What Lihit Lab does

Lihit Lab (株式会社リヒトラブ) is a privately held Japanese manufacturer of physical stationery, office organization, and desk workspace products, headquartered in Osaka with a Tokyo sales office. Its product portfolio spans files and binders (looper files, ring files, super punchless files, clear books, Z-type files), cases and bags (clear cases, document cases, bag-in-bags, CORDURA-fabric pouches), notebooks (open ring notebooks using a 1/3 inch pitch system and Twist Ring binding), pencil cases (silicone standing pen cases in the PuniLabo line), and an expanding desk-organization category (metal and MDF desk stands, keyboard stands, book ends, magnetic pockets, USB 3.0 hubs). The company organizes its SKUs into roughly 20 branded series including AQUA DROPs, PuniLabo, myfa (fan/collection storage), SMART FIT, SMART FIT ACTACT, REQUEST, Mutual, soeru, Roomy, Soffice, CIRCULA, XCOA, SELFANA, Collel, and others, plus a Made-to-Order customization service. Differentiation rests on proprietary functional mechanisms such as Twist Ring binding, Super Punchless filing, and the customizable Open Ring Note platform offering 390+ combinations; these designs have earned Japan Stationery Awards in 2024 and 2026.

The business model is unit-priced B2C/B2B hardware sales of low-to-mid-priced physical goods (¥170 to ¥9,800), sold through a multi-channel mix: a direct-to-consumer e-commerce store launched March 2023 at store.lihit-lab.com, an extensive Japan-wide dealer and wholesale network, stationery/office retail partners, department stores, and printed catalog sales via my.ebook5.net/lihitlab. Pricing is largely open-priced (set by retailers) with manufacturer suggested retail prices, and the company has announced price revisions in 2024 and 2026. Customer segments are diversified: office workers (document organization), students (open ring and twist note systems), hobbyist/oshi-katsu collectors (myfa, PuniLabo-Sanrio character licensing), and healthcare (medical record storage, medication organization). Geographic scope is Japan-only, with no disclosed international operations. The company invests in sustainability (FSC Chain of Custody certification in April 2025, CIRCULA upcycled materials, Noir×noir recycled interior materials) and participated in regional restructuring in late 2025 with the closure of its Sendai branch and Takamatsu liaison offices.

Name

Lihit Lab

Legal name

株式会社リヒトラブ

Website

https://lihit-lab.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1948

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Lihit Lab is a privately held Japanese manufacturer of stationery, files, notebooks, pen cases, and desk organization products, selling through its own DTC online store, dealer/wholesale networks, retail partners, and catalogs to office workers, students, hobbyist collectors, and healthcare buyers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Osaka

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Stationery Product Sales: One-time product sales of physical stationery and office supplies including files, binders, notebooks, pen cases, desk organizers, and carrying bags. Products are sold at fixed manufacturer suggested retail prices through direct online store, retail channels, and dealer networks.
2. Custom/Order-Made Products: Custom product manufacturing service (オーダーメイド) where customers can order personalized versions of existing product lines with custom specifications.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Lihit Lab is a Japanese manufacturer of physical stationery and office organization products, producing files, binders, notebooks, pen cases, desk stands, carrying bags, and medical filing supplies. The company sells through its own online store, retail partners, and dealer networks, with proprietary binding technologies such as Twist Ring and Super Punchless systems differentiating its product lines. It also offers custom-made products and an extensive branded series portfolio (AQUA DROPs, PuniLabo, myfa, SMART FIT, REQUEST, Mutual, and others).

