Akira Sakamoto

Yuteki Hayashi, a disciple of the renowned Japanese educator Yukichi Fukuzawa, founded Maruzen in 1869, as Japan was ushering in an age of modernization, to contribute to the nation’s prosperity in commerce & trade. Since then, Maruzen has not only engaged in the importing of academic books from Europe & the U.S. as a pioneer of introducing Western knowledge & culture to Japan, but by importing & popularizing all manner of high-end products, such as importing the fountain pen, the Burberry raincoat & the typewriter for the first time to Japan, it has gradually established the Maruzen brand. Even today in the 21st century, through the network of 22 sales offices dedicated to university researchers & libraries, as well as around 50 retail outlets, the company shall make every effort to contribute to the advancement of Japan’s wealth of knowledge by “Lighting the ways to knowledge.”