This spring, a new and unique type of cultural space opened inside Showa Commemorative National Park in Tachikawa: T-STORE. Operated under the Tachikawa Tourism & Convention Bureau, the project is produced by Fukunaga Print Co., a long-established print-processing factory that’s been rethinking what paper can do—and be.

“We want Tachikawa to be a launchpad for new ideas,” says Akiyoshi Yamada, president of Fukunaga Print. “A place where local artists and young creators can come together and explore new forms of expression.”

At Fukunaga Print, paper isn’t just a medium to write, print, and drawn on. It’s a material with sculptural and conceptual potential. Their Airvase transforms flat sheets into delicate, expandable forms. Their Terada Mokei series—1:100 scale paper models developed with architect Naoki Terada—reflects a different kind of imagination. Both can be found in museum shops from the National Art Center Tokyo to the Mori Art Museum, as well as at design landmarks like Itoya in Ginza.

Fukunaga Print has been working with paper since 1963. But it wasn’t until 2005 that they began producing and selling products under their own name—a rare move at the time, especially for a company whose business had mainly been contract work. “It started off more like an after-hours side project,” Akiyoshi says with a smile. Things shifted after a chance meeting with Shu Hagiwara, owner of the Tsukushi Stationery Shop in Kokubunji. Under Hagiwara’s encouragement, a casual experiment turned into a serious product line—one where the factory wasn’t just a vendor, but a creative partner. “That balance is what allowed us to do work that was both freer and more meaningful.”

Akiyoshi joined the company in 1990, shifting from the apparel industry to paper manufacturing after getting married. “At first, I had no idea what I was doing,” he says. “But I’d always loved art and design, and by the early 2000’s, I started looking for ways to bring creativity into the manufacturing side.”

That impulse has since deepened into a philosophy—one that treats paper not as something disposable, but as a medium for experimentation, dialogue, and lasting value.

In an era where digital technologies have made physical materials seem almost obsolete, the work of Fukunaga Print quietly asks: What deserves to remain in a future where paper may no longer be essential?

An Aesthetic of Presence, and the Visionary Impulse That Makes it Beautiful

Akiyoshi says, “We care more about whether each product carries meaning than about how many we sell. No matter how profitable the project is, if it doesn’t feel beautiful, I’m just not interested.”

When asked which companies embody this same sense of presence—where beauty resides not only in what is made, but in how it’s made—he names famous designers Comme des Garçons and Issey Miyake without hesitation. “It’s not just that they’re successful. Everything—their creations, their philosophy, their people—are beautiful and cool. I’ve worked with Issey Miyake for many years, and I’m always struck by how freely the younger employees experiment, and how respectfully they collaborate—even with small partners like us.”

That spirit runs through the Fukunaga Print factory floor. Veteran technician Mr. Mitarai—one of Akiyoshi’s most trusted team members—grins, “The best part is when something turns out exactly as I imagined.” Ms. Nakano, who handles the precise cuts required for the Terada Mokei line, lights up when given a difficult assignment: “The harder the cut, the more it gets me going. I want to take it on.”

There’s a shared spirit here: a kind of creative obsession. As Akiyoshi puts it, “I only have energy for what I love. And because I only do what I love, I can put everything into it.”

Akiyoshi isn’t interested in functional beauty. What he seeks is non-functional beauty—objects that have no reason to exist, except for that singular flash of feeling they provoke.

What defines a Fukunaga Print product, he says, is “a drop of poison”—an intentional sense of discomfort, a design that carries just enough creative unrest to break convention. His creative stance reflects an aesthetic of transgression, a refusal to be categorized. It’s precisely the strange and misunderstood things, he argues, that give rise to genuine innovation.

“Designers and artists need a little bit of wildness. If all you’re doing is tracing what’s already out there, you’ll never discover anything new. What we make doesn’t come from marketing. It comes from a kind of beautiful irrationality.”

He also understands how easily that edge can dull with time—and places his hope in the next generation. “Our success stories don’t mean much to them. All we can do is create an environment, and let them do their thing. Today, there are young creatives who push boundaries using AI with a wild, untamed sensibility. They might be the ones to redefine what expression means.

That future includes his own son, who now runs a company focused on urban design and video production. “When he looks at the factory—or even at paper—he sees something totally different. And honestly, I think that’s where the future lies.”

Even as the role of print continues to shift, Akiyoshi remains quietly sure of one thing: paper still has a future. And perhaps, in its refusal to die out quietly, it will find new life—utilizing a magical combination of human touch of craftsmanship with digital possibility. Fukunaga Print is proof that when beauty is fueled by obsession—and guided by a touch of radical imagination—it always finds a way to endure.

About Tachikawa

Tachikawa is known for its history as the site of a U.S. military base, which brought significant changes to the area, spurring infrastructure development and economic growth after the war. After the base was later returned to Japan, Tachikawa actively engaged in urban redevelopment. Today, Tachikawa flourishes as the gateway to Tama. As a tourist destination, Tachikawa is home to the Showa Commemorative National Park and has recently gained popularity as a mecca for anime and manga fans.

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