Tag Archives: japan

Notebook Addict of the Week: Nobuhiro Imai

I found this week’s addict on Instagram, where he displays an amazing 38 year loyalty to the Nolty diary. (The original text is in Japanese, but has been auto-translated into English in the image above.) See more at @motohashinobuhiro 5884

Moleskine Monday: Interesting News from Japan About New Products for Spring 2019

Here’s something actually kind of interesting for a change! The late, great Moleskinerie website has been dormant since 2016, but its Japanese counterpart, Moleskinerie.jp, is still quite active. I noticed this recent article about new products being introduced at a Moleskine pop-up shop at Shibuya Loft. Moleskine Expanded Notebook Most exciting to me was the … Continue reading Moleskine Monday: Interesting News from Japan About New Products for Spring 2019

Review: Nolty Gold 2019 Diary/Planner

As regular readers know, I am a big fan of the Nolty Diary. Also known as the “Efficiency Notebook,” this Japanese planner has deservedly become a cult favorite, with Instagram posts galore showing off how people use their Nolty diaries. After very happily using a Nolty diary all through 2018, I decided to spring for … Continue reading Review: Nolty Gold 2019 Diary/Planner

Review: Etranger di Costa Rica Notebook

I bought this adorable little notebook from JetPens. Although “etranger” is a French word, “di” is an Italian word, and Costa Rica is in Latin America, the company is Japanese. I guess it’s just that enjoyment of slightly absurd foreign phrases that you sometimes see on Japanese products, as there is also French text on … Continue reading Review: Etranger di Costa Rica Notebook

My Growing Love for the Nolty Diary

I’ve been using my Nolty diary regularly and loving it. It’s a great size, has nice fountain pen friendly paper, and the design is cool in a classic, retro, business-y kind of way. I don’t understand Japanese, so I’m missing some of the benefits of the maps and info in the back, but that doesn’t … Continue reading My Growing Love for the Nolty Diary

Made-to-Order Notebooks at Kakimori in Tokyo

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

Extreme Note-Taking!

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!

The History of Japan’s Tsubame Notebook

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

Custom Notebooks at Ito-Ya

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