Inside Shizuoka’s Most Playful Stationery Store: A Hidden Gem You’ll Want to Visit

Last September, I visited Shizuoka with our team as part of our Heroes of Suruga storytelling videos project. What I expected was a simple filming trip; instead, I found a town full of heart. Before shoots, I wandered into small local shops, chatted with shop owners, and was welcomed with a kindness that felt deeply human and deeply Japanese. Shizuoka may not always be the first place travelers think of, but that’s exactly what makes it so unique. One of the shops that left a lasting impression on me was the Oishi Stationery Store. From the fun 3D photo spots to all the handwritten Shizuoka trivia around the shop, it really feels like the playful spirit of Shizuoka mixed with Mr. Oishi, the store’s sixth-generation owner’s personality and creativity. I’m so excited to share Mr. Oishi’s story with you, and through it, inspire more people to discover this warm, colorful, and welcoming corner of Japan!

Hi Oishi-san! Can you please introduce yourself?

Hey! I’m Yasuhiro Oishi. I was born and raised right here in Shizuoka. I spent eight years living in Tokyo, four of those working at a stationery shop in Ginza, before moving back home to take over the family business.

Your store is over 150 years old, and you are the sixth-generation owner. Could you tell us the story of how Oishi Stationery Store began and how it has been passed down in your family?

Our roots go all the way back to 1865. We’ve been in the same location since the start, originally selling daily goods like paper, candles, and traditional fans. I’m the 6th generation to take the reins, carrying on a legacy that’s been in the family for over 150 years.

What is it like running a stationery shop on a local shopping street in Shizuoka? How would you describe the atmosphere and the people in the neighborhood?

Our shopping street is located right near the North Exit of Shizuoka Station. It’s a unique spot, a mix of a bustling business district and a cozy residential area. We’re also lucky to have the Ogushi Shrine right on our street, and the historic Fugetsu-ro (the former site of a Shogun’s mansion) just steps away.

The area has such a great vibe because it’s a blend of everything. You’ll find traditional shops selling Shizuoka specialties like local tea and kamaboko (fish cakes) sitting right alongside trendy new cafes, boutiques, and even large department stores.

There’s always something happening here, too! We have the Shizuoka Festival in April, the Abekawa Fireworks in July, the Summer Night Market in August, the Daidogei World Cup (street performance festival) in November, and the Oden Festival in February. Plus, plenty of other pop-up events throughout the year. It’s always buzzing with locals and visitors from all over the world.

Stationery is something everyone uses, so I get to meet people of all ages, genders, and nationalities. Every day feels fresh and exciting, and getting to connect with such a diverse range of customers makes my work so rewarding.

Your store is filled with 3D illusion photo spots and handwritten trivia about Shizuoka. Why did you choose to decorate your store this way? How do you want your customers to feel when they walk into your store?

In a time where you can buy anything online, I’m focused on the kind of joy of shopping that you can only experience in person. I believe that true enjoyment comes from engaging all five senses: sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch. So, I’ve designed the shop to be a space where you can have a great time, even beyond just picking up stationery!

Here’s how we bring the five senses to life in-store:

• Sight: We have 3D photo spots where you can snap fun photos, optical illusions that make it look like you’re floating in mid-air or being sucked into a hole! We also have fountains, laser beams, and over 100 little yellow ‘trivia cards’ hidden around the shop with fun facts and tidbits.
• Sound: Our resident ‘Stationery Robot’ will strike up a conversation with you, all while we blast Rock music as our BGM!
• Smell: We use lovely fragrances throughout the store, and we even stock strawberry-scented pencils.
• Taste: Here’s a little challenge: if you spend over 300 yen, look for the ‘Secret Word of the Day’ hidden on one of those yellow trivia cards. Tell us the word at the register, and you’ll get a piece of chocolate! (The word and its location change all the time.)
• Touch: For me, this is all about human connection and communication.

