Paper Tree

San Francisco, United States

4.8

Closed now

20 reviews

Accepts Credit Cards

Contacts

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Telephone:
+1 415-921-7100
Website:
www.paper-tree.com
Address:
1743 Buchanan Mall, San Francisco, CA, 94115
Japantown, Lower Pacific Heights
Nearby public transportation stops & stations:
0.8 miBig Bus Tours Stop 9, Alamo Square
0.8 miBig Bus Tours Stop 8, Fulton Street
0.8 miBig Bus Tours Stop 7, Civic Center
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Bussiness info

Accepts Credit Cards
Yes
Accepts Bitcoin
No
Parking
Street
Bike Parking
Yes
Wheelchair Accessible
Yes
Dogs Allowed
No

Today

Today 10:30 am – 5:30 pm
Closed now
Local time (San Francisco) 09:26 Thursday, 26 June 2025

Business hours

Monday 10:30 am – 5:30 pm
Tuesday –
Wednesday 10:30 am – 5:30 pm
Thursday 10:30 am – 5:30 pm
Friday 10:30 am – 5:30 pm
Saturday 10:30 am – 5:00 pm
Sunday 11:00 am – 4:00 pm

Description

Specialties

Closed Tuesdays.

We love Origami! Frankly we love paper of all kinds and have a great selection of Japanese, Thai, Italian and Korean papers, plus books that can inspire you to create something wonderful. Custom origami and gift wrap services available.

Unique gifts! New inventory of Totoro plush, backpacks and tote bags arrive monthly. We stock a selection of cute erasers, Japanese greeting cards and money envelopes, brush painting supplies, and more. We are a Sakura pens Mega Store — heaven for gel pen enthusiasts.

We also have copy and fax services available.

A family owned and operated business for over 48 years.

History

Established in 1967.

Paper Tree is family owned and operated, and is celebrating it’s 48th year as a retail store in Japantown. The store has gone through many transitions over the years, first as a gift shop, then a stationery/​office supply store, and back to gift shop with art supplies.

Prior to opening the retail store, the Mihara family owned a publishing and import business in the 1950’s, also based in Japantown. T and H Mihara published one of the early origami books in english in the 1950’s and today their grandchildren and great-​grandchildren continue the tradition of teaching and sharing origami around the world.

Meet the Manager

Mihara L.

Manager

The Mihara Family founded Paper Tree in 1967 and it continues today as a family-​run business. The Mihara family immigrated to the US in early 1900’s, and great-​grandparents began Oriental Culture Book Company in Salt Lake City in the 1940’s. The business continued back in San Francisco in the 1950’s importing gifts and dry goods from Japan. Nob and Shiz Mihara closed it in 1960’s in favor of opening up a retail store in the newly developed Japan Center complex, and then moved to Paper Tree’s current location on Buchanan Mall. Daughters Lind and Vicky continue to run the family business.

Paper Tree also recommends

Miki’s Paper

27

reviews

Art Supplies

Mihara L. says,

«Visit our „sister“ store in Berkeley. A one-​of-​a-​kind art gallery specializing in Japanese papers, and papers from around the world.»

