About Gekkoso
Since its founding in 1917, Gekkoso has pursued a creative way of life by creating spaces where people of all kinds can freely interact through the craftsmanship of authentic items and the excitement of color and sound.
Gekkoso has maintained its independence as a family business for three generations, always selecting the best materials, and inheriting and developing the know-how of original manufacturing through trial and error, to propose Made in Japan aesthetics and culture to the world. This is the mission that Gekkoso Maison must fulfill in any era.
From art supplies to clothing, tableware, and furniture, Gekkoso is expanding the boundaries of its creations and moving steadily into a new era. Even as it responds to a world in great flux, Gekkoso will not lose its identity as a company that started out as a purely domestic paint manufacturer.
Based on the idea that a sense of color and sound are the treasures of life, Gekkoso offers a way of life that respects the uniqueness of Japan's climate, culture, and language. We deliver unchanging, reliable values and moments in harmony with the ever-changing times.
Origin of the store name
"You came from the moon in the sky, shining in the day and shining in the night"
The store's name, Gekkoso, was coined by poets Tekkan and Akiko Yosano, who were fond of the founder, Hashimoto Hyozo. Everything in the store, from the paints, paintbrushes, palettes, and sketchbooks to the bags to carry them in, is original.
The trademark, "The Horn That Calls Friends," was devised by a group of intellectuals at the time led by the Yosanos (some 30 people including Kaoru Oyamauchi, Ryunosuke Akutagawa, Toson Shimazaki, Takeo Arishima, the first Ennosuke, Ritsuko Mori, Takeji Fujishima, and Saburosuke Okada), with the hope that many friends would gather around the sound of the horn.
Delicious drinks, great music, and art. And above all, the best friends. The scenery at Gekkoso has remained the same since then.
Original paint development
Paint production continued even during the war
As far back as 1940, we discovered the manufacturing techniques for the world's standard colors, blue and cobalt blue, and succeeded in in-house manufacturing all of the raw materials, starting with the pigments. This resulted in the creation of the first paint made entirely in Japan. After that, we invented a new color, cobalt violet pink (Gekkoso pink). This color won first place at the World Oil Paint Competition in 1971, and was praised by the French newspaper Le Monde as "a miracle born outside of France."
Gekkoso Bespoke
We value communication with artists, and as we completed each homemade product through dialogue, all of our products became originals. What we have here is the simple desire to be of service to our customers and the work of true craftsmen.
Starting with the development of Japan's first domestically produced cobalt blue, which was a long-cherished wish of postwar artists, there are as many stories of invention, failure and joy as there are products, such as titanium white and brush washer made to order by Genichiro Inokuma, an original design table set, and a soft-pointed sketchbook commercialized at the request of Konosuke Matsushita, and the company has acquired 26 patents. The soft-pointed sketchbook and aluminum palette have won the Good Design Long Life Award.
Its history is the history of bespoke, where we receive orders directly from customers and respond with custom-made products. The word bespoke comes from the English word "be-spoken," which means "to discuss." Gekkoso has gone beyond the framework of an art supply store and has continued to create products that value the essence of art by repeatedly discussing with artisans in various fields, such as furniture, stationery, clothing, and miscellaneous goods.
Gekkoso bespoke will continue to evolve. That is Gekkoso's DNA. Our true role is to create products with universal values that transcend time, reliable manufacturing backed by a proven track record, and to always listen to the needs of the times and give them form.
The revival of the salon
In 2013, Gekkoso Salon Tsuki no Hanare opened. Guests can enjoy live music every night and wall exhibits by contemporary artists that are updated every two weeks. It has been featured in the media many times as a space where even those who are not familiar with art materials can easily come into contact with art. It has also attracted attention as a Creole restaurant, which is rare in Tokyo.
To the Tsuki no Hanare website
The Birth of Gekkoso Farbe
In June 2021, the Gekkoso Saitama Paint Factory was renovated into an artist-in-residence facility where artists can live and create works in an atelier attached to the factory for a certain period of time. It was reopened as a complex that combines a factory, atelier, accommodation, cafe bar, mini stage, etc.
Artists have already started creating works in the atelier, and events are held regularly.It is also used by local families as a casual gathering place.
We hope that this will foster interaction between people (artists, paint craftsmen, and local residents) as well as between the Ginza and Saitama regions, and that it will grow into a place like an art community center that transcends genres.
Gekkoso Farbe is open!