Hello. We are Tomigaya Letterpress, a small letterpress and risograph studio located in a quiet residential area on the outskirts of Shibuya, Tokyo. In this blog, we would like to share little by little the appeal of letterpress printing, which we cherish, and the thoughts we put into the works created in our studio.
Tomigaya and Kuroiso
We have two studios: Tomigaya Studio in Shibuya Ward, Tokyo, and Kuroiso Studio in Honmachi, Nasushiobara City, Tochigi Prefecture. The Tomigaya area is located a little way from the hustle and bustle of Shibuya and Harajuku, and the main stations in the area are Yoyogi-Hachiman Station on the Odakyu Electric Railway Line and Yoyogi-Koen Station on the Chiyoda Subway Line. The town has a small village-like atmosphere, even though it is a little way away from the hustle and bustle of Shibuya and Harajuku.
Next to Tomigaya are the Uehara Nakadori Shopping Street and the University of Tokyo Komaba Campus, making it a spot where you can experience a different kind of Tokyo vibrancy than you can in the city center.
- Cafe Tomigaya main store. Sunny and terrace seating available -
The Kuroiso studio is also located on a quiet street a little outside the tourist area. The area was formerly known as "Kuroiso City," but was later merged into Nasushiobara City, and the name "Kuroiso" remains to this day. While there are new facilities, stylish restaurants, and general stores around the station, many old townscapes and buildings still remain, making it a great spot to explore while walking around.
Some people drop in on a stroll, while others make the effort to visit from far away. Both are small studios, but we hope that the people who pick up what we deliver from here will think, "This is great." And that they will realize that "letterpress printing is not just old-fashioned." With these thoughts in mind, we work with type every day.
- Kuroiso Shop & Studio 2nd floor -
Old type and letterpress printing
Letterpress printing is a very analog technique in which each type is picked up and assembled by hand to create a plate, and then each sheet of paper is manually fed into the machine and pressed onto the paper. It takes time and effort, but the texture of the printed surface is something special that can be felt not only with the eyes but also with the fingertips. It can never be reproduced digitally.
Many of the type we use were actually used between the 1940s and 1970s. The type has small scratches and dents that create "faintness" and "chips." The unique texture and bleed that only letterpress printing can achieve are unique expressions that cannot be achieved with other printing methods. This is why even handling a single card can provide a memorable experience.
- The type shelves at Tomigaya Studio are home to many typefaces -
Tomigaya Letterpress's "Lyttery Design"
What we value is expressing classic techniques in a modern way. By combining contemporary design with the texture of letterpress, such as minimalist typography, bold white space, and geometric patterns, we aim to create new designs that are not just nostalgia.
Many people may think of letterpress as something from the past. However, when combined with design, it opens up new possibilities for expression that are not possible with digital.
- The surface of a product finished with letterpress printing -
Why I started this blog
Thankfully, we have had more opportunities to receive questions from customers at our store and visitors to our workshop, such as "How do you print?", "What kind of paper is suitable?", and "How much ink do you use?", and more people have become interested in letterpress printing through our products and brand.
I started this blog to record these things little by little, and in addition to writing about printing and tools, I would like to occasionally write about the area where my studio is located, such as stories about the neighborhood and recommended coffee shops.
- Workbench around the printing press in the basement of Tomigaya Studio -
lastly
Thank you for reading my first post to the end. I hope to continue writing about products, letterpress techniques, and daily life on this blog without any stress. I hope you will read it casually.
Thank you very much for your cooperation.
>>Instagram / Tomigaya Letterpress
>>Instagram / Tomigaya Letterpress Kuroiso Store
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