ONAO CO.,LTD.
Coporate Profille
Established in 1974. A manufacturer of Shoji paper. A new department called “Medataya Washi Department” was created in order to diversify the job scopes of the company. The current profits ratio of the Shoji paper to that of the Washi paper is 6:4. There are two retail shops selling washi products that bring out the various seasonal feels of Japan. It has organized exhibitions overseas for over ten years and has received positive feedback. In order to penetrate into overseas market, and bring washi products into the daily lives of the people, brand designer, Naoto Fukazawa, has created a new brand called “Shiwa”.
Story
Ichikawa Daimon (the present day Ichikawa Misato) of Yamanashi Prefecture is a production ground of paper manufacturing with a thousand-year history. The reason for this is its abundance of good quality water that is needed to make Japanese paper from its materials, mitsumata and kozo. The manufacturing methods have changed from the traditional ones to using machinery since 1960.
Currently, about half of the Shoji paper made in Japan is made in the region of Ichikawa Daimon. With the dip in demand for Shoji paper, the amount of productions has declined drastically to one third that of the peak in 1978. However, the decline has stopped in recent years.
Interview
We have to carry on the tradition of making traditional Japanese paper. Another important thing is to continue the business through the new generation. It is precisely because we have created new products that suit the changing societies that we had lasted for such a long period of time. It is important to keep the perseverance, as well as our minds to it.
There are other competitors in the same field, so it is crucial to utilize our strengths in order to survive as a production ground. We are receiving back-up support from local organizations. We need to reorganize ourselves and prepare to look into the possibilities overseas from now on.
Recommendation
There is a line-up of products of the “Shiwa” series of Onao Co., Ltd, including bags, hats, book covers, spectacle cases, and other daily goods. The bags and accessories are made from an original material called Soft Naoron. It is flexible, soft and waterproof.
Shiwa, in Japanese, refers to the wrinkles on the paper, and the special design and patterns created by the wrinkles is one characteristic of the product. The products include a wide range of hot selling bags of various sizes, and they are all created by Yamanashi prefecture born designer, Naoto Fukazawa.
At retail shops, envelopes and note paper with a seasonal touch are sold. Products made into the shapes of the 12 zodiac animals are especially popular during the New Year. Considering the demands of its customers, half of its sales in Japan come from the retail shops.
We have also done businesses overseas by taking part in exhibitions in France and Italy. Currently, we plan to target the overseas markets, with special attention given to the European, American and Asian markets.
