Hi everyone! It's Miriam from JetPens, and today I'll be talking all about paper in Japan.
In America, paper isn't something we think that much about, but in Japan it's a huge deal.
I'll explain why it's such a big part of Japanese culture and highlight some Japanese paper companies.
If you're a stationery lover, be sure to like and subscribe for more videos like this. Let's get started!
Long-Lived Traditions
In Japan, paper plays a central role in many traditions that are still practiced today.
For example, noshi, an origami paper ornament that’s attached to gifts,
and nengajō, New Year’s Day postcards.
Did you know the country still uses fax machines for sending important documents? Rather than fully
embrace digital technology, Japan still values analog tools—paper is a point of cultural pride.
Emphasis on Details Japanese people have high
expectations for consumable products, so companies design products with the smallest details in mind.
They pay close attention to the interaction between the writer and paper,
considering things like bleedthrough, showthrough, thickness, and how different pens pair with it.
Compared to American notebooks, Japanese notebooks offer more options for paper color,
sheet style, and other features. There’s a specific paper type for every purpose! For
example, dotted rule is suited for students, and dot grid works well for journalers. If
you want to try some truly unique paper, check out the Yamamoto Fountain Pen Friendly Paper Collection:
it includes 18 different kinds of paper, all with different properties.
Techo Culture “Techo” is the Japanese
word for “pocket notebook” or “planner”. Techo culture refers to people who use their planners
as ways to creatively express themselves. Paper planners provide concrete and permanent
records of life. As a tangible way to record memories, the techo allows for
journaling and handwriting in a digital world—two activities that can help improve
overall mood. Our two most popular planner lines both feature the word “techo” in their names:
Hobonichi Techo and Kokuyo Jibun Techo! Check out our blogs to learn more about each planner.
Now we’ll shine a spotlight on two major Japanese paper companies and the products they offer!
Kokuyo
Founded in Osaka in 1905, Kokuyo originally sold covers for account ledgers.
Surprisingly, the first Kokuyo Campus Notebooks from 1965 weren’t popular at all. They were
spiral-bound and had printed images on the covers, a new feature at the time. In 1975,
the notebooks took their modern form with adhesive binding. Fast-forward 45 years, and
they’re now one of our most popular notebooks. In 1995, Kokuyo introduced Universal Design
(UD) principles, which advocate for products that can be used by as many people as possible.
We carry some of these products, like the Campus Paracuruno Slanted Page Notebook, which features
slanted pages, so it’s easy to flip through them no matter which way you’re holding the notebook,
In 2021, Kokuyo released the Perpanep line, which focuses on the intersection between paper and pen
through three different paper and textures types: Tsurutsuru, an ultra-smooth paper that’s best for
fineliners and markers; Sarasara, a paper that balances smoothness and texture, pairing well
with gel pens and ballpoints; and Zarazara, the thickest and most textured of the three.
Aside from texture and weight, the Perpanep has other mindful details:
lay-flat binding for double-page spreads, subtle light gray ruling, and eco-friendly
cheesecloth binding. The notebooks come in dot grid, graph, and steno rule.
Midori Midori was founded in the
1960s with the goal of creating a paper that would “cultivate the unique sounds of writing by hand”.
Midori is committed to details throughout the entire papermaking process, using some historical
washi-making techniques. They also incorporate a final writing quality test, in which workers
write specific characters and patterns to check for consistency between batches.
Their flagship product is their MD Paper. Made using hardwood pulp,
the paper has a softer finish than rigid paper made from conifer trees.
It works well with practically any writing instrument. It has no bleedthrough,
better-than-average showthrough, and a medium balance of feedback and smoothness.
In 2013, Midori released MD Cotton Paper. It’s made with 20% cotton pulp in addition to the
original’s hardwood pulp, which results in a softer, bouncier texture when writing.
It works especially well with fountain pens, gel pens, and pencils.
Special thanks to Yamamoto Paper for answering some of our questions about Japan's paper culture.
They're the ones who make our Kanso Noto notebook so click the card above to learn more.
We hope this video has shed some light on the importance of paper in Japan. If you want to know
more about the history of Japanese paper, let us know in the comments, and we might
make a Part 2! You can find all the featured products at JetPens.com.
Thanks for watching, and I'll see you later. Bye!