Kuretake
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1902
- HeadquartersNara, Japan
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
Kuretake firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Kuretake
- Legal name
- 株式会社呉竹
- Website
- https://kuretake.co.jp
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1902
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Kuretake industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Writing Instruments and Art Supplies Manufacturing
- NAICS
- Office Supplies (except Paper) Manufacturing (339940), Printing Ink Manufacturing (325910)
- SIC
- Pens, Pencils & Other Artists' Materials (3950)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Printing Inks (IMAEAHAG)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Stationery & Office Paper Products (notebooks, pads, forms) (IMAMAHAG)
Keywords
Where Kuretake is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Nara
- HQ country
- Japan
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices6 records
Markets served
Kuretake business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Art & Craft Products: Sales of calligraphy supplies (墨, 書道用品, 書道セット), brush pens (筆ぺん), marking pens, and art & craft materials through agency networks and e-commerce platforms.
- Industrial Applications: Sales of pen-shaped containers for industrial coating applications, conductive carbon coatings, industrial markers (オペークペン), and industrial adhesives to manufacturing companies.
- Cosmetics OEM: Manufacturing and supplying cosmetics containers and applicators, leveraging 40+ years of brush pen technology. Offers container design, production, and product development services for cosmetics brands.
- Snow Melting Solutions: Sale of SR Black liquid snow melting agent using carbon black as main component, for golf courses, orchards, and drone distribution applications.
- B2B Online Sales: Direct online ordering platform for corporate customers to purchase industrial products and commercial quantities of consumer products.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Standard product pricing through B2B online ordering system |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Consumer e-commerce pricing |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
Kuretake product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Kuretake Co., Ltd. manufactures and sells traditional Japanese art supplies, calligraphy tools, brush pens (Fude Pen), inks, and writing instruments under brands including Kuretake, ZIG, GANSAI TAMBI, and Kuretake Fude Pen. The company also operates an industrial division producing pen-shaped containers, conductive carbon coatings, opaque pens, snow-melting agents, and adhesives, alongside cosmetics OEM/private-label manufacturing services utilizing its proprietary ink and micro-particle dispersion technologies.
Product overview
Kuretake is a traditional Japanese stationery and art materials manufacturer founded in Nara in 1902, operating as an 'Art & Craft Company' that develops, manufactures, and sells calligraphy products, brush pens, art supplies, and industrial applications. The core product portfolio centers on three main brands: Kuretake (呉竹) as the parent company brand; ZIG by Kuretake for expression tools including pens, markers, brush pens, and water brushes; and GANSAI TAMBI (顔彩耽美) for Japanese color expression. Key consumer products include the signature 'くれ竹筆ぺん' brush pens, '墨滴' liquid ink, calligraphy brushes, '万年毛筆' fountain brush pens, 'ZIG Clean Color Dot' dot pens, 'ZIG Clean Color Real Brush' watercolor brush pens, 'ZIG Letter Pen COCOIRO' refillable pens, 'ORINOTE' accordion notebooks, 'ink-café' DIY color ink products, and 'お化粧ふでぺん' makeup brush pens. The company also operates an industrial division developing pen-shaped application containers, conductive carbon coatings, liquid snow-melting agents (SR Black), opaque masking pens, industrial adhesives, matte black inks, and OEM cosmetics manufacturing. The subsidiary Seishodo handles manufacturing and quality control. Kuretake exports to 80+ countries and offers ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certified quality management systems.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- ZIG by Kuretake: Expression Tool Brand for writing instruments including pens, markers, and brush pens, supporting writing, drawing, and coloring experiences.
- 顔彩耽美 (GANSAI TAMBI)
- くれ竹筆ぺん (Kuretake Fude Pen)
Products and services
- Kuretake Fude Pen (くれ竹筆ぺん) Disposable brush pen with a fibrous ink reservoir for calligraphy, lettering, and brush-lettering; used by individual artists, hobbyists, and calligraphers.
- ZIG Letter Pen COCOIRO Letter pen designed for brush lettering enthusiasts and calligraphers; sold to individual consumers and hobbyists.
- ORINOTE for Watercolor Watercolor notebook product for individual artists and hobbyists; part of the 2026 new product lineup.
- Makeup Fudepen (new color variants) Brush pens for makeup application, sold to individual consumers for cosmetic and beauty use.
- GANSAI TAMBI Granulating Colors 3 Granulating watercolor paint set under the GANSAI TAMBI brand; targeted at watercolor artists and illustrators.
- Black Twin Marker Set Twin-tip marker set for illustrators and manga artists; sold to individual artists and hobbyists.
- Yume Ginga
Quantifiable outcome
- Products distributed to over 80 countries worldwide
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Kuretake
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Kuretake technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Kuretake partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Korean Folk Painting Association (韓国民画協会)coreKuretake co-sponsored the 韓国民画協会 Exhibition 2026 'Stories of Color Resonating Through Time' held in Nara's Nakamachi district. The exhibition featured traditional Korean folk paintings (民画/minnga) and included factory tours at Kuretake headquarters, promoting cultural exchange through art and traditional crafts.
- Tenri University (天理大学)coreKuretake entered into a comprehensive cooperation agreement with Tenri University's Faculty of Foreign Studies, Korean Language Department. University students and faculty have provided translation support for event materials and interpretation services for the 韓国民画協会 exhibition and factory tours, facilitating cultural exchange between Japan and Korea.
