Design Store
About Company
Hokuriku craftsmanship,
bringing new possibilities to everyday life.
DesignStore is a design company based in Nomi, Ishikawa, Japan, working across graphic design, packaging and original product development. Its collections include THE EASTON, a brand connecting craft traditions across the Hokuriku region, as well as wooden promotional gifts and wedding stationery.
From visual communication to product design
Established as an independent design studio in 2005 and incorporated in 2007, DesignStore has expanded from designing printed materials into developing its own products. The company is led by Representative Director Kenji Higashi.
Its approach brings together graphics that communicate a product’s character and packaging that invites people to pick it up, with careful consideration of how each item will be presented, sold and given as a gift.
THE EASTON: connecting regional craft traditions
THE EASTON brings together the distinctive qualities of Wajima, Yamanaka and Echizen lacquerware. DesignStore develops the concepts, while workshops in these craft regions apply the finishes, opening up new combinations of materials and techniques.
For its Noto hiba wood tumblers, careful drying and shaping allow the grain of the wood and the color of the lacquer to become part of the design. The collection also extends to crystal glass tumblers finished using Yamanaka lacquerware techniques.
Objects that bring materials to life
Noto Hiba Wood Tumbler
A rounded tumbler made from Noto hiba wood. The version shown has a black Yamanaka lacquer finish, with a matte surface that brings out the character of the wood.
Crystal Glass Tumbler
The TSUNAGU tumbler combines crystal glass with a Yamanaka lacquerware finish. The interplay of transparency and color offers a different expression from the brand’s wooden pieces.
Noto Hiba Message Charm
A wooden charm made from thin sheets of Noto hiba. Company and store logos can be laser-engraved onto the surface to create distinctive promotional gifts.
Images from the DesignStore website. Materials, finishes and production lead times vary by item.
A connected approach to products, packaging and promotion
DesignStore creates posters, brochures, packaging and signage for businesses, hotels and local governments. It also develops wooden menus, tabletop accessories and commemorative gifts.
Projects featured on its website include signage for Hyatt Centric Kanazawa, packaging for Kanazawa New Grand Hotel, and packaging for its own product collections.
Features & recognition
THE EASTON’s Wajima lacquer tumbler for OKURA
This English-language feature introduces a special-order tumbler created for OKURA, the flagship store of BLUE BLUE JAPAN. It explores the combination of Noto hiba wood and Wajima lacquer, with a finish by lacquer artisan Hiroshi Nakamon.
Read the English feature →Building the foundations of THE EASTON
This case study from Japan’s National Center for Industrial Property Information and Training (INPIT) explores the development of THE EASTON, including trademark registration and design applications for new products.
Read the case study (Japanese) →Recognition at the 51st Ishikawa Design Exhibition
THE EASTON received the Ishikawa Tourism Federation Chairman’s Award in the Communication Design category. The project appears in the organizer’s official list of award winners.
View the award list (Japanese PDF) →Featured in the Ishikawa product catalog
The catalog introduces THE EASTON’s round Noto hiba wood tumbler with a Yamanaka lacquer finish, alongside product details and company information.
View the product listing (Japanese) →Company details
| Company | DesignStore Co., Ltd. |
|---|---|
| Representative | Kenji Higashi, Representative Director |
| Founded | 2005 |
| Incorporated | June 21, 2007 |
| Address | Ri-1 Yuyamachi, Nomi, Ishikawa, Japan |
| Services | Graphic and packaging design; original product development and sales; wooden promotional gifts and wedding stationery |
| Brand | THE EASTON |
| Telephone | +81 761-51-6366 |
| Web & social |
