The PH notebook came to me from the folks at Yaginoyama, a very cool online store that sells a variety of Japanese goods. This notebook is another example of the precision, minimalism and attention to design that’s evident in many Japanese notebooks.

It’s totally plain, with the PH logo and a code number stamped in opposite corners. I’m not even sure if it’s meant to be on the front or back cover, as there are no other brand markings anywhere, except for on a small slip of paper inserted inside the cover.

The cover is a lovely shade of sky blue, made of a flexible lightweight card stock with a bit of a rough texture to it. According to the product description, the cover is made of the same kind of paper used to stiffen collars, and it won’t tear (I didn’t try). Inside, everything is white, unlined paper. The signatures are sewn and then glued into the binding, so it opens quite flat. I love the precisely cut edges and corners.

The paper inside is quite smooth with a fairly “hard” surface. All pens performed well, without feathering out. Show-through and bleed-through are about average.

This one is their medium size, 18.2 x 12.5 cm , available in 4 colors for ¥630 ≈ US $7.93. Shipping by standard airmail is estimated to be an additional $6.00, approximately, for one notebook, so you might want to team up with a friend for a bulk purchase to save on postage costs.. A large size is also available in 2 colors.

Bottom line: if you love minimal design and simple quality, this is a great choice, but shipping from Japan makes it a little expensive.