PC accessories and gadgets that everyone has seen at least once. Did you know that many of them actually originate from Okayama? SANWA SUPPLY—while known nationwide today, its starting point was surprisingly a cardboard factory. Its journey began when Sanwa Kogyo, founded in Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture, teamed up with NEC in 1979 to launch Okayama's first microcomputer shop, “System In Okayama.” The “microcomputer” of that time is what we now call a personal computer. In other words, SANWA SUPPLY was a pioneer that took the lead from the provinces at the time when Japan was beginning to step into the computer society.

In the 1980s, within the expanding microcomputer market, SANWA SUPPLY leveraged the strength of being “on the ground” to receive real user demands and ventured into in-house development. This development stance—picking up voices like “It would be convenient if this existed” and giving them form—led to the diverse product lineup later on. While solidifying its brand foundation through the introduction of CI and logo establishment, it soon expanded into hardware and software, joining the ranks of major supply manufacturers. Above all, the strength of SANWA SUPPLY can be said to be the “user-first” spirit rooted in field-based principles that still lives on today.

The appeal of SANWA SUPPLY is the breadth of its products. From PC desks used in the office to detailed cables, bags, cases, and even USB flash drives and air duster—it has a comprehensive capability that makes you want to say, “They have everything for peripherals.” However, there are also genres it deliberately avoids entering. It does not heavily deal with storage or DIY parts like Buffalo or I-O Data, focusing instead on items like bags, which boast an overwhelming lineup in the mid-range price bracket and below. This strategy of “selection and concentration,” based on careful analysis of the user base and needs, is somehow principled and commendable.

SANWA SUPPLY does not operate alone. As the “Sanwa Group,” it collaborates with Sanwa Kogyo (which has roots in cardboard manufacturing and has now transitioned to a holding company system) and Santech Co., known for the household ledger software “Tekipaki Kakeibo Mam”, working not only on products but also in the fields of solutions and software. Particularly in the software division, the development capability was strengthened by absorbing the know-how of the former Technical Soft Co. The background to its local integration while achieving nationwide expansion lies in this stable corporate foundation and the “power of the group.”