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20 reviews of Paper Tree

No registration required
Place rating: 5
Fremont, CA
The short: Charming and cute paper shop
Large sized washi paper of all sorts of colors and patterns lightly hang on racks on the front of the store. I asked what people buy them for: some people buy them to hang up as decorations and others use them for craft projects. Throughout the store are lots of origami paper selections, origami displays, cards, and how-​to books. They also have a section of cute Japanese toys and knick knacks. I ended up buying this cute little hamster holding a sunflower seed for my friend and the lady helping me out was so friendly and helpful.
I am so eager to go back to explore more of their paper products!
Place rating: 5
Napa, CA
My girlfriend and purchesed some paper a month ago or so for some art projects, and I got to say their inventory is fantastic. On top of the the grandma translated to writing on one of the sheets we bought, and overall had very cheery conversation with us. We for sure will visit again on our next trek out to the city.
Place rating: 4
Seal Beach, CA
When my father was in the Army and stationed in Japan, he worked with a number of folks, some of them Japanese. One of them was the (lady) owner of this store! My parents and the owners have known each other since the mid 50s! I was fortunate to come here with my parents and it was nice to see them catch up. As the title implies, the paper in this stationary shop is king. High quality products. To see the origami on display was amazing. This is a charming place. Don’t miss it. If you go to JapanTown, it is easy to stay within the Plaza. Head outside and head to a number of shops and restaurants outside. This is one of them.
Place rating: 5
San Francisco, CA
Great store for Totoro merchandise, origami paper, and art supplies! They also have washi paper with beautiful designs, as well as tiny sheets of origami paper in all sorts of colours, sheens (metallic), and patterns. They definitely have a wide selection of origami paper in terms of size and patterns.
The pricing is a bit expensive for some items but fairly reasonable for the pens and origami paper. The people who work here are very sweet, friendly, and helpful.
One more thing — they have a great selection of origami books. I saw a hilarious book on knitted meerkats (it was funny at the time because it just seemed so random and out-​of-​place). They have a lot of Totoro merch but it was way out of my price range, unfortunately. Be sure to stop by if you are hungry for some Totoro, washi paper, origami paper, pens, or even oil pastels!
Place rating: 5
San Francisco Bay Area, CA
This little store is so charming! My friends and I came in here after having lunch in the area and we were amazed by the various origami pieces displayed around the store. I used to love doing origami when I was younger, so I was very much in awe of the skillfully crafted paper animals and characters that the store had.
Aside from the works of art on display, the store also has a huge variety of origami paper and some other craft supplies at fairly reasonable prices. They have paper of all textures, colors, and patterns. I got a little set of paper for folding stars for around $ 2!
The clerk behind the counter was an older man who was very kind and courteous. He explained some of the origami art displays around the store to us and you can just immediately sense his enthusiasm about the craft.
All in all, I say come here for your origami supplies! I feel like it’s important to support good local business and this is a place that seems like it really understands what it’s doing and will treat its customers well!
Place rating: 5
Novato, CA
GOOD PRICES, GREAT SELECTION, AMAZINGLY FRIENDLY SERVICE
(Skip the mall stationery store… come here for small town cozy experience)
This place makes you feel like you’ve stepped into Mayberry in Japan. Not only do they have a great selection of paper goods and Japanese chotzkes, but their prices are super reasonable. Much better than the stationery store in the mall next to Kinokuniya Bookstore.
The best thing about this place are the owners, Vicki, Linda and their dad. They are super friendly, and have that «we care about our customers like they’re family» kind of feel. So refreshing and makes me nostalgic for the good olé days!
Place rating: 5
San Francisco, CA
I can’t tell you how impressed I am with Linda and the Paper Tree. After writing a cold email to their website asking about a service not mentioned on their website Linda was not only quick to respond but very enthusiastic about the idea. This was not just another job for Linda, she wanted to know details to help her complete the task I asked. There was the genuine interest in not only making this idea work but making it amazing. The final product was everything I was asking for and more.
Five points for five stars
— Customer Service
— Actually caring about what the customer wants
— Going above and beyond what is asked
— Setting accurate time expectations
— Affordability
Place rating: 5
Lafayette, CA
I found the paper tree online while looking for a place to get quality origami supplies for me and my girlfriends newest hobby. I’ve been folding origami for several years, and recently taught her how to make the origami crane, were now on our way to making a thousand paper cranes for good luck. We have the paper tree to thank for supplying us with the equipment we need to make this a reality, thank you for having such a vast collection of origami supplies to choose from.
Place rating: 5
Palo Alto, CA
This is primarily an origami shop although there is a great selection of other Japanese craft books. The name might lead you to believe this is a paper store, but I found the selection of origami books to be the most outstanding feature of this store. The selection of advanced origami books is especially good, most stores tend to stock only beginner books, which is annoying when you already know how to make the crane, box, and so forth.
