Shinjuku Letterpress Printing Stores Gives Traditional Feel to Printed Materials

By Toshiya Minami / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer

12:23 JST, July 31, 2024

The Kagurazaka neighborhood of Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo, where the publishing industry thrives, is dotted with printing stores that blend in with the residential area.

Among these stores, I found one with an eye-catching sign with kanji characters that read “Katsuji,” or printing type. Established in 1917, Sasaki Katsuji-ten (Sasaki type store) carries on the traditional letterpress printing technique, in which workers craft and pick up one type at a time.

Upon entering the store, visitors will find a row of aged wooden shelves that go up nearly to the ceiling behind a counter that displays samples of printed materials. The store is said to have more than 7 million pieces of Japanese typefaces, alphabets, symbols and more, in more than 10 different sizes. On the second floor, there is an automatic typefounding machine manufactured more than 60 years ago that is still operational.

Printing type refers to a typeface used in letterpress printing. Letterpress printing involves the following four processes: typefounding, in which a convex type is made at the end of a lead alloy square bar; letter selection, in which the letters are selected from shelves according to the text; typesetting, in which the selected types are arranged to make a typesetting plate; and printing, in which the letters are printed using a typesetting plate.

Letterpress printing was introduced to Japan in the early Meiji period (1868-1912) and helped dramatically spread print media such as books and newspapers. However, the industry declined with the development of more advanced printing technology.

Sasaki Katsuji-ten originally specialized in the sale of convex types. At its peak, the store had about 20 craftsmen. However, as the printing industry began to shrink, the store began to engage in letter selection, typesetting and printing.

Katsuyuki Sasaki, 49, the fourth-generation president, quit his job in the construction industry when he was 36 to take over the family business. His father, Seiichi, now 82, opposed the decision, but Katsuyuki overruled his objection, saying: “I want to maintain the store somehow. I will do it myself.”

“The charm of printing type is the typeface. Letterpress printing makes even small letters clearly readable and naturally provides a feel that is not found in modern printed materials,” Sasaki said.

The store has received many orders for business cards in recent years. There will always be people who seek printing types with a craftsman’s blood running through every single letter.

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Sasaki Katsuji-ten

Address: 75 Enokicho, Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo

Access: About 10-minute walk from Kagurazaka or Waseda stations on Tozai Line

Note: The store organizes guided visits of the typefounding process.