Here’s another Japanese shop that makes customized notebooks to order: Kakimori is the brainchild of owner Hirose Takuma, who opened the shop in 2010 as a place for writing fanatics. He stocks the store’s shelves with an impressive lineup of fountain pens and other items carefully chosen from leading Japanese and overseas stationery brands, winning … Continue reading Made-to-Order Notebooks at Kakimori in Tokyo
Maybe this technically isn’t a notebook? But to me, if you cover your textbook in this many notes, it has basically become a notebook. This one belongs to a Japanese student who aced a world history exam by studying from these annotations. Gorgeous, isn’t it? Because if you know everything, you don’t have to worry … Continue reading Extreme Note-Taking!
A very interesting article about the history of the iconic Tsubame notebook, created by Watanabe Hatsusaburō. In the heady days of the early postwar era, Watanabe Hatsusaburō, founder of the Tokyo-based stationery maker Tsubame, had one thing in mind: to make a high quality, inexpensive notebook. In 1947 he launched the Tsubame nōto, a simply … Continue reading The History of Japan’s Tsubame Notebook
If, like me, you are dying to go to Japan to explore its stationery stores, you will enjoy the vicarious journey provided by this article and its luscious photographs. Enjoy! Source: Japan: Paradise for Stationery Lovers Save Save
Fancy a visit to the paper concierge? “Attention paper sophisticates: Ito-Ya, the legendary 111-year old Japanese stationery mecca will make your dreams come true. On the fourth level of their newly renovated 12-story emporium in Tokyo’s Ginza shopping district, a counter called “Note Couture†is dedicated to creating the perfect writing pad, on the spot.For … Continue reading Custom Notebooks at Ito-Ya
A tantalizing glimpse of some Japanese notebooks dating back to World War II: “Long-forgotten documents on Japan’s attempt to build an atomic bomb during World War II have been discovered at Kyoto University, which experts say further confirms the secret program’s existence and could reveal the level of the research. The newly found items, dating … Continue reading WWII Japanese Notebooks
Life notebooks always catch my eye in stores. The covers look so elegant in a modern yet retro way. And the paper always feels so smooth and silky. This one above was a freebie from the generous folks at Notebook Maniac, who sell a variety of notebook brands, many from Japan, including Life, Midori, Tsubame, … Continue reading Life Renover Notebook Giveaway
I can’t believe it’s taken me over 2 years to review these notebooks. I first heard of Design-Y in early 2012, when they were receiving quite a bit of buzz on fountain pen blogs. If you’re not familiar with this brand, here’s the background: they are handmade in Japan by a Mr. Yoshino. He uses … Continue reading Review: Design.Y Notebooks
Based on the photo below and the website where I found it, Russell Stutler is definitely a sketchbook addict. His website is a great resource for anyone who is interested in sketching on the go– there are articles on tools like waterbrushes and assorted sketchbook brands, and tips on how to use them in the … Continue reading Notebook Addict of the Week: Russell Stutler
Here’s a couple of notebooks I bought at Jet Pens about a year ago. First, the adorable little Metaphys notepad, shown next to a pocket Moleskine so you can see how small it is. I love the orange cloth-covered flexi cover. Inside there are blank pages made of a fairly thin, smooth paper. They are … Continue reading Quick Review: Notebooks from Jet Pens