{{Short description|Japanese manufacturing company}} {{Infobox Company | name = Sakura Color Products Corporation <br> 株式会社サクラクレパス | logo = Sakura logo.png | logo_size = 120px | image = Sakura Color Products Headquater.jpg | image_size = 170 | image_caption = Sakura headquarters in 2011 | type = [[Kabushiki gaisha]] | genre = | foundation = {{start date and age|1921}} in Osaka, Japan <ref name=profile/> | founder = | location_city = Morinomiya-chūō, [[Chūō-ku, Osaka|Chuo-ku]], [[Osaka]] | location_country = [[Japan]] | locations = | area_served = Worldwide | key_people = Nishimura Hikoshiro (President) <ref name=profile>[https://www.craypas.com/global/about-sakura About us] on Sakura, 20 Aug 2020</ref> | industry = [[Stationery]]<br> [[list of art media|Art materials]] | products = | services = | revenue = [[Japanese yen|¥]] 90 million <ref name=profile/> | operating_income = | net_income = | assets = | equity = | owner = | num_employees = 1,200 <ref name=profile/> | parent = | divisions = | subsid = {{collapsible list| * Talens Japan (Osaka and Tokyo) * Shin Nihon Zokei (Tokyo) * Daishowa Printing (Osaka) * [[Royal Talens|Royal Talens B.V.]] (Netherlands) * Bruynzeel-Sakura B.V. (Netherlands) * Sakura Color Products of America, Inc. ([[United States|US]]) * Shanghai Sakura Stationery (Shanghai, [[People's Republic of China|China PR]]) }} | brands = Pigma | homepage = {{URL|https://www.craypas.com/global/|craypas.com}} | footnotes = | intl = }}
{{nihongo|'''Sakura Color Products Corporation'''|株式会社サクラクレパス|Kabushiki-gaisha Sakura Kurepasu}} is a [[Japan|Japanese]] manufacturing company headquartered in Morinomiya-chūō, [[Chūō-ku, Osaka|Chūō-ku]], [[Osaka]], which produces a variety of [[stationery]] products as well a wide range of [[list of art media|art materials]]. Nevertheless, Sakura is mostly known by its [[marker pen]]s, such as the ''Pigma'' line.<ref name=alan>[https://www.alanlidrawings.com/blog/2016/1/6/sakura-pigma-micron-pen-review Sakura Pigna Micron review] by Alan Lee, January 2016</ref>
== History == The company started as a [[crayon]]s manufacturer in 1921. By 1924, Sakura invented the first-ever oil pastel that combined oil and pigment, which was patented globally as the "{{nihongo|Cray-pas|クレパス|}}" trademark.
In 1982, the firm launched its famous ''Pigma'' marker pen lines.<ref name=alan/><ref name=jetpens>[https://www.jetpens.com/blog/sakura-pigma-pens-a-comprehensive-guide/pt/932 Sakura Pigma: a comprehensive guide] on JetPens</ref> In 1984, Sakura invented the first gel-based ink, featured in its new [[ballpoint pen]]s lines. [[Gel ink pen]]s are currently produced by many stationery companies.
In 1991 Sakura acquired the Dutch company [[Royal Talens]], and in 1997 the Dutch pencil maker {{ill|Bruynzeel|nl|Bruynzeel-Sakura}}.<ref name=profile/>
The North-American division of the company, "Sakura Color Products of America, Inc." was established in [[Hayward, California]] in 1986. Other division of Sakura in Asia, "Shanghai Sakura International Trading Co., Ltd. ({{zh|上海櫻花文化用品有限公司}})" was established in [[Shanghai]], China in 2002.<ref name=profile/>
== Products == [[File:Maker Faire 2008 San Mateo 197.JPG|thumb|Sakura of America booth at [[Maker Faire]] 2008]] The following is a list with the large range of products commercialized by Sakura:<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.craypas.com/global//products/lineup/ |title=Product lines |access-date=2011-06-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110610191537/http://craypas.com/global/products/lineup/ |archive-date=2011-06-10 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
{| class="wikitable" width= 600px ! Category !! Products |- || Pens || [[Ballpoint pen]]s, [[gel pen|gel ink pen]]s, refills |- || Pencils || [[Mechanical pencil]]s, [[pencil|colored pencils]] |- || Markers || [[Marker pen|Water based and permanent marker pen]]s, [[highlighter]]s, brush pens |- || Writing accessories || [[Eraser]]s, whiteboard erasers, [[adhesive|glue pen]]s |- || Art materials || [[Crayon]]s, [[pastel]]s, [[oil pastel]]s, [[Watercolor painting|water color]]s, [[acrylic paint]]s, [[gouache]]s, <br> [[oil paint]]s, water-soluble printing colors, [[brush]]es, [[palette (painting)|palette]]s |}
==Cray-Pas Wonderful, Colorful World Contest== Sakura of America started the annual national art contest in the United States in 1996. The contest is open to all U.S. students grades K through 8 to create a picture that is drawn mostly with [[oil pastel]]s, preferably Cray-Pas. The judging is done by separate grade categories: K-2, 3-5 and 6-8. Three winners in each category are medalists and 25 more students are awarded honorable mention.<ref>{{cite news|title=Cray-Pas' sponsors 'colorful' contest|url=http://www.sfgate.com/homeandgarden/article/Cray-Pas-sponsors-colorful-contest-2868349.php|accessdate=29 December 2012|newspaper=San Francisco Chronicle|date=20 October 2001}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Cray-Pas Wonderful, Colorful World Contest|url=http://papercrafts.michaels.com/online/departments/finearts/images/CP11_Contest_Brochure_Michaels.pdf|publisher=Michaels Stores, Inc.|accessdate=29 December 2012}}{{dead link|date=May 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> There have been 17,000 submissions each year with winning entries displayed online and some have been published in printed material.<ref>{{cite book|last=McGuire|first=Barbara A.|title=Embracing child art : projects for grown-ups to keep and treasure|year=2001|publisher=Krause Publications|location=Iola, WI|isbn=0-87341-985-5|pages=[https://archive.org/details/embracingchildar00mcgu/page/15 15]|url=https://archive.org/details/embracingchildar00mcgu|url-access=registration}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{Commons category}} * {{Official website}} * [https://www.sakuraofamerica.com/ Sakura of America]
{{Pen manufacturers}} {{Art materials brands}}
[[Category:Manufacturing companies established in 1921]] [[Category:Manufacturing companies based in Osaka]] [[Category:Art materials brands]] [[Category:Artists' acrylic paint brands]] [[Category:Gouache brands]] [[Category:Oil paint brands]] [[Category:Watercolor brands]] [[Category:Pen manufacturers]] [[Category:Japanese brands]] [[Category:Japanese stationery]] [[Category:Japanese companies established in 1921]]