Exploring Life & Business with Mai Imai of Paper Treats

Today we’d like to introduce you to Mai Imai.

Hi Mai, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Thank you very much for this interview opportunity — it is so nice to be have a presence in the Los Angeles community where I live.  My online Japanese stationery shop, Paper Treats, first began in 2019 — but my story on how I came to start my business is actually ironic. Growing up, I loved writing and watching sports on television, so with those two passions, I dreamed of becoming a sports journalist. I will never forget that proud moment as a first-generation college student when I was accepted into Syracuse University in upstate New York, a school known for its top journalism program.  After graduating college in May 2001, the career path was more challenging than I expected. It was an extremely competitive field, and the various unpaid internships and struggles to secure jobs for living expenses in a big city became difficult. I went through a rather dark time, feeling as though I failed and wasted my college experience because the journalism degree I dreamed of didn’t lead to a career in the sports field.

It wasn’t until I got married and had a family of my own that I started to reconnect with my past and find deeper meaning in my life. I know this sounds cliche, but having children really changes your perspective on life. I kept thinking of how important it was to share my Japanese culture with my daughter. Watching my daughter doodle and draw, sharing her artwork to grandparents and seeing the smile on their faces — experiencing those moments is really what sparked my idea for starting a Japanese stationery shop.  So this was a valuable reminder that failed expectations in life does not define who you are.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?Authenticity and organic growth was really important to me in starting my own business. It still is. I wanted Paper Treats to be a personal experience, choosing to focus on the joy each product and less about the mentality of “selling” in this mass online market. I love to come up with my own product captions and writing personal stories, tying in my Japanese culture and sharing about Japanese illustrators. I also draw inspiration from a creative community of stationery enthusiasts — all whom I have discovered through social media.

Focusing on the core joys of my shop allowed for the business itself to form naturally. For instance, on my Instagram account, I ignore the algorithm and don’t fixate on follower numbers. I don’t allow that to determine my self worth or popularity. To simply be on this social platform — posting what I love and engaging with the kind stationery community — is really my daily joy and fulfillment. The only obstacle is that because my business is strictly online, I lack a local presence. By not having a physical store, you miss out on the in-person interaction.  The relationships with my customers do mean a lot to me and I always want them to know, “Hi! I see you and am so grateful for you!”

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My shop specialty is authentic Japanese stationery products (stickers, postcards, washi tape, gifts and curated paper sets in fun themes) — as that is what I know and grew up with.  Everything is imported directly from Japan. I’m the sole owner of my shop and manage all roles from product selection, writing, photographs, customer service, packaging, shipping, and accounting. I also frequently communicate with various stationery brands in Japan to maintaining good, reputable relations.

Paper Treats comes 100 percent from the heart. “A care package from home — packaged with love” is the caption I have on my website.  Many of my customers have shared their happiness with me in explaining that receiving an order from my shop made them feel like a kid again or that they felt like they just received a care package from home. I love to focus on details, and attribute much of that to my background — as my family in Japan comes from a long generation of artists, creators, and farmers in which hard work and tradition is carried with honesty and pride.

Something else that sets my business apart is that it is not set up like typical retail — no marketing such as pop-ups. By not doing so you risk sales, but I wanted to create my shop in my own style and know that I can succeed without having to cater to the standard business model.  Aside from selling Japanese stationery, I love sharing children’s artwork and have a gallery section on my website featuring their writing and art submissions. It’s nice to have a space to spotlight children’s creativity.

So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
Support comes in all forms. Those interested in showing support for my business can do so without any cost — you can share children’s artwork with me to feature in my website gallery or simply allow more personal time to send a letter!  If a friend or family member’s birthday is coming up, mail them a postcard or birthday card in the mail over a text message! I am also a huge fan of Love for Our Elders, a non-profit organization that profiles several senior citizens each month so that people can write letters, as many seniors are often isolated, lonely, or simply need a little cheer. You can find more information on www.loveforourelders.org.  Thank you so much!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.papertreatshop.com
• Instagram: papertreatshop

Image Credits
Paper Treats, LLC