Pantry · Tokyo, Kanto
Maruman
Tokyo paper company making sketchbooks and notebooks since 1920.
- Founded
- 1920
- Based in
- Tokyo, Kanto
Making it since
1920
Their story
Maruman was founded in Tokyo in 1920 and got its start making sketchbooks for middle school students. Early on, the founder traveled to Europe to buy spiral-binding machines, the first of their kind used in Japan.
Over the following century the company built its name on paper and binding. It developed a plastic binder in 1967 and a report pad series in 1995. Its Mnemosyne notebooks, named for the Greek goddess of memory, are widely used in Japan, and its sketchbooks are a staple for artists and students around the world.
How it's made
Maruman designs different papers for specific uses, such as drawing, painting, study and journaling, and focuses its research on practical binding. Many of its books use spiral or dual-ring bindings so pages lie flat.
Why we carry them
We like having Maruman sketchbooks around for recipe notes and kitchen doodles. The paper is good and the books open flat on the counter.
Find more makers like this in Provisions Club, our curated subscription.
Explore Provisions Club