OB1TOY – Retro Post and the Joy of Snail Mail

There is something immediately familiar about the work of OB1TOY, even when you have never seen one of his illustrations before. Old shop signs, product labels, cafés, department stores and colourful packages seem to have found their way from another era into his drawings. Look a little closer, however, and you quickly realise that most of these places and brands are imaginary.

OB1TOY is the working name of Japanese graphic designer and illustrator Yōhei Obi (小尾洋平). Originally from Yamanashi Prefecture, he worked in advertising, toy and packaging design before developing his independent practice. His background as a graphic designer remains very present in his work: typography, illustration, colour and imaginary brand identities all come together to create a world that feels both nostalgic and surprisingly contemporary.

At the heart of this universe is Retro Post (レトロ郵便), his original series inspired by the visual language of vintage Japanese advertising and, as its name suggests, the world of (snail) mail. Swallows carrying letters, bears setting off on imaginary journeys, cafés, bookshops and wonderfully invented brands populate a universe that could almost have been discovered on an old postcard, travel ticket or forgotten piece of packaging.

There is something particularly fitting about seeing this world appear on paper. At a time when most of our messages arrive instantly by electronic means, Retro Post celebrates the slower pleasure of snail mail: choosing a card, writing a few words by hand, adding a stamp and sending a gift to someone. The collaboration between OB1TOY and Japanese foil-stamping specialist ROKKAKU takes this idea even further, transforming his illustrations into postcards and other stationery enriched with layers of coloured metallic foil.

Travel is never very far away either, just as it is in the Nomado Store universe . In designs such as EARTH TOURS and GALAXY TOURS, bears become travellers in a wonderfully imaginary version of tourism, complete with Japanese passport-style notebooks, tickets and miniature letter sets. The collection is a playful extension of the Retro Post universe, where letters, journeys and vintage graphic design naturally belong together.

Colour is equally important. OB1TOY has published books devoted to colour combinations and illustration, and this attention is easy to recognise in his work. Rather than relying on conventional vintage tones, he creates unexpected combinations of blues, pinks, greens, reds and metallic accents. The result feels nostalgic without becoming old-fashioned.

This is probably what attracted us to OB1TOY at Nomado Store in the first place. We have a soft spot for vintage objects and the nostalgia they convey, but we also love OB1TOY's very personal way of playing with colour. His combinations are sometimes unexpected, yet somehow feel completely natural. Add his slightly quirky animals, imaginary travels and love of printed matter, and you have a world that speaks very naturally to us.

OB1TOY has already built a strong following in Japan and elsewhere in Asia, where his illustrations and stationery collaborations have become increasingly visible. We would like to help his work travel a little further.

By bringing a selection of OB1TOY and Retro Post to Nomado Store, we hope to introduce this colourful and nostalgic world to more stationery lovers in Europe — and perhaps encourage a few more postcards to make the journey from one letterbox to another. See the collection here.

You'll also find OB1TOY designs under the Sanby brand on our website.