Kitpas
Kawasaki, JapanBrand
Kitpas was founded in 1937 as a manufacturer of regular chalks, and has been making quality art materials for over 80 years. We first began producing regular hard white chalks made from calcium carbonate, which soon became the preferred brand for many schools and businesses. In 1967, we expanded our production and built a factory in Hokkaido in the city of Bibai-shi, which translates to “Beautiful Shell City.”
It turns out that the city actually had massive waste piles of scallop shells from the food industry that were causing serious environmental issues. We wanted to find ways to reduce, reuse and recycle this material into our chalk production, as shells also contain calcium carbonate. With the help of the local government, we developed a patented process to recycle these seashell byproducts. The use of powdered shells had the additional benefit of making Kitpas Chalks stronger, smoother, and longer lasting! It’s no surprise that more than 60% of the chalks currently used by schools in Japan are Kitpas chalks.
As we continued our product development, we explored ideas for an innovative material that works on surfaces like paper, glass, mirrors and whiteboards. In 2005, we introduced our buttery-smooth, multi-surface, vibrant, water-soluble Kitpas Art Crayons, which are also exceptional in quality and non-toxic. They soon became the favorite choice of crayons for children and their parents, winning Japan’s prestigious “Stationery of the Year Award” in 2009. Starting in 2021, we have introduced rice bran wax as the primary ingredient of all of our art crayons to enhance both our safety and quality.
Today, Kitpas has evolved into Japan's leading manufacturer of innovative, eco-friendly art materials. We know you will love our products—let your creativity flow with Kitpas!
