Hunting for Japanese Inks: Part 7, Wrap Up, Kuretake and Notebooks

The Kuretake Inks at Amazon: amzn.to/42VFR1p (affiliate link)
For completeness, I decided that I'd better post this video and show you the rest of the inks that I bought in Tokyo (that weren't store exclusives) and some of the paper products, too. Some are pretty interesting.
The four inks that I review here are Kuretake inks, three of them from Japan and one of them purchased in the US. All of them are part of the Meiji no iro series of inks. The Meiji Era was during the reign of Emperor Meiji from 1868 to 1912, so it has a lot in common with the Victorian era in Europe.

[@thewetpen]

I am somewhat embarrassed to say that while I was shooting the ink swatching for this video, the sun came out and directly hit my shuttered windows nearby, and it changed the color of the light and the ink, so the swatches are not especially accurate... especially the second one (you can see it turn very green as the paper color warms up over the drying time-lapse). The color of the close-ups of the swatches at the end of each ink section is more accurate.

[@Catherinzsl]

The sun loves to photobomb!!! 😎 Thanks for the note. I'm sure everyone who's held a still or video camera will understand!

[@thewetpen]

@@Catherinzsl Very true! Most of the year, the sun actually can't directly fall on my window, but during these longest days of the summer, it sets far enough north in the evening that it evades the buildings that would normally protect me from such things.

[@Songofthehealer]

Hi! What are you using to swab with? I liked the affect.

[@thewetpen]

@@Songofthehealer They're just foam cleaning swabs. I get them on Amazon :-)

[@Alliejay-C]

I cannot express how grateful I am that you did this series. Having recently returned from Japan, I am enjoying revisiting some of the places we visited. Thank you for sharing!

[@thewetpen]

Glad you've enjoyed it! Hope you got some fun stuff in Japan, too 🙂

[@AndrewWertheimer]

Thanks for the video. I had to get 4 Meiji Iro on my last day in Tokyo. Arigatou. 🏺✍️

[@kkkall02]

Even if this one fails to wrap up & you come up with another one, I will watch for sure.

[@Alexwhatisit]

I watch this entire series. Great stuff! You gave me a bunch of places to check out!

[@thewetpen]

I just got back from another three weeks in Japan, and will start publishing my new series of videos in a few weeks after I get caught up on work 🙂

[@Alexwhatisit]

@@thewetpen noted! Will keep an eye out for them! Loved these videos!

[@chrisrap52]

You had a great trip to Japan. Land of excellent stationery.

[@thewetpen]

Thanks! It truly is the land of excellent stationery. The next time I go, I want to spend more time in the various antique shops and junk shops and street markets; I stopped by one in Kyoto that had a box full of vintage pens that were in rough shape, but I had to rush to catch a train and didn't find anything that looked promising, but that sort of thing would be fun.

[@DarrenRowse]

LOVED this series - thankyou. I'm pondering the idea of going to Japan this November for the Tokyo pen show so this has definitely given me a lot of ideas of where to go!!!

[@thewetpen]

Hey Darren! I'm going back to Japan in about 3 weeks, and when I get back, I'm going to be showing off a map with dozens more places on it, all over the rest of the country. I've been collecting spots since my trip last year 🙂

[@DarrenRowse]

@@thewetpen that sounds VERY helpful. You should run tours! :-)

[@claytonmarch484]

I just got back from a few weeks in Tokyo and Osaka--These videos really helped set my focus while I was there. I visited a lot of the shops on your list but only got a few store exclusives including the Tag Stationary Kochibo (Fallen Leaves) from Shosaikan; Giftionary Delta's Umeda Night Blue; Sailor Maroon from Hankyu , which is already inked in an older Visconti Van Gogh Maxi I purchased at Kingdom Note; and Sailor Assisi Verde for Pelle Penna, inked in a Pelikan M1000 also picked up used at Kingdom Note. I was surprised to be buying German and Italian pens in Japan but the prices at Kingdom note and the weak yen made them hard to resist. The other pen purchase was acquired with a little more forethought, a Sailor Pro Gear Christmas Spice Tea and I was able to snag one of the last bottles Christmas Tea ink for a nice match there. Thanks again for all your great videos!

[@jannahlyon]

You might want to try the Kokuyo Campus paper in the Sarasara finish instead of the generic notebook - it is one of my favorite and it shows all the qualities of ink really well :)

[@thewetpen]

I think that I have the Sarasara and Zarazara, and I like them both, but haven't really tested them a whole lot. They might be in my Cosmo Air Snow video. Anyway, I'll take another look at them!

[@friso159]

Thanks a lot for this series! I liked both seeing Japan in a different way than all the hot spots as well as the videos being a nice relaxing view. I’m planning to go to Japan and was hoping to get a sailor pen and maybe some ink. Did you get any tax returns on your purchases in Japan?

[@thewetpen]

There were a few different places that gave me the tax-free option if I spent more than 500 yen... Itoya, Kingdome Note, and a few others. That saved me 20% a couple of times, but then they'd seal my purchase in a tamper evident bags, which I couldn't open until I got home to the USA.

[@roxiesossa3210]

As always, another great video and fantastic wrap-up of your trip and ink & paper goodies! The beautiful Japanese artwork & scenery you add is such a nice touch. But you know my favorite part was the Mucu notebook with its comic paper and fluffy texture! How could it not be?! 😂 Love it!

