A history of Lihitlab
We started business with manufacturing office supplies such as display books and binders for office use since 1938 in Japan. Adapting to recent situation with our technologies and experiences, we have shifted to design, manufacture and sell various kinds of colorful products for personal use, as well as office supplies, around the world.
1905 — 1947
From the founding of Tanaka Keijin Shokai to the end of the war
| 1905 | Founder Norihito Tanaka was born (Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto) | |
| 1919 | Founder Norihito Tanaka joined Fukui Shoten | |
| 1938 | Apr | Norihito Tanaka left Fukui Shoten |
| May | Founded “Tanaka Norihito Shokai” (Kita-Kyuhoji-cho, Higashi-ku, Osaka) | |
| 1940 | The 1st Catalogue published/Spring File released | |
| 1945 | Feb | Renamed to “Lihit Office Supplies Mfg.” |
| Mar | Company burned down by the Osaka Air Raid | |
| 1947 | Moved the headquarters to Noninbashi, Higashi-ku, Osaka (current site of the headquaters) |
1948 — 1967
From the establishment of Lihit Industry to the completion of the head office.
| 1948 | May | Established “Lihit Industry Co., Ltd.” as the Public Limited Company with the capital of 2 million yen |
| 1951 | The 5th General Catalogue published/Paper Fastener (No.8) released | |
| 1953 | Jul | Opened Tokyo Sales Office (Yanagihara, Asakusa, Taito-ku) |
| 1957 | Moved Tokyo Sales Office to Nihonbashi-Hamacho | |
| 1958 | Established Tokyo factory in Kikukawa, Sumida-ku | |
| 1962 | Feb | Headquarters factory completed |
| Sep | Listed on “the Second Section of the Osaka Securities Exchange” | |
| Manufactured and released “Colored File” for the first time in Japan | ||
| 1963 | Nov | Tokyo sales office newly built |
| Released Super Drill (No.1001) | ||
| 1964 | Mar | Fukuoka sales office opened |
| Sep | Sapporo sales office opened | |
| 1965 | Punchless File (No.33) released | |
| 1966 | Electric Punch (No.2001) released | |
| 1967 | Capital 300 million yen |
1968 — 1980
From the new head office to the Tokyo branch.
| 1968 | Feb | New Headquarters construction completed |
| Apr | Established Company Motto and Norihito Tanaka received the Academy Award from American Association | |
| Sep | Nagoya sales office opened | |
| Computer Binder (No.1301) released | ||
| Clear Holder (No.78) released | ||
| 1969 | Jun | Hiroshima sales office opened |
| Nov | Headquarters product warehouse (Kawaguchi warehouse) newly established | |
| 1971 | Mar | President Norihito Tanaka received the Medal with Yellow Ribbon |
| Sep | Introduced computers | |
| Oct | Headquarters Computer Room opened Sendai Sales Office opened | |
| 1972 | “History of Stationery” was published by Norihito Tanaka(as the 35th anniversary of the founding) | |
| Increased capital to 340 million yen Listed on the Second Section of the Nagoya Stock Exchange | ||
| 1973 | Capital 374 million yen | |
| 1976 | Apr | Osaka Distribution Center newly built |
| 1977 | Jan | Capital 600 million yen |
| 1978 | Publication of a specialized catalogue for hospitals | |
| 1980 | Promoted Tokyo Sales Office to Tokyo Branch Office |
1982 — 1988
From management change to the end of Showa.
| 1982 | May | Norihito Tanaka was assigned to Chairman, Tsunehisa Tanaka was assigned to President and Kanji Tanaka was assigned to Vice President |
| Celebration of the inauguration of the current president, Tsunehisa Tanaka | ||
| Ring File (No.153) released | ||
| 1985 | 45th Anniversary of founding Party | |
| 1985 | Jun | Yokohama sales office opened |
| Sep | Osaka Nanko Workshop / Osaka Distribution Center newly built | |
| Sep | Norihito Tanaka received the order of the sacred treasure , gold rays with neck ribbon. | |
| 1986 | P.P. Punchless File (F-342 / F-347) released | |
| 1987 | Aug | Northern Kanto Sales Office opened |
| 1988 | Capital 1.83 billion yen through public offering |
1989 — 2017
From the completion of the head office to the present in 1989.
| 1989 | Mar | Headquarters building newly built / Clear Book Lupo PLAN-DO-SEE N-27 released |
| 1990 | Nov | Shizuoka Division Factory Building completed |
| 1991 | Feb | THE ONLY ONE EARTH series released |
| Jul | Company name changed to “LIHIT LAB. Co., Ltd.” (VI of Shin Matsunaga) | |
| Sep | Shizuoka Division File Studio opened / Distribution Center completed | |
| Shizuoka Division Factory completed | ||
| 1992 | Aug | Chairman Norihito Tanaka passed away |
| 1993 | Mar | “LIHIT MED.” Brand announcement |
| 1994 | Nov | Shizuoka Division Logistics Center / Automatic Rack Warehouse Completed |
| 1995 | Completion of Shizuoka Division / Guest House | |
| 1996 | Nov | “LIHIT SIG.” Brand announcement |
| 1997 | Mar | Shizuoka Division Factory Expansion |
| 1998 | Feb | THE ONLY ONE EARTH II series released |
| 60th Anniversary of founding/ 50th Anniversary of establishment Sales 14.21 billion yen 347 employees | ||
| 2004 | May | Shizuoka Division and new Logistics Building (Picking Building) completed |
| 2005 | May | Completion of LIHIT LAB.VIETNAM INC. Factory |
| 2006 | Jul | Privacy mark (P mark) acquisition |
| 2007 | Nov | Completion of new factory building of LIHIT LAB.VIETNAM INC. |
| 2009 | mar | Twist Notebook (N-1601 / N-1603) released |
| 2010 | Aug | Desktop Stand (A-7332) released |
| 2010 | Oct | Vietnam subsidiary (LIHIT LAB.VIETNAM INC.) obtainedISO9001 / ISO14001 |
| 2012 | Sep | Obtained SA8000: 2008 certification from Vietnam subsidiary (LIHIT LAB.VIETNAM INC.) |
| 2013 | Jul | Listed on “Tokyo Stock Exchange Market Part 2” |
| 2014 | Apr | Completion of new warehouse for Vietnamese subsidiary (LIHIT LAB.VIETNAM INC.) |
| 2017 | Feb | SMART FIT PuniLabo Stand Pen Case（A-7712） |
| 2017 | Jun | Obtained SA8000: 2014 certification from Vietnam subsidiary (LIHIT LAB.VIETNAM INC.) |
| 2018 | Jul | Tokyo branch office building newly built |
| 2021 | Jul | Changed company name to “LIHIT LAB. Co., Ltd.” 30 years |
Contact
We are happy to help you with any questions about Lihit Lab products or wholesale business.
Please feel free to get in touch with us!