The history of G.C.PRESS and its brand concept<\/h4>\n\n\n- Takashima <\/dt>\n
- Please tell me about the history of G.C.PRESS. <\/dd>\n
- Mitsuoka<\/dt>\n
- Since our establishment in 1979, we have sold original stationery products designed by our in-house designers. Fancy goods were very popular back then and we also made character goods and published children\u2019s books. After 1986, when one of our books received the Grand Prize at the Bologna Children\u2019s Book Fair, our name gained wide acknowledgement across the industry, and we have been publishing children\u2019s books and manufacturing original stationery ever since. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- The name of your store sounds very chic for a 40-year old business. What does G.C.Press stand for? <\/dd>\n
- Mitsuoka<\/dt>\n
- \u201dG\u201d is for \u201cgaze\u201d and \u201cC\u201d for \u201ccreation.\u201d \u201cPress\u201d conceptualizes our publishing business. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima\/dt><\/p>\n
- Has your store always been located here? <\/dd>\n
- Mitsuoka<\/dt>\n
- No, we moved here six years ago from Roppongi. What surprised me most is the range of customers we receive here. As we are located in an area with quite a number of art galleries, many of our customers bring in a sophisticated cultural atmosphere. Also, with many top firms in the area, many people drop by to select heartfelt items such as thank you cards and birthday cards. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima <\/dt>\n
- Are you the second-generation president of your company? <\/dd>\n
- Mitsuoka<\/dt>\n
- Yes, I assumed my current position ten years ago. Every day is full of new thing to learn. Our brand concept is to offer original products designed by in-house designers, so we make it a rule to recruit college graduates to educate on our own, instead of outsourcing. Developing creative designers who can maintain brand consistency is the most difficult part of my job. <\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n
![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_57_01.jpg\")
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_57_02.jpg\")
<\/div>\n![\"G.C.PRESS](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_57_03.jpg\")
<\/p>\nG.C.PRESS Ginza store <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\nSeeking higher appreciation of handwritten letters in times of convenient communication. <\/h4>\n\n- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Could you please name some of your long-selling products? <\/dd>\n
- Mitsuoka<\/dt>\n
- That would be our \u201cUn ruban doux\u201d line of writing paper. It is simple but elegant embossed paper, which is very popular for formal use. Paper has become very expensive, but we have managed to maintain our initial price and still sell 10 sheets for 380 yen.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima <\/dt>\n
- What an impressive example of corporate effort! I just had a quick look at your products and found so many items that I use at home! I had never realized that they were made by G.C.PRESS. <\/dd>\n
- Mitsuoka<\/dt>\n
- Thank you. The Ginza store is the only store that our company runs directly, but since our clients are located nationwide, I would not be surprised if people used our products unknowingly. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- I noticed that you have a line of bridal stationery. <\/dd>\n
- Mitsuoka<\/dt>\n
- Yes we offer paper products, such as invitation cards and seating cards, as well as albums and guest books. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- They are very elegantly and beautifully designed! <\/dd>\n
- Mitsuoka<\/dt>\n
- Since the Wedding Day is a big day in a person\u2019s life marking a new beginning, we try to design products to be fit for the occasion. There is a touching episode from one of our customers who had continued to exchange love letters written on our stationery throughout their courtship \u2013 from their meeting to their marriage. Their wish to use the same stationery for their invitation cards made us feel happy as well. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- What a moving story! It must have been a most inspiring story for you, as the producer.
Do you have any other recommendations? <\/dd>\n - Mitsuoka <\/dt>\n
- We have a line of \u201cbook cards\u201d, which are small picture books that can be sent in place of a card. They tell stories that can be enjoyed by adults as well as children, and they also include space for a handwritten \u201cthank you\u201d or \u201ccongratulations\u201d. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Can they be sent in the mail?<\/dd>\n
- Mitusoka <\/dt>\n
- Yes, they can. If you send them along with a gift, they will help convey your message in a more personal way than just sending the gift alone. Now that we live in times with convenient communication instruments such as email, I would like to rethink the value of handwritten letters. I believe that even a small message card contaning just a few words delivers the heart. <\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n\n
![\"\u30a2\u30f3\u30ea\u30e5\u30d0\u30f3\u30c9\u30a5\u30fc](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_57_04.jpg\")
<\/p>\n\u201dun ruban doux\u201d writing paper<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
![\"\u30d6\u30c3\u30af\u30ab\u30fc\u30c9\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_57_05.jpg\")
<\/p>\nbook cards<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
<\/p>\n
\nHandwriting is a person\u2019s identity. There is no \u201cgood\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d handwriting. <\/h4>\n\n- Takashima <\/dt>\n
- It occurred to me, listening to the episode about the love letters, that I cannot even remember the last time I wrote a letter. I think more and more people have become like me, but when I receive things from mindful people or from elderly people, I always find a small note enclosed. I do want to do the same\u2026. <\/dd>\n
- Mitsuoka<\/dt>\n
- I believe that when one becomes too obsessed with manners, writing becomes a bother, but even a short handwritten note gives an entirely different impression. Writing is not only a simple way of communication, it is a means to express one\u2019s individuality. I hope to encourage more people to appreciate the art of communicating thorough writing. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- My penmanship is so poor that I feel even more reluctant to write (laughs). I am afraid that people who read my letter would think I was joking. If I wrote an absent note for my children, the teacher may think it was forged (laughs). <\/dd>\n
- Mitsuoka<\/dt>\n
