Stationery essential for daily life
Even in today's world where digitalization is advancing in schools and workplaces, there are still many situations where analog stationery plays an active role.
KURABUN operates a large stationery specialty store, "Usagiya", boasting one of the largest selections in the region, as well as total production of office spaces including proposals for office supplies.
Rooted in the community, Usagiya Kurashiki Store will celebrate its 30th anniversary in November 2025. There, a young employee in their 20s, who has the desire to "support someone's life with stationery", was found.
Let me introduce Aoi Yurika, a young employee working at Usagiya Kurashiki Store.
About KURABUN
KURABUN (hereinafter referred to as "KURABUN") is a company that sells essential office supplies, IT equipment, computer systems, and office furniture, as well as providing space design and web design services. We produce a total office space that is easy to work in.
KURABUN was founded in 1951 as a sole proprietorship, starting with the wholesale of paper products. In 1961, "Kurashiki Stationery Co., Ltd." (the former company name) was established, and it began handling office equipment, changing its name to "KURABUN Co., Ltd." in 1978.
For over 70 years since its founding, we have continued to contribute to the community by creating comfortable workplaces.
Currently, the main businesses being developed are as follows:
- "Office Supply Support Business" supplying and proposing about 30,000 office stationery items
- "OA Equipment Production Business" total production of office information systems
- "Environmental Creation Business" designing optimal office and facility spaces
- "Personal Business" operating and managing the large stationery specialty store Usagiya
The dream of KURABUN's representative director, Izawa Masanobu, is to become "the best stationery store in Japan". KURABUN enriches the lives of various people in the community through stationery.
Community-based stationery specialty store "Usagiya"
KURABUN operates a community-based large stationery specialty store "Usagiya".
At Usagiya, with the concept of "Fun and excitement, excitement with stationery", we offer over 40,000 items.
In addition to basic office supplies and stationery, there is a wide variety of items including art supplies, calligraphy supplies, randoseru (Japanese school backpacks), and original items created in collaboration with local companies, making it one of the largest selections in the region. Enjoying the thrill of searching for treasures is also one of Usagiya's charms.
As of 2025, there are six stores operating: Kurashiki Store, Okayama Store, Okayama Minami Store, Okayama Higashi Store, Kurashiki Nishi Store, and Fukuyama Minami Store.
Among them, the first opened Usagiya Kurashiki Store will celebrate its 30th anniversary in November 2025. The charm of Usagiya, which continues to be rooted in the community, is also introduced in Kurashiki Tocotoco, so please check it out as well.
What kind of work does Usagiya do to deliver "excitement"?
Aoi Yurika working at Usagiya Kurashiki Store
The person who agreed to be interviewed this time is Aoi Yurika, who works at Usagiya Kurashiki Store. Born in 1999, she is from Okayama City, Okayama Prefecture.
Having worked part-time in a restaurant during her student days, Aoi became interested in a job that involved customer service. She participated in various company information sessions, including those from manufacturers and financial institutions, but due to her desire to support many people's lives through stationery, she joined KURABUN in 2022, which was her first choice.
Aoi has fond memories of visiting Usagiya with her family since childhood. Since she could only go there in her parents' car, she recalls, "It felt like a special outing, and I looked forward to going every time."
About Aoi's job
Cash register operations and customer service are strong images associated with retail work. However, Aoi's duties are not limited to that.
She is involved in the entire process of delivering products to customers, from ordering and purchasing new products to creating displays in the store.
Sometimes she goes on business trips to select and purchase products that customers would enjoy at exhibitions and trade shows outside the prefecture. Of course, Usagiya also has specialized buyers, but having input from store staff in the purchasing process leads to a product lineup that allows more customers to encounter exciting items.
When asked Aoi if choosing products to purchase is difficult, she replied, "When I order products that have never been seen before, I feel a bit nervous. If I purchase them myself, I have to work hard to sell them, so I feel pressure, but it's fun to deliver new products to customers," she shared.
Additionally, Aoi particularly enjoys the task of creating displays.
When you enter Usagiya Kurashiki Store, there is a seasonal corner near the entrance that changes its selection with each season. Stationery related to seasonal themes such as "Respect for the Aged Day" and "Christmas" are lined up, creating a vibrant display that makes you stop in your tracks.
When creating displays, everyone from the assistant manager to part-time staff collaborates to come up with ideas, so Aoi loves this job that fosters a lot of interaction.
At Usagiya, the staff work together to come up with various ideas so that customers can enjoy discovering stationery without getting bored.
Encounter with KURABUN
Aoi approached her job search with the thought of wanting to "work in a job that involves interacting with customers," influenced by her part-time experience in the food service industry during her student days. At that time, she participated in various company information sessions across different industries, including retail, finance, and manufacturing.
Among them, she encountered KURABUN. Aoi was aware of Usagiya's existence, but at the time she attended the company information session, she did not know that KURABUN was the company operating Usagiya.
The speaker at the briefing was Masanobu Izawa, the representative director of KURABUN.
Captivated by President Izawa's personality, the strong first impression was, "What an interesting company." Furthermore, President Izawa's words, "Stationery always appears at turning points in life," resonated with Aoi.
For example, documents that record significant life events, such as birth certificates and marriage registrations, always require writing instruments and seals.
Aoi, who empathized with Usagiya's theme of "Stationery lives with life," decided to join KURABUN with the desire to handle stationery that can accompany someone's life.
What does Aoi see as the appeal of Usagiya as a "workplace"?
Aoi believes that the greatest appeal of Usagiya from an employee's perspective is "people."
The charm of President Izawa, which captivated Aoi at the company briefing, became the reason for joining, and Aoi reflects that many employees have supported them since joining.
At Usagiya Kurashiki store, each employee has a one-on-one meeting with the store manager to discuss "how they want to grow" and set annual personal goals. While each person works hard towards those goals, there is a strong sense of mutual support and consideration, allowing them to work with high motivation.
Before the interview, I read KURABUN's recruitment site, and it was impressive that the employees mentioned, "We feel close to George (the nickname of President Izawa)."
So, I asked Aoi, "Do you have opportunities to interact with President Izawa?" and they replied, "Yes. I think it's a company where the distance between employees and the president is relatively close."
President Izawa occasionally visits the café " Georges Lapin" attached to Usagiya, where he asks employees, "How have you been lately?" providing opportunities for updates and casual conversations.
During the interview, Aoi mentioned several times, "We are in an environment blessed with people." A comfortable workplace may refer to an environment where one can reliably depend on others and support each other.
Having joined KURABUN, Aoi is entering their fourth year in 2025. I interviewed them about the joy of working at a stationery specialty store rooted in the community and the appeal of KURABUN's "people."
Data of KURABUN Co., Ltd.
| Organization Name | KURABUN Co., Ltd. |
|---|---|
| Industry | Sales of office furniture, OA equipment, and office supplies Design and construction of logistics equipment, air conditioning equipment, and interior work Management of large stationery specialty stores |
| Representative Name | Masanobu Izawa |
| Year Established | 1961 |
| Address | 2-9-10 Achi, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture, 2nd floor FJK Kurashiki Station Building |
| Contact | 086-422-9595 |
| Website | KURABUN Co., Ltd. Website |