[@thewetpen]

🙂

[@Volkmannx]

Interesting, thank you!

[@thewetpen]

My pleasure!

[@thorhilda]

I have the purple ink called Shikon. It's super lubricated. I really like it. Are the other inks in the "Meiji no iro" collection also lubricated?

[@thewetpen]

The dark dark green is also well lubricated 🙂 It's not as obvious in the other two... they just feel like wll-made inks with good flow.

[@thorhilda]

@@thewetpen Thanks. I saw that those ink were advertised to be used with Kuretake's Karappo brush pens, so diluted when used. That's why I think they're so saturated. They are not intended to be used at full concentration.

[@theda1786]

What a great series! I'm glad to have discovered it before my trip - was there a special way you asked for exclusive inks? Or did you already know what to look out for based on your research?

[@thewetpen]

Thanks! I did a fair amount of research before and during my trip, so I knew of some stores that were supposed to have their own inks (and I found one or two myself), but primarily, I knew which inks were NOT exclusives. I look at a lot of inks online and in stores here, etc. So, I was looking for anything unfamiliar. In Japan, store exclusive inks are generally tagged (often in English) as "Original" inks. Most of the pen shop owners or workers were very helpful, some spoke English well, some just enough, and some cooperated with Google translate (which will do live voice translations), but usually I just looked for the ink section and it was obvious.

[@chrissyhayes8762]

Love these inks❤❤❤

[@thewetpen]

Me too! I guess they're not cheap, but when I use them, they feel wonderfully smooth like Sailor inks... I'm really impressed.

[@renois1]

OMG thanks so much for making this series🎉 it has added even more to my want to go to list. I'm planning a trip for my daughter and I in October for 12 days really 10 usable (avoiding November's pen show because she'd hate me because we wouldn't do anything she wants😂). I have so many places on the list but i know I must stay strong and narrow it down. How did you find the best places to stay during your trip? Any recommendations? This will be our first time in Japan. Thanks again ❤

[@thewetpen]

I'm actually in Japan right now 🙂 Unfortunately, that means I don't have much time to offer ideas and advice. Like any place in the world, the best places to visit depend entirely on your own personal interests. Don't bother visiting 100 temples and shrines if you don't really care about temples and shrines. Find the places that match your interests and ignore (or limit) the generic stuff that everyone sees and will be packed with tourists. Visit Itoya in Ginza, Tokyo. Good luck!

[@renois1]

@thewetpen thanks so much. I'm really trying to wheel the list in between both of us. How did you bring back your inks? Do you know if they allow packaged snacks too? Ooh I live in 🇺🇸. My 14yr old son isn't going with us but he is requesting as many Japanese exclusive snacks that we can bring him back. I usually purchase the Japanese snack boxes for them 😋 but Shipping 😲 😱

[@thewetpen]

@renois1 I bring back inks in my checked luggage wrapped in ziplock bags and some bubble wrap if I have it. Packages snacks have never been a problem for us, in checked or carry on bags... it's fresh fruits/vegetables and any meats that are a problem.

[@renois1]

Thanks so much. This is great news🎉❤

[@claytonmarch484]

Thanks for another great video! This series has inspired me to create my own ink swatch/sample notebook. I used a Rhodia notebook, my go to for most of my writing. I thought it curious that my swatches never sheened as much as what I saw on websites and then I heard it in todays video: “There’s even some on the Rhodia which doesn’t usually sheen at all.” Do you have any suggestions for inks that ARE good sheeners on Rhodia?

[@thewetpen]

Rhodia is generally just a little bit too absorbent to sheen (though that also means that ink dries more quickly and is less likely to smudge, of course). So, only the heaviest sheening inks will sheen on it... maybe Krishna Moonview 2, Diamine Maureen... actually all of the Cult Pens Iridescink series has a shot. Probably Organics Studio's heaviest sheeners. But if you want to see sheen, the best thing to do is use a paper that supports it better... Tomoe River, Midori, Iroful, Regalia, Cosmo Air, etc, or heavier art papers.

[@paulmchugh1430]

Thanks for the great overview of all of these inks. I still wish Sailor still made the vase ink bottles. They are so distinctive. It has only been over the last year or so that I realized Sailor makes so many different inks. Does Pilot and Platinum have such a range of inks?

[@thewetpen]

My pleasure! Sailor really does make an astounding number of inks. As far as I know, Pilot and Platinum don't have anything like the same number of colors and exclusives, though of course they both make quite a few excellent inks.

[@Bodhi246]

Sailor also makes inks and nibs for other companies in Japan.. Such as Nagasawa Kobe..

[@OnMyOm]

Do you happen to have any writing samples for the Kurateke inks? It would be helpful in making a decision on which one to order. I think those blues and teals are pretty interesting but I am wondering if they can be used for every day writing.

[@thewetpen]

Not handy, I'm afraid. I'll be home in a few days and I'll see what I can do, but I'd say that all of the Kuretake inks in this video would easily be suitable for daily writing in terms of legibility, and none have a color that is so unusual that it would be a problem unless you're in a very conservative environment.

[@OnMyOm]

Thank you