Product overview

Lihit Lab is a Japanese stationery and office supplies manufacturer offering a comprehensive portfolio of physical organizational products. The company produces files and binders (looper files, ring files, punchless files, clear books), cases and bags (clear cases, document cases, bag-in-bags), pencil cases (standing pen cases, pouch types), notebooks (open ring notebooks, twist note systems), desk organization products (desk stands, bookends, magnetic pockets), medical supplies, and various branded series. Key brand series include AQUA DROPs (water-drop inspired designs), PuniLabo (silicone-based functional products), myfa (fandom and collection storage for oshi activities), SMART FIT ACTACT (water-repellent active bags), SMART FIT (CORDURA fabric durability), Desk Storage Series (workspace organization), REQUEST (extensive color and size options), Mutual (adult-colored minimal design), soeru (stylish daily stationery), Roomy (interior-matching storage), CIRCULA (sustainable materials), XCOA (display pen cases), and SELFANA (job hunting support). The company also offers customization services (made-to-order) and environmentally conscious product lines. Products are distributed through official online store, catalogs, and retail partners.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• AQUA DROPs: Ring files, clear books, clear cases, clipboard, bags, twist notebooks, and card holders with water-drop inspired design
• PuniLabo
• myfa
• SMART FIT ACTACT
• SMART FIT
• REQUEST
• Desk Area Series (机収納シリーズ)
• Mutual
• Soeru
• Roomy
• Soffice
• CIRCULA

Products and services

• AQUA DROPs Series A comprehensive stationery brand featuring ring files with twist rings, super punchless files, clear books, clear cases, clipboards, bags, twist notebooks, and card holders in water-drop inspired designs, targeting consumers seeking aesthetically unified office organization.
• PuniLabo Series Silicone-based functional stationery products including standing pen cases, slit pouches, earphone holders, zipper pouches, security buzzers, book band pen cases, magnetic clips, cable holders, screen cleaners, and silicon hot water bottles. Features Sanrio character collaboration editions.
• myfa (MY FAVORITE) Series Collection storage and fandom goods organization brand featuring decoration box pouches, clear binders, collection files, sticker collection binders, acrylic stands, card stand cases, pens, markers, and stickers for oshi (fandom) activities and collector hobbyists.
• SMART FIT Series Working scene-oriented carrying pouch and bag series using durable CORDURA fabric, featuring carrying pouches, bags, totes, clutch bags, mobile pouches, pen cases, clear books, ring files, punchless files, document files, and carrying holders for working professionals.
• SMART FIT ACTACT Series Water-repellent bag and pouch series for active individuals, featuring carrying bags, bag-in-bags, standing pen cases, compact pen cases, wide-open pen cases, and travel holders made from polyester with water-repellent coating.
• REQUEST Series Comprehensive office file and organization series with rich color variations and extensive size range from A2 to business card, featuring punchless files, D-ring files, slide bar files, stack boxes, book stands, holder stands, hanging folders, clear books, document files, clipboards, and desk trays.
• Open Ring Note / Twist Note Series Ring-bound notebooks featuring the 1/3-inch pitch system allowing leaf replacement like loose-leaf binders, with twist ring mechanisms enabling easy page insertion/removal and 360-degree foldable covers. The Customize Open Ring Notebook offers over 390 combinations of covers, rings, and paper types.
• Desk Storage Series Desktop organization and workspace comfort products including desk stands (low, high, tall types), MDF wood-tone desk stands, keyboard stands, bookends, magnetic pockets, trays, under-desk storage, USB 3.0 hubs, and desktop panels. Cumulative shipments exceeded 3.2 million units as of May 2024.
• Carrying & Bag-in-Bag Series Organizational bags and pouches for carrying items, featuring bag-in-bags with wide types, 2-way carrying bags, pen cases in book type, 2-way type, and flat type with various capacities.
• Files & Binders Comprehensive file and binder products including looper files, eunobi files, ring files, zipper/poly pipes, Z-type punchless files, slide bar files, clear books, binders, card/postcard/photo albums, passbook holders, and clipboards.
• Cases & Bags Storage cases and bags including clear cases, document cases, file cases, P.P. bags, sewn bags, bag-in-bags, accessory pouches, bag hangers, and shoulder belts.
• Pencil Cases Pencil cases and pen holders including standing pen cases that transform into pen stands, pouch-type pen cases, and other specialized pen cases.
• Notebooks Notebooks and related products including open ring notebooks, twist ring binding systems, replacement leaves, and notebook accessories.
• Desk Area & Office Supplies Desk organization and office supplies including desk stands, bookends, partitions, magnetic pockets and racks, box files, trays, organizing supplies, office supplies, slide cutters, electric drill/punch parts, and steel equipment.
• Medical Supplies Medical and healthcare organization products including home medical supplies, medical record folders and racks, card indexes, and medical record books.
• Mutual Series Adult-colored notebook and stationery series with minimalist design for daily life documentation and organization. Includes functional storage files and minimalist stitched products with adult color palette.
• Book Stand Series Book stands that prevent books from falling even with single book, with various width sizes and colors including limited editions.
• XCOA Series Functional pen cases that display writing instruments while providing organized storage.
• SELFANA Series Job hunting support series with '3 types of black' professional colors, targeted at job seekers.
• Custom/Order-Made Products (オーダーメイド) Custom product manufacturing service (オーダーメイド) where customers can order personalized versions of existing product lines with custom specifications for businesses and individual buyers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 3.2 million desk stand units shipped since product launch
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Sanrio Co., Ltd.flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 February 2025LIHIT LAB collaborated with Sanrio to release PuniLabo (プニラボ) series stand pen cases featuring Sanrio characters. This represents a major licensing collaboration bringing cute character designs to the popular standing pen case product line.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Mitsubishi Pencil Company (uni): Major Japanese writing-instrument and stationery maker (uni brand). Comparable as a Japanese stationery manufacturer with multi-category consumer presence and similar distribution through retail/dealer channels.
• Kokuyo Co., Ltd. Largest Japanese stationery and office-furniture company with a much broader portfolio spanning notebooks, files, office furniture, and supplies. Operates as a broad incumbent that competes with Lihit Lab on files/binders while also dominating adjacent office categories.
• Pentel Co., Ltd. Japanese stationery manufacturer with broad product lines including writing instruments and office supplies. Comparable as a Japanese consumer-stationery incumbent sharing retail and dealer channels with Lihit Lab.
• Tombow Pencil Co., Ltd. Long-established Japanese stationery manufacturer known for writing instruments and office supplies. Overlaps with Lihit Lab in Japanese stationery distribution channels and consumer stationery branding, though stronger in pens/markers than in files/binders.