Books from Robert Lang, John Montroll and other well known origami authors were on display, as well as rarer books in Japanese. They also carry books that focus on math and origami, which are great for absorbing kids in math lessons.
Definitely worth a trip if you are an origami enthusiast.
Place rating: 4
Long Island City, NY
I like the pictures of the celebrities who are Paper Tree origami enthusiasts. Harrison Ford tops the list.
Place rating: 5
San Francisco, CA
Wow!!! What cool spot — a visit here really makes you appreciate the art of Origami. Linda and her family are very helpful and have some amazing pieces on display inside the store. Call or stop by for cool anniversary/​birthday gifts
Cheers!
Tuxedo Cat Anniversary
(Nick)
Place rating: 5
Los Angeles, CA
Paper Tree is located in the heart of Japantown and carries fine paper stationery, origami supplies and excellent selection of beautiful Japanese washi paper.
Came by here to use the copier and to buy a notebook for some local business I was conducting.
This business is owned and run by several generations of the Mihara family. On some days, you might even find Linda Mihara, a renowned origami artist at the store. I got a kick of hearing her story about how she got to meet Harrison Ford at an event in New York — she has a photo in her store, be sure to check it out ;)
Place rating: 5
Corte Madera, CA
THE #1 Paper and Origami experts of San Francisco. Excellent service.
This family has been in the game for years. Paper Tree has a vast assortment useful, high-​quality products. They can also fax and print copies!
Lots of cool things for kids including books!
Place rating: 4
Cambridge, MA
Fun little store. Even though I have never seemed to be able to do origami, I had to stop in after I stumbled upon this place in Japantown. I ended up getting these super cute place markers for grad school (random animals on post it paper) and a kids’ origami pack. The pack had 12 pre-​printed papers of animals (cat, dog, rabbit) with fold lines and numbers as well as easy instructions. I was ale to do it! I plan to use these with the kids I work with. Oh and my favorite part was the Buddha board display sign «3 stroke limit per person» hahahah
Place rating: 5
Rancho Cordova, CA
My fave store in Japantown! The owners are ace and super into paper crafts. They have sumi brushes including the ones that are a few together. 3 – 10 sumi brushes in various widths. Perfect for ceramics and large areas. They have cute stationary, fun little bits, interesting math books re: the science behind paper folding. There is stuff for scrapbooking, paper curling, and more. Awesome specimens to look at. 500+ fold wall-​e! Paper sculptures made from 1 sheet of folder paper. It’s mind boggling g and amazingly cool. Part of my top 10 SF haunts. The Thai place down the street «jitlada» is a great place to go if you need a snack.
Place rating: 4
Denver, CO
I love any kind of paper store and Paper Tree is no exception. The owners asked us if she could help us find anything. I was just browsing. They have tons of paper, not just for origami. Most papers are from Japan, I think. I really like to browse their origami exhibit. Price wise, it’s pretty competitive with all the online stores. I am not from SF and didn’t know that they charge people for bags. I know they put out a sign but I didn’t see it. It’s only 10 cents, oh well. I really recommend to check out this unique store in Japantown. Don’t forget to get some mochi from next door.
Place rating: 5
Sacramento, CA
Do you love origami? Do you love washi (Japanese paper)? Then you’ll dig this spot. This unassuming little shop in the cobblestone plaza area of J-​Town has the best assortment of origami I’ve ever encountered. Even origami squares that are one inch across for that special gnome origami affecionado in your life.
They also sell other gift-​y items like those kawaii Japanese erasers and other Japanese omiyage (gifts). I bought a children’s book on the kappa — a mythical water-​dwelling beast that has been rumored to lure children to their watery grave. But of course in true Japanese illustration, it is very cute and smiley.
Hey, even if you don’t have enough spatial skills to fold a paper airplane, you should still check out this shop. They currently have an origami exhibit that will amaze you. Dragons, creatures and the like come to life out of a flat piece of paper.
Also my aunt sells her beautiful handmade cards here. Check out Donna Ueda Creations — they are truly one of a kind creations!
Place rating: 5
East Bay
This place still spells D-​A-​N-​G-​E-​R to me!
Despite it’s small size it is filled with so many things I love — -greeting cards (traditional Japanese cards, cards for all occasions), tons of origami paper and origami books, miniature obento boxes of plastic food, cute cute cute animal umbrellas, koi noburi in all sizes, paper blow up balls, and much much more.
I ended up buying a couple of those mini obento boxes for an ofrenda I’m making,
some origami paper and a baby lion umbrella.
There is also an ongoing origami exhibit with mind blowing figures – dinosaurs, lobster, beetle, birds that are beyond awesome!
This is a wonderful family-​owned store that has been around for decades.
I am happy to support this warm, friendly store!
Place rating: 5
Sacramento, CA
Only place in the area that sells origami paper. That is paper from JAPAN! You heard me! All the way from JAPAN!
I like all the displays they have of fancy origami stuff.
The owner I believe decorates the Christmas tree in City Hall. I look forward to Dec so I can go see it.
Place rating: 5
Rosemead, CA
Pretty neat store for nick-​knacks and all things origami.
They also currently have exhibits of amazing origami people (I’ve included some pictures).
The people seemed really nice talking to them (Grandson and grandfather), said they have been there for 40 years and family lived in the area for around 100 years. They also told me a lil bit about the history of the area.
Great place for presents!