Over the past few years, revolutionary new Japanese stationery appliances have dramatically boosted the efficiency of routine office tasks. New products embodying Japan’s distinctive traditions of innovative craftsmanship and attention to detail are constantly appearing on the market and fascinating people around the world.

Evolving ExcellenceThe efficient work habits of the Japanese are acknowledged around the world, constituting a valuable business strength. In addition to speed and accuracy, the meticulousness and attention to detail which are typical of Japanese culture are another major asset.

Japan’s outstanding stationery and office appliances have played an important role in fostering these successful habits. Japanese office appliances are internationally renowned for their quality and accuracy. The latest gadgets used in Japanese offices today are the result of evolution over many years as manufacturers have worked to meet exacting customer expectations, resulting in ever greater convenience for the user.

A spokesperson at ITO-YA, one of Japan’s oldest stationery firms, says that outstanding quality is one of the factors that set Japanese products apart. “A Japanese notebook will not just have superior paper quality—it will also be beautifully put together in terms of its binding and design. There is a widespread expectation of high standards of quality among Japanese people, who tend to be quite particular about the finer points. Manufacturers in Japan have to keep up with the exacting needs of the market.”

Consumers constantly on the lookout for new and improved products, and manufacturers responding carefully to consumer demand—this is the environment that has given rise to Japan’s highly efficient paperwork culture.

Making an Impression around the WorldThe demanding expectations of the Japanese market have resulted in several outstanding products that have attracted a lot of attention overseas in recent years. One of the best-known examples is the Frixion pen, a revolutionary new erasable-ink pen. The specially developed new ink it uses is sensitive to heat, and disappears when friction produced by an eraser attached to the end of the pen generates heat on the paper. This revolutionary new pen has eliminated the need to rewrite a document from scratch because of changes or corrections. The pen sold out in many stores soon after it was released, and has gone on to become a bestselling product worldwide, with more than 200 million units sold since it debuted four years ago.

Another new twist on the eraser concept that was a big hit last year is the Milli Keshi(millimeter eraser), invented to meet consumer demand for an eraser small enough to deal neatly with text and figures written between ruled lines in a notebook. Arranged like spokes on a wheel around the cylindrical body of the eraser are five differently sized eraser edges in one-millimeter increments of 3mm, 4mm, 5mm, and 6mm, with an extra small edge provided for even more exacting corrections. Narrow enough to match the ruled lines in a notebook or diary, the new eraser is perfect for times when you need to make changes to a small portion of text within a narrow space on the page.

Another stationery product that created a storm in 2010 is Harinacs staple-less Stapler, a revolutionary new device that joins sheets of paper without the need for staples. The product flew off the shelves in the weeks and months following its release in July 2010, eventually selling some 260,000 units—outstripping the manufacturer’s annual sales targets by more than 50 percent in just three months. The device works by clipping a small incision into a piece of paper and twisting to form a bond, liberating the user from the hassle of refilling the machine with staples and laboriously picking old staples out of sheets of paper. The incisions at the top of each sheet can also be used for filing purposes, so that the new tool also boosts office efficiency.

Making a Good Thing BetterIn addition to these recent hits, there are plenty of other stationery products likely to become popular in the near future.

One to look out for is the mini-sized Alisys hole-puncher, which won a grand prize in the Function category at the International Stationery and Office Products Fair, Tokyo, the biggest event of its kind in Asia. The device has two levers, reducing the amount of pressure that needs to be applied and making it perfect for punching holes in large numbers of documents without fatiguing the hands.

Another is the OLEeNU mechanical pencil, equipped with springs inside its workings so that the lead doesn’t snap even if the user presses down hard when writing. The Pencut scissors can be retracted to the size of a pen when not in use, making them easy to carry around. The Kirinuq paper cutter cuts effortlessly through a single sheet of newspaper or magazine paper, regardless of the pressure applied. These products and many more like them are sure to win the enthusiastic support of consumers as the latest addition to the huge supply of Japanese stationery products, increasing efficiency in the workplace.

All of these products have been developed by concentrating on improving and refining existing products. Effective use of these new products will ensure that Japanese office work continues to evolve and become even more efficient in the future. (March 2011)