National Book Store Brings Itoya to the Philippines

Two heritage brands join together to bring to the Philippine shores more than just stationery but self-expression pieces from Japan that are products of innovation and excellence.

National Book Store, the Philippines’ premier bookstore that started in the 1940’s and Itoya, a 111-year-old stationery company in Japan recently launched the Itoya brand of school, office, and travel supplies at the Powerbooks in Greenbelt 4 Makati on October 14. The Filipino company is bringing the Itoya brand to the local market through its vast network of stores nationwide.

Itoya is an iconic stationery brand in Ginza, Japan whose 12-storey shop has also become a tourism spot in the district with its eye-catching oversized red paper clip perched on its signage.

Ms. Xandra Ramos-Padilla, National Book Store’s Managing Director

“National Book Store has always been on the lookout for new items that we can offer to our customers. We have started bringing in brands from the United States, Spain, Germany, Japan, and other parts of the world to give the Filipinos a lot of options. We also want to make sure that every member of the family can find something for school, office, travel, and for their everyday needs at National Book Store. We feel truly honored that an iconic brand such as Itoya has partnered with us. We are excited to showcase their carefully curated merchandise with high quality craftsmanship that is sure to rev up the school and work spaces of our customers,” shares Xandra Ramos-Padilla, National Book Store’s Managing Director.

Isamu Suzuki, Itoya’s Senior Vice President

“This is a very good opportunity for Itoya and National Book Store. National Book Store is a well-established and popular company in the Philippines and we feel that this is a great collaboration given their passion to constantly improve and offer something different. It is really perfect timing as both companies are entering into a new phase. Itoya is not just a traditional company but a company that is constantly evolving over the past 111 years. Just like Itoya, National Book Store is a heritage brand but their willingness to change and enter a new stage in their business for the future is highly commendable. We hope that the Filipinos will love Itoya’s products,” says Isamu Suzuki, Itoya’s Senior Vice President.

The concept of Itoya products revolves around excellent design, impeccable material, and multi-functionality. Majority of Itoya products are developed in Japan and pass strict quality control to ensure that the design and style meet world-class standards. Itoya has 18 stores in Japan and one in San Francisco, California. It carries original brands Color Chart, Romeo, Contrail, and Helvetica, and exclusively distributes US brand Kolo.

Itoya brands will be exclusively distributed by National Book Store and Powerbooks in the Philippines.