Company History

Edo Period
(1600~1867)		 1653 Ozu Seizaemon-Nagahiro founded a wholesale paper store, named "Ozu Seizaemon-ten" at Otenma-cho (the present head office location) in the downtown area in Edo.
Meiji and Taisho Period
(1868~1926)		 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake
Showa Period
(1926~1989)		 1929 Ozu&Co. was founded to incorporate business.
1946 In response to decontrol after World War II, Ozu & Co. transferred its domestic paper sales division to Ozu Co., Ltd. (today's Ozu Corporation) and consolidated the paper sales sections.
1963 The Ozu Building was completed.
1971 The Ozu Honkan Building was completed at the original site of Ozu Seizaemon-ten to celebrate the 300th anniversary of the company foundation.
1978 Ozu & Co. changed its name to Ozu Shoten Co., Ltd.
1982 The Ozu Washi Hakubutuho was opened inside the Ozu Building.
Heisei Period (1989~) 1992 The Washi business (today’s Ozu Washi) was transferred to Ozu Corporation.
1994 The Ozu Histroical Documents were registered on Chuo-City-Registered Tangible Cultural Properties.
1998 The Ozu Historiy Museum was opened inside the Ozu Washi Hakubutuho.
2003 The 350th anniversary ceremony of the company foundation was conducted.
2004 A history of the 350-year Ozu was compiled.
2005 Ozu Washi and the Ozu History Museum were relocated to the Ozu Honkan Building.
2009 Ozu Shoten Co., Ltd. took over the right of Ozu Washi from Ozu Corporation.
2015 In March, QUROCO Nihombashi Building was completed and Ozu Washi reopened a handmade washi experience studio area after remodeling.
In May, the Ozu History Museum was relocated to the third floor of the same building with an exhibit place of various paper (Ozu Washi Shoran).
In July, Ozu Shoten Co., Ltd. bought all the shares of Japan Retailing, Ltd.