- Studio KASHO (ガラス工房スタジオ嘉硝)minorCollaboration for 文房五寶 collection featuring Japanese-made glass pens. Studio KASHO, a glass artisan workshop in Fukui Prefecture, produces glass pens using traditional techniques invented in 1902. The partnership combines Kuretake's ink expertise with artisan glass-making skills.
- Fukunishi Washi Honpo (福西和紙本舗)minorPartnership for traditional Japanese paper (washi) used in 文房五寶 collection. The Nara-based paper maker has continued traditional hand-made washi techniques since the Edo period, producing paper using 楮 (paper mulberry) with white clay coating and sun-drying methods.
- Houkendo (宝研堂)minorCollaboration for inkstone (硯) production in the 文房五寶 collection. Houkendo, based in Miyagi Prefecture and Tokyo, produces inkstones from GENSAKU stone with superior ink-grinding performance, featuring unique spherical grinding surface design for modern lifestyles.
- Sugiura Seihitsusho (株式会社杉浦製筆所)minorPartnership for premium calligraphy brushes in 文房五寶 collection. Located in Toyohashi, Aichi Prefecture, the traditional craftsperson creates brushes featuring scarce itachi (weasel) tail hair for superior brush control and elasticity suitable for both kana and kanji writing.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Kuretake competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Sakura Color Products: Japanese manufacturer of art materials, brush pens, markers, and stationery products including the Pigma Micron fineliner. Directly comparable to Kuretake as a Japan-based art supply and writing instrument maker with overlapping ZIG/Micron-style product lines and global distribution.
- Pentel: Japanese manufacturer of writing instruments including brush pens (Pentel Pocket Brush), markers, and art supplies. Comparable to Kuretake in its brush pen product category, traditional Japanese craftsmanship positioning, and global retail distribution.
- Tombow: Japanese stationery and writing instrument manufacturer known for MONO erasers, brush pens, and Dual Brush Pens for calligraphy and illustration. Directly competes with Kuretake in the brush pen and marker segment globally.
- Zebra Pen: Japanese pen manufacturer producing brush pens, ballpoint, and gel pens including the Zebra disposable calligraphy brush pen. Comparable product portfolio and Japanese heritage positioning in writing instruments.
- Copic (Too Corporation): Japanese manufacturer of professional alcohol-based markers and refillable inking tools widely used by illustrators and manga artists. Directly comparable to Kuretake's ZIG brush pen and manga product lines serving the same creator customer base.
Broad incumbents
- Pilot Corporation: Major Japanese pen manufacturer with a much broader portfolio (Namiki, Vanishing Point, FriXion, juice up). Comparable brush pen and calligraphy ink technologies but with significantly larger global scale across multiple writing categories.
- Faber-Castell: German global art supplies and writing instrument manufacturer with deep heritage. Comparable broad art/stationery portfolio (Pitt artist pens, Castell 9000) and global distribution, though much larger scale and broader than Kuretake.
- Staedtler: German writing and art supplies manufacturer known for pigment liners, fineliners, and traditional drafting tools. Comparable in its pigment/fineliner product overlap with Kuretake's ZIG line and global art-supply distribution.
Regional players
- Maruman Co., Ltd. Japanese manufacturer of notebooks (Mnemosyne), sketchbooks, and art paper products. Comparable to Kuretake in its Japan-centric stationery and paper-based art product offerings, though more focused on paper goods.
Emerging players
- Winsor & Newton: UK-based fine art materials manufacturer (watercolors, inks, brushes). Comparable to Kuretake in the watercolor and professional artist ink category, particularly GANSAI TAMBI, with deep heritage and premium artist positioning.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Kuretake social profiles
Digital presenceKuretake compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Kuretake financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Kuretake leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Kuretake subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Kuretake funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Kuretake M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Kuretake
What does Kuretake do?
Kuretake Co., Ltd. manufactures and sells traditional Japanese art supplies, calligraphy tools, brush pens (Fude Pen), inks, and writing instruments under brands including Kuretake, ZIG, GANSAI TAMBI, and Kuretake Fude Pen. The company also operates an industrial division producing pen-shaped containers, conductive carbon coatings, opaque pens, snow-melting agents, and adhesives, alongside cosmetics OEM/private-label manufacturing services utilizing its proprietary ink and micro-particle dispersion technologies.
Is Kuretake a public or private company?
Kuretake is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Kuretake founded?
Kuretake was founded in 1902. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Kuretake based?
Kuretake is headquartered in Nara, Japan, in the Asia region.
How does Kuretake make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Art & Craft Products are the primary driver. The others are industrial Applications, cosmetics OEM, snow Melting Solutions and B2B Online Sales.
Who are Kuretake's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Sakura Color Products, Pentel, Tombow, Zebra Pen and Copic (Too Corporation). Broad incumbents are Pilot Corporation, Faber-Castell and Staedtler. Maruman Co., Ltd. is listed as a regional player. Winsor & Newton is listed as an emerging player.
Does Kuretake have an API?
No public API is recorded for Kuretake.
What industry is Kuretake in?
Kuretake's product category is Writing Instruments and Art Supplies Manufacturing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAEAHAG, Printing Inks, with a secondary code of IMAMAHAG, Stationery & Office Paper Products (notebooks, pads, forms). Its NAICS code is 339940 and its SIC code is 3950.