Regional players

• Sakura Color Products Corporation: Japanese stationery and art-supplies manufacturer (Cray-Pas, Sakura). Comparable as a Japanese consumer-stationery maker sharing retail channels and targeting similar consumer segments, though more weighted toward art and color products.
• Zebra Pen Corporation: Japanese writing-instrument and stationery manufacturer. Comparable as a Japanese stationery incumbent sharing retail and dealer channels with Lihit Lab, particularly adjacent to its pen-case portfolio.
• Sailor Pen Co., Ltd. Japanese writing-instrument and stationery maker. Comparable as a Japanese consumer-stationery brand sharing retail channels, though stronger overlap with Lihit Lab's pen-case/pencil-case categories than with binders.

Direct peers

• King Jim Co., Ltd. Japanese stationery and office-organization manufacturer with overlapping product categories including files, binders, punchless mechanisms, and desk accessories. Closest direct peer to Lihit Lab in terms of binder/file technology and Japanese B2B dealer channel.
• Plus Corporation: Japanese stationery and office supplies manufacturer with comparable scope in files, binders, and desk organization. Competes with Lihit Lab across similar Japanese retail and dealer channels.

Others

• Office Depot (Kakuyasu Group subsidiary in Japan): Japan-based office-supply retailer that distributes third-party stationery brands including Lihit Lab. Adjacent rather than competing as a manufacturer, but materially comparable as a Japanese office-supply ecosystem participant and channel partner.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/lihitlab
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCNkD10S4y1PE8aiyPpLrSIA
• Facebookfacebook.com/LIHITLAB.INC
• Instagraminstagram.com/lihitlab._official
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lihit-lab-inc

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Lihit Lab