white.

Contrail, Itoya’s newest brand, offers the ultimate tools for those who are always on-the-move. The pens are reminiscent of maritime flags that are perfectly paired with the incensed cedar used in the barrel. The collection also includes the “on-the-go” and “street” journals which features attractive patterns and are lightweight.

Helvetica products bring in simple and timeless designs while maintaining its smart functionality. Helvetica is a typeface that was created in Switzerland in 1957. After 50 years, the simple typeface is still used all over the world. The Helvetica collection includes ballpoint pens, mechanical pencils, pencil extenders, pen cases, multi-functional pens, clipboards and dual ring binders. These are available in black, white, gray, and red.

Kolo photo albums capture life stories and are great memory keepers. Kolo makes archival photo preservation products. The albums are made of materials that are acid and lignin-free which resist decomposing, disintegrating, discoloring, or reacting to other materials over time. Kolo photo albums come in red, mango, chartreuse, ivory, chocolate, and ocean.

According to Suzuki, they first presented the proposal to National Book Store in February last year and shortly after in October, the first launch of Itoya in the country took place in Manila.

“As always, we totally appreciate the National Book Store team for making this business happen in Cebu,” said Suzuki.

Suzuki maintains that Itoya is not just a traditional company but a company that is constantly evolving which is similar to National Book Store, a heritage brand willing to change and is also enteringa new stage in business.

National Book Store’s Managing Director Xandra Ramos-Padilla said they are honored that an iconic brand such as Itoya has partnered with them and they are excited to present such high quality stationery products to their customers in Cebu as well.

TAGS: Ayala, Ayala Center Cebu, Cebu, Japan
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