Tombow Pencil Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Kita-ku, Tokyo; President: Junichi Fukushima) held its 11th “Tombow Display Contest 2026” over a two-month period, beginning July 1. The contest was open to stationery stores nationwide, with 187 stores participating.
As in previous years, the contest focused on the “MONO” and “PiT” product brands. Participants were required to include the “MONO Air” series of correction tapes—which celebrated its 10th anniversary this year—as a mandatory element in their displays.
The judging session took place on September 25, and the winners of the various awards are as follows. The Grand Prix was awarded to Ito Stationery Store (President: Mr. Shuji Ito) in Ono City, Fukui Prefecture. The Grand Prix presentation ceremony was held on October 30 at the Ito Stationery Store in Kasuga, Ono City, Fukui Prefecture. (See photo below; comments from the winners can be found on page 4.)
11th Tombow Display Contest – Grand Prix
Ito Stationery Store (Location: Ono City, Fukui Prefecture)
(Top photo) Winning entry from Ito Stationery Store
[Display Highlights]
The centerpiece is a mosaic art installation featuring “Mono Air” products. It is composed of 3,150 paper cranes—all folded by the store staff—to create a design that reads as “saiko” (meaning “the best” or “awesome” in Japanese).
The display was highly visible even from outside the store, drawing customers directly to that section upon entry.
Award History for Ito Stationery Store:
2020 (5th Contest): Area Special Award
2021 (6th Contest): Area Special Award
2023 (8th Contest): Excellence Award
2024 (9th Contest): Excellence Award
2025 (10th Contest): Area Special Award
2026 (11th Contest): Grand Prix
(Middle-left photo) Shuji Ito, Representative Director, Ito Stationery Store Ltd.
(Middle-right photo) Junichi Fukushima, President and Representative Director, Tombow Pencil Co., Ltd.
Photographed on October 30, 2026
The 11th Tombow Display Contest Semi-Grand Prix
Bungumaru Hanno store(Hanno City, Saitama Prefecture)
The 11th Tombow Display Contest Category Award (3 stores)
＜ Brand Appeal Award ＞
COMPASS Yonago R431 (Store Location: Yonago City, Tottori Prefecture)
＜ Essence Award ＞
STATIONERY INAMORI(Ikoma City, Nara Prefecture)
＜ MONO AIR Award ＞
UENO BUNGU Interpark Store (Utsunomiya CIty, Tochigi Prefecure)
2026 Award Overview
| Awards | Number of Store | Supplementary Prize |
|---|---|---|
| Grand Prix | 1 store | gift card worth 100,000 yen + certificate of commendation + shield + sweets |
| Semi-Grand Prix | 1 store | gift card worth 70,000 yen + certificate of commendation + sweets |
| Brand Appeal Award | 1 store | gift card worth 50,000 yen + certificate of commendation + sweets |
| Essense Award | 1 store | gift card worth 50,000 yen + certificate of commendation + sweets |
| MONO AIR Award | 1 store | gift card worth 50,000 yen + certificate of commendation + sweets |
| Area Special Award | 2 stores in each of the 6 areas | gift card worth 30,000 yen + certificate of commendation + sweets |
| Excellence Award | 50 stores | gift card worth 10,000 yen + certificate of commendation + sweets |
| Newcomer Award | 1 store | gift card worth 10,000 yen + certificate of commendation + sweets |
| Welcome Back Award | 1 store | gift card worth 10,000 yen + certificate of commendation + sweets |
| MONO AIR series Full-Assortment Award | 1 store | gift card worth 10,000 yen + certificate of commendation + sweets |
| Participation Prize | all participants | Assortment of sweets |
11th Tombow Display Contest – Grand Prix
Grand Prix Winner: Ito Stationery Store Ltd. – A message of joy
We folded the paper cranes with all our hearts.
We updated our product knowledge and information to ensure the merits of the items were clearly conveyed.
Person in charge: Kumiko Tanaka | Interviewee: Eri Kawabata
[Center] Ito Stationery Store: Representative Director Ito and staff members; [Far right] Tombow Pencil President Fukushima; [Far left] Mitsuhiro Takeda, Tombow Pencil Osaka Branch
—Could you share a few words about winning the Grand Prix?
We have been striving to win the Grand Prix every year since the 5th contest, but we never truly expected to win it. When we heard the news, the entire staff cheered with joy!
—What specific techniques or areas did you focus on for your display?
We created a mosaic art piece featuring our main product, “MONO Air,” using folded paper cranes (origami). To celebrate the 10th anniversary of “MONO Air,” we folded 3,150 cranes—a number chosen as a play on the Japanese phrase “MONO Saiko” (meaning “MONO is the best/greatest”)—with every single crane folded by our staff with great care.
—How did customers react during the display period?
The mosaic art was striking even from outside the store. Customers would head straight to the display area upon entering, marveling at the sheer number of paper cranes and enjoying the interactive experience corner. The interactive corner was very well received; it effectively communicated the essence of the MONO product line and served as a great promotional tool.
—Could you tell us about your primary customer base and your business strategy?
Our store has long been cherished by a wide range of customers—individuals and businesses alike, of all ages and backgrounds. We strive to keep our staff’s knowledge and information up to date, ensuring they can clearly explain our products and effectively convey their true essence and value to every customer who visits our store.
To build on this recognition and encourage even more people to discover—and purchase—Tombow products, we are planning a “gacha” (capsule toy) promotion featuring items related to the Tombow brand.
—Do you intend to continue participating in the Tombow Display Contest?
We would love to participate again!
We will continue working to create retail displays that effectively showcase Tombow products, and we’ll do our best to win another award!
—Thank you very much.
Ito Stationery Store Ltd.
