The 'Yojiya Group', with a history spanning 120 years, started out selling theatrical makeup tools. Given the context of Kyoto, where there were bustling flower districts and kabuki was popular, theatrical makeup tools were widely loved and deeply rooted in people's daily lives. The company's signature product, blotting paper, was born from the voices of theatre actors and has become a long-loved product.
Although the company is strongly associated with Kyoto souvenirs, it is currently working on building a brand with a strategy to 'break away from tourism dependence'. In this article, we talked to Koh Kunieda, President and CEO of the company, and Suzu Nakae, who is in charge of public relations, to find out more about the company's history and what it's doing as a skincare brand.
PROFILE
Koh Kunieda
President & CEO of Yojiya Group
PROFILE
Suzu Nakae
Public Relations, Yojiya Group
Expanding the Tourism Business After a Blotting Paper Boom
Can you tell us about the background of the foundation of your company?
Nakae"Originally, our company was doing hawking of theatrical makeup tools, but in 1904 we opened a store called 'Kunieda Shoten' on the lower side of Sanjo Gokomachi. At the time, the business of theatrical makeup tools was widely loved in Kyoto. Eventually, we moved our store to Shinkyogoku, the busiest street in Kyoto.
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