I want customers to leave knowing a bit more about stationery and Shizuoka than when you walked in. Between the new discoveries and the quirky surprises, I guarantee it’ll be an exciting visit!

I noticed the small stationery robot you made yourself in the shop, it’s so creative and adorable! How did you come up with the idea, and what does it represent to you?

The ‘Stationery Robot’ is another fun feature I’ve added to the shop. It’s actually built entirely out of parts from famous, long-selling stationery brands that everyone in Japan grew up with! To be honest, it looks a bit clunky and goofy, but it’s a hard worker. When you walk past, its sensors kick in and it’ll start chatting away, greeting you, giving you the shop hours, or letting you know that we have extra stock in the back and can handle special orders. Sometimes it even tries out tongue twisters! It can’t actually hold a conversation (it just talks at you, haha), but it’s definitely KAWAII!

I heard you are a big fan of rock music and band culture. How did that start, and how does it influence you and your shop?

I’ve been a huge rock fan ever since I saw KISS when I was 11 years old. From there, I fell down the rabbit hole of Hard Rock, picked up a guitar, and even started a cover band with my friends playing all the hits. Though the band has since split up, my passion for the music is still going strong! If you visit our store, you’ll hear 80s American and British rock blasting through the speakers. On weekdays, I’m usually in a suit, but on the weekends, I trade the tie for my favorite rock tees to run the shop. I wonder if it’s weird to play music in a store in other countries!

Looking back on all the years you’ve run this shop, what is one moment or episode that stands out as especially memorable to you?

One time, a customer got so caught up in hunting for the yellow trivia cards in our store that they ended up staying for four hours! There is also a girl from Canada who makes it a point to stop by and say hello every single time she visits Shizuoka!

Are there any items in your store that you think international visitors would especially love?

The products I recommend most are our shop originals, they’re designed to be the perfect souvenir or memory of Shizuoka. Our city is famous for its strawberries and wasabi, so I wanted to capture that in our stationery.

First, we have the Strawberry Pencil. It’s bright red with a triangular barrel and a faint strawberry scent. I even added a 15cm ruler marking to the pencil because it’s a bit of a pun. In Japanese, ‘one’ (Ichi) and ‘five’ (Go) sounds like Ichigo, our word for strawberry.

Then there’s the Wasabi Pencil. It’s green with a traditional Japanese pattern and uses 3B lead. We label it as ’03B’ because 0 (Wa), 3 (Sa), and B (Bi) sounds like Wasabi. If you look closely at the hexagonal sides, you’ll see dice printed on them, that’s because wasabi soy sauce is the perfect match for ‘dice-cut’ steak. Both of these pencils have the Japanese words “Made in Shizuoka” printed on them!

Shizuoka is also a major hub for the plastic model industry. Back in the era of Tokugawa Ieyasu, master craftsmen were gathered here, and that spirit of craftsmanship eventually evolved into the model industry we see today. In fact, about 80% of Japan’s plastic models are made right here in Shizuoka. Around Shizuoka Station, there are several ‘model-kit’ monuments, like public phones, mailboxes, and benches designed to look like plastic model parts. It’s a lot of fun to go on a scavenger hunt for them. Our Model-Style Postcard is a nod to that culture. At first glance, it just looks like a model kit design, but you can actually cut and assemble the paper into figures, calendars, or even working paper airplanes. It allows the recipient to enjoy a bit of making even after they’ve read the message.

We also have a Mount Fuji Tissue Cover which is shaped like the mountain and secures the tissue box with Velcro.

Beyond our originals, Japanese stationery is famous for being both functional and adorable. Whether it’s noshi-bukuro (traditional envelopes for gifting money), brush pens that dry in a single second, or our popular food-shaped erasers, you can really feel Japanese culture through these items. We even carry traditional toys like kendama and kaleidoscopes. I always encourage people to just take a stroll through the aisles and see what they discover.

