5. The expansion years (1969-1978)

Entering the steel product industry in 1960 was a big step for KOKUYO, also because it meant paving the way towards becoming an office furniture manufacturer later on. As the 70s began, KOKUYO products were divided into four categories: paper products, stationery, furniture, and office equipment. This meant the company had grown to the point where it dealt with a total of more than 3,000 items. Since then, KOKUYO has aimed at becoming a business which deals with everything from documents and forms to office supplies and furniture; the company's motto is: "KOKUYO for all office supplies". The new Ōsaka headquarters was completed in 1969 and is a building which many people think of as the company symbol. Almost everything in the boardrooms, the conference rooms, the reception rooms and the cafeteria was set up using KOKUYO products – a kind of KOKUYO "model office". Another unique aspect was that the entire building was a sort of "live office", and one could actually observe employees work – an innovative approach even at international level. By the late 70s, KOKUYO thus created a new image, having progressed from being an account ledgers shop to becoming the most progressive manufacturer of office supplies.