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
About 2 years ago, I visited a very cute shop in Philadelphia called Omoi Zakka. As Wikipedia explains, “zakka” is a Japanese concept having to do with household items that are attractively designed. The Omoi Zakka shop certainly delivered on that when I was there, with lots of interesting little items for the desk and … Continue reading Notebooks from Omoi Zakka Shop
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
Since my last update in January, I’ve finished one Moleskine Sketchbook and just started a new one. For my daily journaling and catch-all notebook, I’ve switched from a squared Moleskine to my lovely blue linen-covered Bindewerk dot-grid notebook. I’m enjoying being able to use my fountain pens more on this sturdy paper, though I miss … Continue reading What I’m Using Now: March 2018
This week’s addict is someone I found on Pinterest, who uploaded this photo: I love the tidy organization and uniformity of these notebooks, as well as the labeling! Hiro’s Pinterest account is in Japanese, so I can’t tell you much more, but there is lots of notebooky good stuff to look at in this board!
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
I don’t focus a lot on diaries and planners on this site, mainly because I haven’t used a paper planner myself for many years. But every once in a while, I see something that I have to have. I spotted this pocket size Nolty planner at the Kinokuniya bookstore in NYC, amongst a few other … Continue reading 2018 Nolty Diary from Japan
I was not familiar with Japanese author Shunei Fujisawa, but the publication of some of his notebooks was a notable event in Japan. Shuhei Fujisawa (1927-1997) recorded the deep sorrow he felt over the loss of his wife, Etsuko, in a pocketbook, excerpts of which his sole daughter, Nobuko Endo, has published in a magazine … Continue reading Shunei Fujisawa’s Notebooks
The Hobonichi Techo has become a cult favorite over the last few years, but it’s not the only Japanese planner system out there. I noticed the Jibun Techo at the Baum-kuchen website: “JIBUN TECHO will be a good fit for you if you: –manage your agenda with monthly/weekly but does not need a predated daily … Continue reading Jibun Techo Planner
A commenter named Sara reminded me to check out what might be new at Nanami Paper. If you like the Tomoe River paper found in certain Japanese notebooks, such as those made by Design.Y, Nanami Paper offers its own brand of notebooks called Seven Seas, which feature this lovely paper in a softcover lay-flat binding. … Continue reading Nanami Paper’s Value Comparison