Sasaki Katsuji-ten President Katsuyuki Sasaki takes printing type from a shelf.
12:23 JST, July 31, 2024
In the Kagurazaka district of Shinjuku, Tokyo, where the publishing industry flourishes, you will find many printing houses that blend into the residential area.
Among these shops I found one with a conspicuous sign with kanji characters that spelled out “Katsuji,” or printing letters. Founded in 1917, Sasaki Katsuji-ten (Sasaki Letter Shop) uses the traditional letterpress printing technique, with employees creating and picking up one letter at a time.
Upon entering the store, visitors will find a row of old wooden shelves that stretch almost to the ceiling, behind a counter displaying samples of printed materials. The store is said to have over 7 million pieces of Japanese fonts, alphabets, symbols and more, in over 10 different sizes. On the second floor is an automatic type casting machine that was made over 60 years ago and is still in operation.
On the left, the printing letters lie on wooden planks. An automatic type foundry, made more than 60 years ago, is still in operation.
An original book cover produced in letterpress by the shop
Typeface refers to a typeface used in letterpress printing. Letterpress printing includes the following four processes: typecasting, in which a domed type is made at the end of a square bar of lead alloy; type selection, in which letters are selected from boards based on the text; typesetting, in which the selected letters are arranged to make a typesetting plate; and printing, in which the letters are pressed using a typesetting plate.
Letterpress printing was introduced in Japan in the early Meiji period (1868-1912) and greatly aided the spread of printed media such as books and newspapers. However, the industry declined with the development of more advanced printing technology.
Sasaki Katsuji-ten originally specialized in selling convex type. At its peak, the shop employed about 20 craftsmen. However, as the printing industry began to decline, the shop began to focus on type selection, typesetting, and printing.
Katsuyuki Sasaki, 49, the fourth-generation president, quit his construction job when he was 36 to take over the family business. His father, Seiichi, now 82, opposed the decision, but Katsuyuki ignored his objection, saying, “I want to keep the store going somehow. I’ll do it myself.”
“The charm of type printing is the typeface. Letterpress printing makes even small letters clearly legible and offers a natural feel that cannot be found in modern printed materials,” Sasaki says.
The shop has received many orders for business cards in recent years. There will always be people looking for letterpress with artisanal blood in every letter.
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Sasaki Katsuji-ten
Address: 75 Enokicho, Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo
Access: About a 10-minute walk from Kagurazaka or Waseda stations on the Tozai Line
Remark: The shop organizes guided tours of the type casting process.