You were born and raised in Shizuoka. What do you think makes Shizuoka special for travelers? What are some places in Shizuoka you would recommend visiting, and what foods should travelers definitely try?

Shizuoka is such a comfortable place to live. The climate is mild, and we’re surrounded by incredible nature, both mountains and the sea. Because of that, we’re blessed with amazing food from both land and water.

Of course, Mount Fuji is our pride and joy, not just for Shizuoka, but for all of Japan. If you’re looking for the ultimate view, Nihondaira is the place to go. You can see Mount Fuji and Suruga Bay all at once. While the Nihondaira Yume Terrace observatory is very famous, I personally love the view from the Nihondaira Hotel. Unless there’s a private event, they actually keep their gardens open to the public for free!

We’re also famous as a top producer of tea and fruit, everything from mikan oranges and strawberries to melons. And because the Shimizu, Mochimune, and Yaizu fishing ports are so close, the seafood is incredibly fresh.

Sashimi is a must, but if you want something you can only find in Shizuoka, you have to try Kuro Hanpen (a grey fish cake made from minced whole fish). You can easily find it at izakayas in the evening. There are so many ways to eat it—raw with wasabi, grilled with ginger, or simmered in oden. Personally, my favorite way is deep-fried (Kuro Hanpen Fry). I like to squeeze a little lemon on top and eat it with sauce, soy sauce, or even mayo. If you’re looking for a snack during the day, there’s a shop near my store called Kamakiku where you can eat it standing up right then and there.

Sakura Shrimp tempura is another unique Shizuoka delicacy. If you enjoy a drink, it’s the absolute best pairing for a cold beer or some local sake! And for dessert, Nanaya is very popular, they’re famous for their matcha gelato, where you can actually choose exactly how intense you want the green tea flavor to be.

Some travelers might not think of visiting a stationery shop while traveling. Why do you think local stationery stores are a fun and meaningful part of a trip?

Japanese stationery is known for being incredibly functional, beautifully designed, and often very ‘kawaii.’ For true stationery enthusiasts or anyone who’s interested, I always recommend checking out Ginza Itoya in Tokyo. Also, in Fuji City, just a short trip from Shizuoka, there’s a shop called ink, which has one of the largest floor spaces in the entire prefecture. They are definitely worth a visit.

That said, I think my shop is a bit of a rarity among Japanese stationery stores. We aren’t a massive space, so we can’t compete with the big retailers when it comes to sheer variety or volume. However, we have our original Shizuoka-themed products, and more than anything, I want the experience of being in the shop to become a cherished travel memory.

Buying stationery might not be at the top of your list while traveling, but I believe that by looking at the everyday tools Japanese people use, you can catch a glimpse of our culture and perhaps make some new discoveries. If you leave our shop having had a great time, I couldn’t be happier!

Anything else you’d like to share with our audience?

I truly hope you enjoy everything Shizuoka has to offer to the fullest. And if you’re curious, please do stop by the shop. I would love to meet all of you!

You can check out Oishi Stationery Store and connect with Mr. Oishi here:

Location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/fyD4VpumLPvRDpWd8 

X: https://x.com/ooishibungu 

Website (accessible in Japan only): https://oo14bung.eshizuoka.jp/ 

Visiting Mr. Oishi’s stationery store left a mark on me that I can’t quite forget. Wandering through the colorful shopping street, I felt like I had stepped into a place where time slows down, yet every corner bursts with life and personality. If you’re planning a trip to Japan, take the time to stroll down this charming region, explore its little shops, and experience the magic of Oishi Stationery Store. You’ll leave with stories that stay with you long after you’ve gone. Trust me, Shizuoka will surprise you, delight you, and inspire you, and Oishi Stationery Store is a perfect window into all the charm this city has to offer!

Featured Photo Credit: Catherine Chong

Make sure to reach out to our team to organize a custom trip to Suruga so you can visit Mr. Oishi’s Stationary store and meet the many other locals and artisans in the area for yourself!