[F-STYLE Co., Ltd.] “April Dream” ■ “Where is Gifu?” “What is Mino Washi?” We want many people to know about the charm of the local area! A “dream” of increasing awareness.
*View in browser* *F-STYLE Co., Ltd.*
Press release: April 1, 2024
April Dream Project
**
“April Dream” ■ “Where is Gifu?” “What is Mino Washi?” We want many people to know about the charm of the local area! A “dream” of increasing awareness.
*We support April Dream, which aims to make April 1st the day to share your dreams. This press release is a dream of “F-STYLE Co., Ltd.” * This press release is a dream sent out by a business operator who sympathizes with the April Dream project and wants to make April 1st a day full of dreams, hoping to make them come true soon.
“April Dream”
* ■Sad reality and future challenges*
* “Where is Gifu?” *
About 40 years ago, when I was a student, in a conversation with a friend in the city center, I was asked, “Where are you from?” and when I said “Gifu,” 60% of them said they didn’t know. I felt saddened by the lack of local recognition.
What countryside did you come from? Of course.
* “What is Mino Washi?” *
Furthermore, the reality is that most Japanese people no longer use traditional Japanese paper.
In today’s society, the living environment has changed, fewer families have shoji screens in their homes, and lanterns are no longer used. Some of me have become accustomed to technological advancements in paper products that can replace washi.
Therefore, this time, we created a writing utensil using silk-printed Yuzen paper, which is a traditional Japanese paper called Mino Washi, which is known for its Chiyogami paper, and we wanted to make it a familiar item that people can use.
■* Why Mino Washi? *
Many of our stores suffered from a decline in domestic and
international travelers due to the coronavirus pandemic, and many of our stores suffered from poor business performance. So, if no one would take the plunge, I decided to try selling it on overseas e-commerce sites, so I listed it on Amazon in Europe, America, and Europe. (With cooperation from Gifu Prefecture)
The result was that I sold nearly 100 Mino Washi fountain pens in three months, and the results were better than I expected. One of the reasons for this is the traditional culture of “Aizome” (Japan I learned about the high degree of recognition for Blue). Ukiyo-e prints and pottery, which were popular at the Paris Exposition at the end of the Edo period, are widely known and seem to be popular with many people, especially in Europe.
* Three features of “Mino Washi Ballpoint Pen” *
* 1. “Mino Washi”, a traditional craft culture *
Washi paper made with the clear water of the Nagara River, a bounty of nature in the mountainous Gifu region, is a heartwarming culture that has been popular in Japan since the Nara period.
*Handmade Japanese paper* has been registered as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site.
* 2. “Mino Washi” Yuzen pattern *
Mino Washi is fine, thin, and durable, and is a proud traditional craft of Gifu that has been passed down for 1,300 years. What we are introducing here is an elegant and beautiful colorful Yuzen pattern that is silk-printed in Kyoto on Mino’s machine-made washi paper. *3. “Resin processing” that creates beautiful and gorgeous colors by hand* Wrap washi paper (white) around the Pen shaft metal fitting, and then wrap each piece of Yuzen paper by hand. I then painted the resin over it so that it wouldn’t drip, and dried it by carefully turning each piece with UV resin. The product is finished and completed by the hands of craftsmen.
・UV resin painting ・Video: https://youtu.be/OzbD07BSo_E
* How to use/use scene of “Mino Washi/Yuzen pattern” *
We received feedback from customers who wanted us to create products that can be used in gift situations as a “heartfelt gift” of traditional Japanese beauty, and that can be kept and used at hand to be loved for a long time, so we created Mino Washi. This led to the development of “handmade writing instruments” that utilize Yuzen patterns.
“Mino Washi Writing Instruments”, a traditional Japanese culture that can be used for special gift occasions, will be available at Creema from April 1, 2024 (Monday).
We will start accepting reservations on SPRINGS crowdfunding. We developed the Mino Washi Ballpoint Pen in response to our customers’ requests to create a product that can be used as a heartfelt gift, kept close at hand, and loved for a long time. This gave me an opportunity to do so.
[URL] https://www.f-style-japan.com/
*《Product introduction video》* [URL] https://youtu.be/NFNA6gCusl8 * [Reservation method] *
Reservation start date: April 1, 2024
Reservation method: CreemaSPRINGS crowdfunding
■We want to convey ancient traditional culture. Mino Japanese paper pen with Yuzen pattern.
URL: http://www.creema-springs.jp/projects/fstylepen
* [“Mino Washi Ballpoint Pen” Product Overview] *
Release date: April 1, 2024
Price: ¥4,900 (excluding tax)
Size: length 135mm x shaft diameter 8mm
Ink: Cross type 0.7mm specification
Expected delivery date: Scheduled for late May 2024
Sales method: Writing instruments EC site
Retailer: Stationery specialty stores nationwide
■Customer testimonials
Impressions from those who actually got it!
We received answers to three questions.
■Finally
If the awareness raising strategy is successful, I’m sure people will want to go to Gifu, which is rich in nature. And you’ll want to pick up “Mino Washi”, a gift from the clear Nagara River.
My dream is to see a town full of tourists.
“Making Mino washi paper ranks high in the ranking of popular activities in Japan!”
“I want it to be used as the pen that the prime minister uses to sign signatures in countries around the world!”
I have such a big dream in mind.
“April Dream” is a PR event where companies send out their dreams that they would like to achieve in the future on April 1st.
This is a project by TIMES. We are seriously aiming to make this dream come true.
About 《Company》
F-STYLE is a company in Gifu that plans and produces small goods, and engages in wholesale and manufacturing. In response to the selection of the 2017 Agriculture and Commerce Collaboration Fund Subsidy and the certification of the 2019 Regional Resource Utilization Business Plan, we aim to promote the appeal of wood and washi paper produced in Gifu Prefecture. For seven years, we have been working to raise awareness by developing handmade writing instruments that make use of resources.
* 【* * Company Profile】 *
Company name: F-STYLE Co., Ltd.
Location: 7-2 Nishinocho, Gifu City, Gifu Prefecture
Representative: Kozo Furuta
Established: March 2012
URL: https://www.f-style-japan.com/
Business content: General miscellaneous goods wholesale business * [Customer inquiries] *
《Contact information》
TEL: 058-227-5222
E-mail: kouzou_furuta@yahoo.co.jp
Reception: Monday to Friday 9:00 to 17:00 (excluding holidays)
*PR TIMES Prerelease* “April Dream”
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