Nippon Notebook

The company traces its start of business back to March 1916 and continues to support learning and work with paper-based tools.

In January 2019, KYOKUTO and APICA—brands known for series such as College Animal and School Kizoo—came together as Nippon Notebook. In January 2024, OKINA also joined, combining the strengths of three long-established makers.

For students, series like College Animal and School Kizoo offer practical ways to find the right notebook quickly—colour coding by subject, easy-to-read layouts, and durable covers designed for daily use.

For offices and creators, the lineup extends to business paper products and tools like Project Paper, which offers blue grids that do not easily show up in copies and a range of sizes and ruling styles.

Production bases are located in Okayama and Vietnam. The company also works on using recycled materials and developing eco-friendly products as part of sustainable manufacturing.

One company, three long-established brands

Nippon Notebook was formed in January 2019 through the merger of KYOKUTO and APICA. In January 2024, OKINA was also merged, bringing three notebook makers with histories of over 100 years together.

Paper stationery for school, daily life, and business

Its business covers production and sales of paper stationery for school-use, daily-use and business-use, and also overseas production and imported sales of printing, publishing and paper related items. From exercise books to envelopes, the lineup supports everyday “writing”.

School Kizoo: kid-friendly design with thoughtful details

School Kizoo features vivid animal illustrations. Subject names are shown prominently in two places on the cover with a consistent layout, so it is easier to recognise even when the grid changes by grade. The cover has a surface finish designed to resist scratches and stains, while the name area is coating-free for easy writing.

Award-winning staples like College Animal and Project Paper

College Animal is a long-selling exercise book series and won an award at BUNSHI MESSE in 2012. OKINA’s Project Paper is designed for creative work, including blue grid lines that are less likely to appear when copied, and it received the Good Design Long Life Design Award in 2010.