- Handwriting styles are a part of a person\u2019s identity. I would not be too conscious about it (laughs). <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- I have always wished that there were stationery with short messages like \u201cthank you\u201d printed in very light ink so that I could trace it with a pen. That would make it handwritten, but not offending, so I wouldn\u2019t have to feel embarrassed sending letters. <\/dd>\n
- Mitsuoka<\/dt>\n
- Like a calligraphy text book (laughs). Different pens give different impressions of handwriting. For example, fountain pen ink feathers, which has the effect of making writing appear beautiful.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- I had always believed that a fountain pen was the last item that someone with ugly handwriting like me should use! <\/dd>\n
- Mitsuoka<\/dt>\n
- Not at all. Ball point pens and mechanical pencils reproduce a person\u2019s handwriting precisely. Fountain pens use waterborne ink, which is absorbed into paper beautifully. Also, the pen tip glides more smoothly than other pens. Fountain pens can transform \u201cimproper\u201d penmanship into unique and attractive handwriting. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- I see. I will try it some time. <\/dd>\n
- Mitsuoka<\/dt>\n
- Since most writing paper and notepads are decorated, personal handwriting gives a brighter appearance and blends in better with the design, compared to than textbook letters.<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n\n
![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_57_06.jpg\")
\n<\/div>\n![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_57_07.jpg\")
\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nHoping to continue business in the town of childhood dreams.<\/h4>\n\n\n- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Before we close, please tell me how you feel about Ginza. <\/dd>\n
- Mitsuoka<\/dt>\n
- My parent would often bring me to Ginza and it was always a place of dreams. Now that I work here as an adult, I feel that it features a good balance of the old and the new and a wonderful display of diversity. Its charm is that people of all ages \u2013 from children to the elderly \u2013 can feel at ease and enjoy their time in Ginza. My parents were also emotionally attached to Ginza. They both love the town and had always hoped to have a store here. Six years ago, I was able to grant their wish at long last. I am determined to be focused and make every effort to be able to continue business here. <\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n
![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_57_08.jpg\")
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_57_09.jpg\")
<\/p>\n\nChisako Takashima<\/h4>\n
Violinist. Takashima started taking violin lessons from the age of 6. After a successful career abroad, she moved her home base to Japan, where she currently performs in concerts across the country. Highly noted for her character in TV and radio appearances, she has currently opened up her career to more diverse fields with an unchanged focus on her profession <\/p>\n
- \n
- Takashima <\/dt>\n
- Please tell me about the history of G.C.PRESS. <\/dd>\n
- Mitsuoka<\/dt>\n
- Since our establishment in 1979, we have sold original stationery products designed by our in-house designers. Fancy goods were very popular back then and we also made character goods and published children\u2019s books. After 1986, when one of our books received the Grand Prize at the Bologna Children\u2019s Book Fair, our name gained wide acknowledgement across the industry, and we have been publishing children\u2019s books and manufacturing original stationery ever since. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- The name of your store sounds very chic for a 40-year old business. What does G.C.Press stand for? <\/dd>\n
- Mitsuoka<\/dt>\n
- \u201dG\u201d is for \u201cgaze\u201d and \u201cC\u201d for \u201ccreation.\u201d \u201cPress\u201d conceptualizes our publishing business. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima\/dt><\/p>\n
- Has your store always been located here? <\/dd>\n
- Mitsuoka<\/dt>\n
- No, we moved here six years ago from Roppongi. What surprised me most is the range of customers we receive here. As we are located in an area with quite a number of art galleries, many of our customers bring in a sophisticated cultural atmosphere. Also, with many top firms in the area, many people drop by to select heartfelt items such as thank you cards and birthday cards. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima <\/dt>\n
- Are you the second-generation president of your company? <\/dd>\n
- Mitsuoka<\/dt>\n
- Yes, I assumed my current position ten years ago. Every day is full of new thing to learn. Our brand concept is to offer original products designed by in-house designers, so we make it a rule to recruit college graduates to educate on our own, instead of outsourcing. Developing creative designers who can maintain brand consistency is the most difficult part of my job. <\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/p>\n
G.C.PRESS Ginza store <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\nSeeking higher appreciation of handwritten letters in times of convenient communication. <\/h4>\n
- \n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Could you please name some of your long-selling products? <\/dd>\n
- Mitsuoka<\/dt>\n
- That would be our \u201cUn ruban doux\u201d line of writing paper. It is simple but elegant embossed paper, which is very popular for formal use. Paper has become very expensive, but we have managed to maintain our initial price and still sell 10 sheets for 380 yen.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima <\/dt>\n
- What an impressive example of corporate effort! I just had a quick look at your products and found so many items that I use at home! I had never realized that they were made by G.C.PRESS. <\/dd>\n
- Mitsuoka<\/dt>\n
- Thank you. The Ginza store is the only store that our company runs directly, but since our clients are located nationwide, I would not be surprised if people used our products unknowingly. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- I noticed that you have a line of bridal stationery. <\/dd>\n
- Mitsuoka<\/dt>\n
- Yes we offer paper products, such as invitation cards and seating cards, as well as albums and guest books. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- They are very elegantly and beautifully designed! <\/dd>\n
- Mitsuoka<\/dt>\n
- Since the Wedding Day is a big day in a person\u2019s life marking a new beginning, we try to design products to be fit for the occasion. There is a touching episode from one of our customers who had continued to exchange love letters written on our stationery throughout their courtship \u2013 from their meeting to their marriage. Their wish to use the same stationery for their invitation cards made us feel happy as well. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- What a moving story! It must have been a most inspiring story for you, as the producer.
