A short note from the ZUTTO Distribution Center. This spring and summer's most popular picks, as told by our warehouse staff.

The cherry blossoms, once in full bloom, have now faded, giving way to the vivid green of new leaves and the beauty of sunlight filtering through the trees—moments that even hint at the arrival of early summer. The weather still remains changeable, but as we head into Golden Week this spring, we hope this season finds you well.

Wisteria blooming behind the school building that now serves as our distribution center. A place rich in nature, where the scenery changes with each season

The ZUTTO Distribution Center, where products are shipped out to customers, was actually once an elementary school. Surrounded by mountains and rivers, it's a place where the changing seasons can often be felt through the flowers in bloom and the scenery visible from its windows. In this feature, we'll introduce this spring's most popular items, along with a shopping list that even our staff found inspiring, straight from that former school.

The gymnasium and the staff room are both part of our office

The warehouse where ZUTTO's products are stored is the school's former gymnasium. With the basketball hoops and paintings still on the walls, this nostalgic space is lined with shelves of products waiting to be shipped.

Besides the gymnasium, which is used as the warehouse, we also use the classrooms as actual workspaces, and the staff room for desk work and product photography, dividing the rooms according to their purpose. Even when talking to one another, staff will say things like "I'm heading to the gymnasium" or "I'll be in the staff room," calling the rooms by their original school names—which brings back a bit of a nostalgic feeling.

Product management and shipping to customers are all carried out carefully, by hand, by our staff, one item at a time

These are precious items chosen by customers who found their way to ZUTTO among countless other sites. Rather than treating it as just another task, we ship out products each day while always asking ourselves, "How can we make sure our customers receive their items with a smile?" Of course this applies to gift orders, but even when shipping directly to the person who placed the order, we carefully wrap each item by hand, with the same care and feeling as if we were delivering a gift.

We always keep in mind the feeling of "buying something in person at a real store"

And this former school warehouse is exactly where products first arrive. Every day, our warehouse staff check each order one by one, getting a firsthand look at the season's trends. Here, we'd like to introduce the popular items of this spring that they've noticed along the way.

So, what's popular this spring?

Since our staff handle shipments every day, they have a real, hands-on sense of what's popular at ZUTTO. In spring, it seems that tableware and household goods for new beginnings, as well as items in spring-like colors and materials, are often chosen. First up are bento boxes, perfect for a new start in life.

Two-Tier Bento Box (Black), Layered Chopstick Case with Urushi (Japanese Lacquer) Chopsticks, L (Black)／Kochosai Kosuga

In the season of fresh greenery, the dazzling green of bamboo hints at the approach of early summer. Understanding how deeply bamboo has been woven into daily life and culture since ancient times, Kochosai Kosuga continues to make bamboo products that enrich everyday living—crafting tools suited to modern life. This bento box is one such piece. Its natural texture is appealing on its own, but bamboo's antibacterial properties also make it perfectly suited for a lunch box. Made from laminated bamboo, the surface reveals a beautiful layered stripe pattern, with a smooth, gentle texture to the touch.

These Miyako chopsticks have been made continuously for over 100 years. Colorful yet elegant, they're perfect for everyday use. It's also lovely for each family member—dad, mom, big sister, little brother—to find their own favorite color, so everyone has matching chopsticks as a family. Made of bamboo with a gentle feel against the lips, these chopsticks make meals taste even better during this season of pleasant weather.

Besides items that evoke a fresh start in spring, refreshing colors unique to the warmer season are also popular.

STANDARD SUPPLY is a long-standing favorite and a staple item at ZUTTO as well. This spring, a new Chambray series has joined the lineup—made exclusively for ZUTTO. With refreshing colors perfect for the warmer season, this version increases the ratio of nylon compared to the fabric we previously carried, and adds sturdy Cordura fibers, making the bags more resistant to friction and wear. The pale coloring, with white threads seemingly rising to the surface, gives off a faint sense of sweetness. To balance that sweetness just right, black leather was chosen for the handles, resulting in a design that's both grown-up and charmingly cute.

Left: Linen Quilted Skirt SKREGL／ONEIL OF DUBLIN , Right: [Special Order] Waffle Mock Neck Short Sleeve／Healthknit

Fitting for the warmer season, refreshing materials like linen and waffle fabric are often chosen these days.
When it comes to quilted skirts, ONEIL OF DUBLIN is practically the definitive brand—and from this classic Irish label, we've also received linen and cotton skirts perfect for spring and summer. Also popular are the waffle-fabric items from Healthknit, made in a special order size exclusively for ZUTTO. We also carry a crew neck version as well. This is a product that many repeat customers buy in different colors.

An Expert's Shopping List, as Seen by Our Staff

Spring is also a season of new beginnings. Some of you may be starting a new chapter in life, feeling inspired for a fresh change and thinking about redecorating a little, or perhaps welcoming a new family member. In a season with so many turning points, we sometimes receive orders that make us picture the face of the customer we're delivering to. Let us share just a few of these shopping lists—the kind that make even our staff think, "Ah, I see," and want to take note.

