Last year, GK was afforded an opportunity to visit TODAN Co., Ltd. to learn all about their efforts to innovate within the stationery industry. From producing visually stunning calendars to designing practical and stylish accessories for the lifestyle industry, TODAN’s dedication to quality and creativity continues to set them apart.
In your opinion, within the context of your industry, what is it that makes Japanese products and services so desirable?
Japan is no longer as costly as it used to be, but the quality and accuracy are still unique and separate our products from other countries. This has remained because we concentrate all our efforts on quality, which I believe is one of the main competitive advantages for Japan.
In our calendar-making business, which is mainly B2B gift calendars, we have observed a decline in the use of analog calendars due to the growing prevalence of digital alternatives. However, we believe that digital calendars lack the attention to detail and the rich information that analog calendars offer. This shift reduces their role from being a meaningful part of daily life to merely serving as a functional necessity, mostly related to work, and therefore reduces its usage outside the office.
Under the current circumstances, we have researched the origins and history of calendars, in the spirit of ‘onkochishin‘ – taking lessons from history. As a result, we have published calendars that capture a part of the tradition, which has been used in Japan since ancient times: using calendars to check fortunes.
How do you view the balance between calendars as essential organizational tools and their role in personal expression? How does TODAN navigate this dual purpose in its products?
Analog calendars encourage a different approach to planning, largely because they are more visible and not tucked away in a device. Additionally, the act of writing notes by hand, which requires physically using a pen, involves more time and attention. This process has been proven to stimulate the brain more effectively and improve memory retention compared to typing on digital tools. This is why we believe that we should continue promoting analog calendars and we will continue to create products that provide more than just a tool for our clients.
We believe that calendars play an important role in uplifting people or helping them to relax by looking at beautiful art and landscape images on them. We value this inspirational part as well as a functional role for organizing schedules.
What can we expect to see in TODAN’s future and what are your priorities for the next few years?
As a producer of calendars with a strong foundation in tradition, we have expanded our offerings to include other traditional Japanese items, such as daruma and manekineko, which are symbols of luck. With the increase in inbound tourism and growing global appreciation for Japanese culture, we are targeting both international markets and visitors to Japan. To align with this trend, we are also focusing on e-commerce and are already selling our calendars on Amazon in the US.