Do you have any other recommendations? <\/dd>\n - Mitsuoka <\/dt>\n
- We have a line of \u201cbook cards\u201d, which are small picture books that can be sent in place of a card. They tell stories that can be enjoyed by adults as well as children, and they also include space for a handwritten \u201cthank you\u201d or \u201ccongratulations\u201d. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Can they be sent in the mail?<\/dd>\n
- Mitusoka <\/dt>\n
- Yes, they can. If you send them along with a gift, they will help convey your message in a more personal way than just sending the gift alone. Now that we live in times with convenient communication instruments such as email, I would like to rethink the value of handwritten letters. I believe that even a small message card contaning just a few words delivers the heart. <\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/p>\n
\u201dun ruban doux\u201d writing paper<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
<\/p>\nbook cards<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
<\/p>\n
\nHandwriting is a person\u2019s identity. There is no \u201cgood\u201d or \u201cpoor\u201d handwriting. <\/h4>\n
- \n
- Takashima <\/dt>\n
- It occurred to me, listening to the episode about the love letters, that I cannot even remember the last time I wrote a letter. I think more and more people have become like me, but when I receive things from mindful people or from elderly people, I always find a small note enclosed. I do want to do the same\u2026. <\/dd>\n
- Mitsuoka<\/dt>\n
- I believe that when one becomes too obsessed with manners, writing becomes a bother, but even a short handwritten note gives an entirely different impression. Writing is not only a simple way of communication, it is a means to express one\u2019s individuality. I hope to encourage more people to appreciate the art of communicating thorough writing. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- My penmanship is so poor that I feel even more reluctant to write (laughs). I am afraid that people who read my letter would think I was joking. If I wrote an absent note for my children, the teacher may think it was forged (laughs). <\/dd>\n
- Mitsuoka<\/dt>\n
- Handwriting styles are a part of a person\u2019s identity. I would not be too conscious about it (laughs). <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- I have always wished that there were stationery with short messages like \u201cthank you\u201d printed in very light ink so that I could trace it with a pen. That would make it handwritten, but not offending, so I wouldn\u2019t have to feel embarrassed sending letters. <\/dd>\n
- Mitsuoka<\/dt>\n
- Like a calligraphy text book (laughs). Different pens give different impressions of handwriting. For example, fountain pen ink feathers, which has the effect of making writing appear beautiful.<\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- I had always believed that a fountain pen was the last item that someone with ugly handwriting like me should use! <\/dd>\n
- Mitsuoka<\/dt>\n
- Not at all. Ball point pens and mechanical pencils reproduce a person\u2019s handwriting precisely. Fountain pens use waterborne ink, which is absorbed into paper beautifully. Also, the pen tip glides more smoothly than other pens. Fountain pens can transform \u201cimproper\u201d penmanship into unique and attractive handwriting. <\/dd>\n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- I see. I will try it some time. <\/dd>\n
- Mitsuoka<\/dt>\n
- Since most writing paper and notepads are decorated, personal handwriting gives a brighter appearance and blends in better with the design, compared to than textbook letters.<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
Hoping to continue business in the town of childhood dreams.<\/h4>\n
\n- \n
- Takashima<\/dt>\n
- Before we close, please tell me how you feel about Ginza. <\/dd>\n
- Mitsuoka<\/dt>\n
- My parent would often bring me to Ginza and it was always a place of dreams. Now that I work here as an adult, I feel that it features a good balance of the old and the new and a wonderful display of diversity. Its charm is that people of all ages \u2013 from children to the elderly \u2013 can feel at ease and enjoy their time in Ginza. My parents were also emotionally attached to Ginza. They both love the town and had always hoped to have a store here. Six years ago, I was able to grant their wish at long last. I am determined to be focused and make every effort to be able to continue business here. <\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/p>\n\n
Chisako Takashima<\/h4>\n
Violinist. Takashima started taking violin lessons from the age of 6. After a successful career abroad, she moved her home base to Japan, where she currently performs in concerts across the country. Highly noted for her character in TV and radio appearances, she has currently opened up her career to more diverse fields with an unchanged focus on her profession <\/p>\n
![\"MUSE\u301c12](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Connect_cd_muse.jpg\")
<\/p>\n