[Because Spring Has Such Temperature Swings]

Striped Shirt Dress (IVORY/SIZE FREE)／ZUTTO、Cotton Combi Stole／ZUTTO

This is a season when the days can feel almost too warm, yet by the time you head home the air often turns chilly. Draping a shirt over your outfit or wrapping yourself in a stole can make all the difference in staying comfortable. This shirt dress and cotton stole, chosen by one of our repeat ZUTTO customers, are perfect companions for days with wide swings in temperature. With this combination on hand, you can head out with confidence even on days when the temperature changes dramatically from morning to night.

【Bringing unity to your interior】

Kakudo Dish (S)・(M)／Takahashi Kougei、Tissue Box Cover Walnut／SAITO WOOD

Starting a new life, or simply wanting to redecorate with a fresh feeling—this set, which evokes the start of a new chapter, features "walnut" as the shared material, chosen from two different brands. Walnut is a wood taken from trees of the walnut family, prized for its impact resistance and the beauty of its grain. Choosing the same wood throughout brings a sense of unity to the whole room. This is truly the shopping choice of a seasoned customer, someone who clearly selects their cherished items by narrowing in on materials.

【Make sure "Mom" gets some rest too】

Ashigoromo Nukunuku Set／Masuhisa Someori Kenkyusho、Garagara (Elephant)、Slub Gauze Bib Yellow／Tenimuhou

This appears to be a gift for a birth celebration, with a baby bib and toy selected. But this set expresses more than a wish for the baby alone—it also carries the sentiment "please rest well and relax," directed toward the recipient who has just become a "mother" after completing the major event of childbirth. At ZUTTO, we can wrap multiple items together in a single gift bag (combined gift wrapping), so you're welcome to choose each item with the recipient's daily life in mind.
※Depending on the shape and size of the items, we may not be able to accommodate combined gift wrapping in some cases. Thank you for your understanding in advance.

＞＞Browse our selection of gifts here

A hidden gem that sells out as soon as it's restocked

Every day, many items leave our warehouse, while restocked and new products arrive just as steadily. Among them are some hidden gems. Take, for example, the leather goods from SonnenLeder (Germany), which were recently restocked. This company handles everything from leather processing to final product in-house, using a traditional German leather tanning method.

No chemical substances are used—only vegetable-tanned cowhide, carefully crafted piece by piece by skilled artisans. One characteristic is that the leather feels relatively soft right from the start, but since no unnecessary surface treatments are applied, it grows even softer with use, and you can enjoy watching a natural sheen develop over time.

SONNENLEDER means "sun leather," representing the gentle, pure processing of plant-based tanning.

Because these items arrive on a limited schedule, once stock runs out it can take about half a year until the next shipment arrives. This time, anticipating that, we brought in a large quantity, yet items are being shipped out from the warehouse every single day. This is a popular brand chosen not only by customers buying for themselves, but also frequently as gifts.
＞＞See the full lineup of SonnenLeder items here

Even our own warehouse staff, who handle shipping every day, are fans of SonnenLeder's items.

What our warehouse staff love, and what's coming this spring

Here are the pouch and business card holder that our warehouse staff—who handle all kinds of products every day—actually use themselves.

Pouch／SonnenLeder、Business Card Holder Red／Il Bussetto

A pouch from SonnenLeder, and a business card holder from Il Bussetto, chosen after starting a job that required carrying business cards. Both are popular favorites at ZUTTO, and are often chosen as gifts as well. As for the card holder, the staff member says they love the cute red color and the fact that it has plenty of storage pockets inside, making it easy to use. For the SonnenLeder pouch, after searching for a simple, large leather pouch, this was the type they chose. About two months into using it, the leather was soft from the very start, but it has become even more comfortable to use over time. Part of it has changed color from getting wet, but they say they've come to enjoy that as part of its character.

Our warehouse staff move their bodies a great deal every day—handling shipments, organizing incoming products, checking the condition of items, and more. From this bustling warehouse, here's a small preview of new products soon to be released.

It looks like colorful linen items are being placed in clear bags to keep them clean while in storage. These are items from CHARVET EDITIONS, which ZUTTO will newly be carrying. Founded in 2009, the brand emerged from a long-established factory with over 100 years of history in Armentières, a town in northern France. From a brand that lets you experience the true quality of linen in everyday life, what kind of items has ZUTTO chosen? We're looking forward to the release.
※Scheduled for release in early May.

MARVELETS, known for its vintage-inspired look, joined our lineup last fall and quickly became a favorite. It uses linen made by Hardman's, a company founded in Northern Ireland, and its flax yarn is highly regarded around the world as a representative of "Irish linen." This spring, MARVELETS will be restocked. This time it's a special order item, so please look forward to it.
※Scheduled to go on sale in early May.

The view from the staff room. Mountains stretch out beyond the schoolyard.

Please note that during the Golden Week holidays, shipping will follow the schedule below. If your order is urgent, we'd appreciate it if you could check this before placing your order.
◆Orders placed April 28 (Sat) – April 30 (Mon), 2018 → will ship on May 1 (Tue)
◆Orders placed May 3 (Thu) – May 6 (Sun), 2018 → will ship successively from May 7 (Mon)

These are the "things to use forever" that our staff select and wrap one by one before sending them out. All of us on staff sincerely hope that the items you receive will be cherished by you for a long time to come.

▽Here are the newest additions to ZUTTO

▽Since March, ZUTTO has a new Instagram account
From beloved everyday items to behind-the-scenes looks at special orders and staff memories, we share it all. We also post a one-minute column every Friday.