History

  • 1897

    Tokumatsu Ishikawa, founder of Zebra Co., Ltd., successfully manufactured and marketed the first, completely original, domestically produced metal nibs.

  • 1959

    Successfully developed a stable pen ink and started production and sales of ballpoint pens.

  • 1964

    Started production and sales of the three-color ballpoint pen.

  • 1966

    Built the Nogi Factory, equipped with modern facilities, in Tochigi Prefecture. Marketed the transparent barrel ballpoint pen, Crystal, with the catch phrase “See the ink!”

  • 1976

    Marketed the first domestic double-ended oil-based marker, Hi-Mckee.

  • 1979

    Completed construction of new headquarters building.

  • 1981

    Successfully developed the Twin Ball System, the world’s first mechanism for preventing ink back-flow in ballpoint pens, and adopted it to market the DX Hard ballpoint pen.

  • 1986

    Marketed the card type writing utensil, Cardy.

  • 1992

    Marketed the JELL-BE gel ink ballpoint pen that uses a water-based pigment gel ink. Established Zebra Pen (U.K.) LTD.

  • 1994

    Marketed JIMMNIE ballpoint pen for office use.

  • 1997

    Celebrated the company’s 100th anniversary. Marketed Gel Pearl, gel-ink ballpoint pens featuring novel, subtle colors. Marketed Eco Products addressing environmental issues.

  • 1999

    Marketed oil-based ballpoint pen, Tapli.

  • 2001

    Marketed Airfit, a pen with an air-cushioned grip.

  • 2003

    Marketed Tapli Clip and SARASA Clip (adjustable clip versions of Tapli and SARASA). Marketed the digital stationery product, Handwriting Link.

  • 2005

    Marketed the refillable oil-base marker, Hi-Mckee Care Refill Type, and Mckee Care Extra Fine Refill Type.

  • 2007

    Established corporate slogan, "Open your imagination." to promote appreciation for writing, and creativity. Marketed Sharbo X, in which users can freely choose and combine refills to set in their pen. Marketed McKee for Paper and McKee for Paper Extra Fine, which do not stain through paper.

  • 2010

    Marketed Surari, a pen using an emulsion of oil and water-based inks, combining the advantages of both.

  • 2014

    Marketed DelGuard, a mechanical pencil adopting an original system that protects against the lead breaking or getting stuck in the barrel.

  • 2016

    Marketed SARASA dry, a quick-drying version of the SARASA gel-ink ballpoint pen. Established ZEBRA PEN HONG KONG CO., LIMITED

  • 2018

    Marketed bLen, a ballpoint pen offering a stress-free, comfortable writing experience.

  • 2020

    Marketed SHARBO Nu, an easy-to use, rotating multi-functional pen. Established Zebra Holdings Co., Ltd. Established EU ZEBRA PEN (UK) Limited in Hungary

  • 2022

    Taro Ishikawa became Company President.

  • 1914

    Adopted Zebra as the product name of the nibs, and adopted the Zebra logo that is familiar to us today.

  • 1963

    Hideaki Ishikawa became Company President. Changed company name from “Ishikawa Pen Co., Ltd.” to “Zebra Co., Ltd.”

  • 1965

    Started production and sales of felt-tip pens.

  • 1975

    Started production and sales of the brush type pen and fluorescent markers.

  • 1977

    Marketed SHARBO, a two-in-one mechanical pencil / ballpoint pen.

  • 1980

    Marketed industry-first 100-yen mechanical pencils.

  • 1982

    Established ZEBRA PEN CORP. (U.S.A.) Marketed the new-era needle-tip water-based ballpoint pen, Be-Pen, a product of Zebra’s pursuit for a smooth writing experience.

  • 1989

    Marketed DRAFIX leads for mechanical pencils.

  • 1993

    Marketed correction liquid Ball Kespa with a roller ball tip.

  • 1995

    Established ZEBRA PEN CORP. (Canadian Division).

  • 1998

    Shinichi Ishikawa became Company President.
    Marketed gel-ink ballpoint pen, HYPER JELL.
    Established ZEBRA MEXICO. S.A. DE C.V. 

  • 2000

    Marketed retractable gel-ink ballpoint pen, SARASA.

  • 2002

    Obtained ISO14001 Certification for the Nogi Factory.

  • 2004

    Marketed Clip-on multi, the all-in-one pen with four oil-based ballpoint colors and a mechanical pencil.

  • 2006

    Marketed New Spiral, a pen realizing a remarkably comfortable grip and that does not cause fatigue, developed in an academic-industrial collaboration project. Marketed McKee Knock Fine Print, the capless retractable oil-based marker you can manipulate with one hand.

  • 2009

    Established ZEBRA PEN (SHENZHEN) CO., LTD. Marketed MILDLINER, the line marker with mild colors that are easy on the eyes.

  • 2012

    Marketed Prefill, a customizable multi-function pen, in which users can freely choose from four different writing textures and combine them to customize.

  • 2015

    Added eight milk-colored inks to SARASA CLIP 0.5, to allow writing on photos and dark-colored paper. Established ZEBRA PEN SINGAPORE PTE. LTD.

  • 2017

    Celebrated the company’s 120th anniversary. Marketed DelGuard Type-ER 0.5, a mechanical pencil whose eraser pops out when flipped upside down.

  • 2019

    Marketed CLiCKART, a click-action water-based marker using “moist-keep ink” that absorbs moisture from the atmosphere.

  • 2021

    Marketed bimore, which allows users to learn to control their writing pressure and write in their own beautiful style.