{{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, 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> Art materials | products = | services = | revenue = ¥ 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 B.V. (Netherlands) * Bruynzeel-Sakura B.V. (Netherlands) * Sakura Color Products of America, Inc. (US) * Shanghai Sakura Stationery (Shanghai, 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 Japanese manufacturing company headquartered in Morinomiya-chūō, Chūō-ku, Osaka, which produces a variety of stationery products as well a wide range of art materials. Nevertheless, Sakura is mostly known by its marker pens, 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 crayons 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 pens lines. Gel ink pens 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 pens, gel ink pens, refills |- || Pencils || Mechanical pencils, colored pencils |- || Markers || Water based and permanent marker pens, highlighters, brush pens |- || Writing accessories || Erasers, whiteboard erasers, glue pens |- || Art materials || Crayons, pastels, oil pastels, water colors, acrylic paints, gouaches, <br> oil paints, water-soluble printing colors, brushes, palettes |}
==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 pastels, 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