Yasutomo and Company was established in June 1954 by Mr. Ben Yasutomo who believed that global marketing was possible back in the 1950s. He decided to set up an office in San Francisco. In the early stages, Yasutomo imported gift and paper products from Japan and soon expanded into Asian art supplies. In the 1960s, Yasutomo introduced the product to the American market. The world's first fiber-tipped pen was well received and was even used by then President Lyndon B. Johnson in the White House. Yasutomo added several innovative writing instruments and stationery products under the NIJI and Y&C brand names. These products included the GRIP pens and pencils; Stylist pens for designers; PermaWriters for artists and crafters; FabricMate markers for wearable art enthusiasts; Silverado brushes for painting; Origami paper; and recently the Gel Xtreme gel pens that have been taking the market by storm. In October 2019, American KUSA Corporation acquired Yasutomo and its warehouse and operations relocated to Torrance, California.