papierium in ginza is two floors of paper mania. the ground floor is very much like paper source, down to the color collection and shape selection for cards and envelopes. the second floor is geared towards scrapbookers with shape punches, fun scissors, scrapbooking papers, stamps and more. reminded me a lot of scrapbook territory out in berkeley.
the only thing i picked up there was some brown flower tape by space-joy or o-check design graphics. very difficult to tell which, since the websites aren't very straightforward. i'm going with a joint effort.
another fun set of tape i came across was mt masking tape. it's basically masking tape made from washi-type paper that comes in 20 or so different colors, plus several seasonsal patterns. and you can also order custom logo tape. they're sold in single rolls, two-packs, and ten-packs and fun coordinating variety five-packs. i was about to buy the pastel ten-pack but thought more practically and ultimately went with the gold and silver combo two-pack.
and i know i'm not the only one enamored with this masking tape. because there are entire books (multiple) and blogs dedicated to the many uses of mt masking tape. and i've also come across a few japanese magazine articles featuring the tape.
the main stores that carried mt masking tape were loft, ito-ya and papierium. other fun stuff we found at ito-ya were animal d-clips by midori japan. those japanese folks are so innovative though, that the site no longer features the cow-shaped paper clips we picked up. found some pics online though.
these shops also had tons of calendars. ito-ya even dedicated their 9th floor to all calendars. here's a quick look at the calendar section of shibuya loft's basement.
my favorite paper store though was winged wheel in the omotesando area. there's a huge column right by the front door where they display a portion of their cards.
and the perimeter of the store is made up of shelves holding various papers and cards, but mainly their "plainer" stuff.
and then there are two long display cases in the center of the shop where you can see their designs through the glass.
the extra special surprise is that below each display case is another three or so drawers that you can thumb through. they featured their entire lines of designs as well as example books for inspiration. so basically i studied all 48 drawers in addition to the shelves on the wall.
i left with a few choice cards and envelopes, the distribution of which will require careful decision.
postcards, with the pretty bag they came in in the middle.
little business card sized cards and envelopes
the cutest shop card ever. folded like an envelope, revealing the shop info inside.
and finally, i thought their bookstores were fun too. they print a good portion of their books in small handheld-sized versions so it's easier to read on train commutes. they also color code the books, although i'm not sure what the color system is. or if there even really is one.
but unfortunately, when you buy a book, they wrap it neatly with a bookcover. so much for the cute colors! and i noticed shops sold lots of bookcovers, so many folks just like to keep their reading materials private.
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