Exhibition
ICHIKUDO at Maison & Objet 2025 & 2026:
Exploring New Possibilities for Japanese Paper Products
Maison & Objet, held twice a year in Paris, is one of the leading international trade fairs for design, lifestyle, gift, and interior products. ICHIKUDO participated in the January editions of 2025 and 2026, presenting its original creations to buyers, retailers, distributors, and design professionals from around the world.
Founded in Tokyo in 1910, ICHIKUDO has spent more than a century working with paper and print. While our roots lie in traditional printing, our focus today is on creating products that combine craftsmanship, design, and functionality for contemporary lifestyles.
Presenting ICHIKUDO to an International Audience
At Maison & Objet, we introduced a selection of original products including calendars, postcards, stationery items, and paper goods developed through our in-house design and production expertise.
The exhibition offered a valuable opportunity to exchange directly with professionals from museum shops, concept stores, stationery retailers, and gift boutiques. Beyond discussing products themselves, many conversations focused on how consumers engage with objects, what makes a product memorable, and how design can create a lasting connection with its user.
From Product to Experience
One product that particularly embodied this discussion was our “BENTO CALENDAR”, available in two editions with one in collaboration with chef Masahiro Kasahara.
More than a calendar, it is designed as an ongoing experience throughout the year. Each month introduces an exclusive recipe that can be accessed through a QR code, allowing users to discover seasonal Japanese cuisine alongside the calendar itself.
The response to this concept reflected a broader trend we observed during the exhibition. Increasingly, buyers are looking for products that offer more than a single function. Whether through storytelling, interaction, education, or cultural discovery, products that create an experience beyond their physical form tend to resonate more strongly with today’s consumers
For us, this confirms that paper remains a powerful medium—not only for printing information, but also for creating meaningful connections between people, ideas, and everyday life.
Looking Forward
Participating in Maison & Objet allowed us to better understand the expectations of international markets while sharing our own perspective on design and product development.
We would like to thank everyone who visited our booth in Paris and took the time to discover our work. The conversations we had during the exhibition continue to inspire new ideas and future collaborations.
As we continue expanding our presence overseas, we remain committed to exploring new possibilities for paper, print, and product design while building lasting relationships with partners around the world.
