WORKING HANDS: Kuniko Yagi – Pikunico
As a stationery brand, we are always curious how and what people use our stationery goods for. With this blog series, focusing on the hands at "work" and beyond, we ask five questions about the usage and meaning of the stationery tools to our friends in Los Angeles.
For the thirty-first post, we visited our neighbor and great friend, Kuniko Yagi – a chef owner of Pikunico at ROW DTLA. We are so lucky to have her restaurant in such close proximity to our DTLA shop!
Q1. What do you do with the New Retro stickers, the Dermatograph color pencil and the large Cargo Bag?
Stickers are used when the customer orders “make it spicy” version of our fried chicken! Our customers give smiles and giggles when they see the stickers. We are all here to make customers day light as a feather, haha.
Kuniko puts the New Retro emotion sticker to her famous chicken sandwich package. Indicating that it's a spicy one. So fun. Then add "Spicy!" with the Mitsubishi dermatograph pencil in red.
I love the nostalgic texture of colored pencils. We use them for writing on the to-go boxes as a label for what’s inside. We also use them for thanking regular customers on the cookie bags, etc. Most of our to-go boxes are made with recycled paper materials, so this colored pencil works perfectly. Again, colors cheer us up in the heart rather black sharpies!
As for the large cargo bag, the size and the shape is perfect to lay multiple picnic fried chicken boxes flat and safe. when I deliver a short distanced office order, it is perfect. Also to organize the order in my car trunk after farmer’s market morning to get to work, this bag really does the magic. Super highly recommended!
Q2. In our technology driven world, what does it mean to make things by your hand to you?
Make things by hands are the essential effort of work to feel humanity and provide us the relaxation and peace.
Important ritual; burn the Hinoki sticks to purify the air and for the invigorating scent. Hinoki wood is quite familiar for all Japanese people as used for furniture and shrines. It smells so nice.
Hinoki sticks by Shin-rin-yoku, a round brass tray by Fog Linen Work.
Q3. Pencils or Mechanical Pencils?
Both! Any sort of pencils are welcome to my life.
Kuniko staples a to-go order with the Penco stapler. She says she's been using it for years, it is indeed durable!
Q4. What’s in your pen stand?
Uni jet stream, Rays gel ink, Penco glider pens. These 3 pens always has backups just incase I lose them. I have an attachment to these pens. I freak out if I didn’t have 0.5mm thin pens – I am not good with thick pens!
We love Kuniko's matching-color fits with the Hightide Cargo Bag in L & the upcycled silk scrunchie by Asaka Fushimi, both available in-store.
Q5. What is your most favorite stationery?
Yes, obviously the Hightide's monthly planner with the pocket, Iris B6. I pick a different color every year, I hope I can find the different color for 2026, too.
I don’t use phone calendars but this old school way to manage my meetings, appointments, etc etc. I create my relationship to this journal calendars so I take my moment to sit down and write as if I am having a meeting with the notebook to check into myself “am I doing too much or am I balancing my life well? (Because I tend to do too much until I collapse…) This notebook is my life savior. Thank you Hightide!
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Kuniko Yagi is the chef owner of Pikunico at Row DTLA.
At Pikunico, they offer various chicken themed meals like sandwiches and fried chickens as well as a Japanese classic, onigiri rice ball in a few different flavors. Of course the sandwiches are so tasty, but we are also big fans of the veggie sides and chicken egg drop soup for a light snack option.
Pikunico
767 S Alameda St. Suite 122
Los Angeles, CA 90021
Sun – Fri: 11 – 7
Sat: 11 – 8