About us
Our Story
Kuretake began its journey in Nara in 1902 as a sumi ink manufacturer. For more than 120 years, we have pursued the essence of writing and drawing—honoring tradition while embracing innovation.
Our liquid ink Bokuteki was born from the voices of classrooms, seeking more time to practice and less time grinding ink. Later, the Brush Pen, blending the delicate expressiveness of a traditional brush with modern convenience, opened new possibilities for calligraphy and writing tools. These innovations reshaped the way people view writing instruments, bringing fresh value to both calligraphy and art.
At the same time, we preserve the craftsmanship of traditional Nara sumi ink. Each handcrafted solid ink stick carries with it culture, fragrance, and the unmatched sensation of grinding ink stick on ink stone. As global interest in sumi continues to grow, we remain dedicated to sharing its unique texture and experience with people across Asia and beyond—delivering inspiration to writers and artists everywhere.
At the heart of our products lies our micro-particle dispersion technology, ensuring smooth, uniform ink flow. This core expertise extends far beyond calligraphy into art materials, cosmetics, and even products for use in industrial manufacturing—expanding both quality and creative potential.
Today, Kuretake operates in four main fields: Calligraphy, Art & Craft, Cosmetics, and Products for Use in Industry. Across generations and borders, our products continue to support human creativity.
Looking ahead, we remain committed to reimagining the value of handwriting and handcrafted expression. Rooted in tradition yet always moving forward, Kuretake strives to bring joy, creativity, and color to lives around the world.
Kuretake Co., Ltd.
Company Profile
Established
October 1, 1902
Incorporated
August 16, 1932
Capital
80,000,000 Japanese Yen
Chairman & Representative Director and Chief Executive Officer
Yoshitaka Yamagiwa
President & Representative Director
Mayumi Nishimura
Employees
298
Our brand
The Kuretake brand represents the arts and crafts lifestyle with the use of color and shapes.
The colors 'Black' represents Tradition and 'Yellow and Purple' representing Innovation of brushes, pens and paints to support our customer artistic lifestyle. The shapes of circle, square and triangle represent the creation of arts and crafts.
'ZIG' is the brand name for Kuretake’s pen and marker which has been used and loved by many people.
In the 1970’s, Japan experienced nationwide depression during the post-war recession. People everywhere sought out low priced yet high quality stationery productions, and in this era came the birth of the new 'Kuretake ZIG' Fine liner pen. ZIG comes from the word 'zigzag', a concept based on the fluid, back and forth motion which comes with writing. 'Kuretake ZIG' had an extra-fine 0.3mm tip, as well as a slim body design with high-grade cap and stainless clip which was very original for that time. On top of that, 'Kuretake ZIG' became the first hit product of Kuretake stationery to spread worldwide.
From the original product name of 'Kuretake ZIG', we decided to establish 'ZIG' as the general brand of Kuretake Pens and Markers. Now, ZIG products are sold in over 80 countries around the world, growing into a global brand.
ISO Policy
ISO-9001
In order to meet market demands, our Quality Management System has been maintained and continually improved in accordance with the requirements of ISO-9001.
ISO9001 Management System Registration:
Certification Standard ：ISO9001:2008/JIS Q 9001:2008
Registration Number ：JQA-QM4892
Date of Registration ：June 16, 2000
Certification Body ：Japan Quality Assurance Organization(JQA)
ISO-14001
In order to commit environmental aspects, our Environment Management System has been maintained and continually improved in accordance with the requirements of ISO-14001.
ISO14001 Management System Registration:
Certification Standard ：ISO14001:2004/JIS Q 14001:2004
Registration Number ：JQA-EM6554
Date of Registration ：May 28, 2010
Certification Body ：Japan Quality Assurance Organization(JQA)
