on stationery
it soothes me
The best part of being a student for me was the opportunity to buy new school supplies. That feeling can be replicated at any time with adult money. I think I probably know more about stationery than any other subject and am more than happy to share.
If you have any questions or stationery problems you'd like solving, I'd be happy to help in any way I can.
Hopefully, likely, this section will grow. Probably with images, shopping guides (both online in the US and in person in Japan), etc.In the meantime, if you're curious on how or where to get started, JetPens is both an online stationery shop and an excellent resource on all things stationery.
what's in my pencase
paper & planners
Hobonichi Weeks - 2024 Night One Piece vs.⤵︎
Planner for work to-dos and deadlines. Deadlines and big tasks on the left, running to-do list on the right. The size is just large enough for the tasks I have and it's nice to pick out a new Hobonichi every year, even if I don't use it for my personal life.
MD Notebook Diary 1Day 1Page A5 size⤵︎
This is my daily record book. On the day page, I write what I roughly did on the hour lines and general notes on how I felt or what I did or what I want to do the next day. On the month page, I record any habits I'm tracking (exercise, journaling, 日本語練習とか) and any big holidays or birthdays I want to remember.
Muji A4 Black Cardboard Binder⤵︎
This is my thought/feeling journal. I get a bit bored if I have the same thing every time, so I like to switch out the loose leaf holed paper every now and again. I prefer cardboard binders to plastic ones (I just think they're cuter) so they can be a bit hard to find. The Muji one is nice, but the million holes make it difficult sometimes. If I have loose leaf I want to try, but it only has a paltry 3 holes, I have another cardboard binder I use.
Lihit Lab Open Ring Note B6⤵︎
I use this notebook for work-related notes. B6 is a great size - even A5 seems too big for catch-all type note-taking.
writing utensils
uni-ball one 0.5 - brown black ⤵︎
This is my go-to. The ink is smooth and dries quickly. The pens are simple and cute. I like the standard size, but I really love the small fat one. I really liked checking the limited edition colors, but, in the end, I prefer a warm black for 99% of my writing.
zebra SARASA 0.5 - brown gray⤵︎
The best pen of all time. Ink so smooth, never skips. Almost a buttery or oily feeling. You cannot go wrong with this ink. Before I left Japan, I bought a carton of brown gray refills so I will literally never ever run out and that's how life should be. I've experimented with other sizes, but I always come back to the ol' reliable 0.5.
TWSBI ECO White & Rose Gold - Herbin Cacao Du Bresil⤵︎
My first eco was given to me as a graduation gift and the value was lost on me until I became an English teacher and was burning through a normal gel pen once a week. That and I tend to write super hard with regular pens. With a fountain pen, you can't write super hard or it'll blow up AND you can refill it with whatever ink you like. As a teacher who did a lot of writing, this was perfect (and only resulted in ink splatters like.. idk 5 times). This is a great starter fountain pen - super affordable and easy to use and clean. As usual, I'm using a brown-ish black ink that's soothing on the ol eyes and looks good on any color paper. Also doesn't bleed through too bad on cheap printer paper.
mildliner - smoke blue, gold, brown, green⤵︎
Best highlighters. Not too gimicky, cute colors and easy to find. You can buy them at Target these days?! How nice! I use these colors to color-coordinate my aforementioned habit tracking in my MD 1Day as well as my different work projects in the Weeks.
other
Herbin blotting paper⤵︎
This is a game-changer if you like using fountain pens. "It takes too long to dry! My hobonichi is getting all smeary!" Well, that's because you aren't using blotting paper. As soon as you're done writing, put the paper down on top of it and it absorbs the extra ink instantly, without smearing or erasing. Absolutely essential for a hobonichi or anyone who's impatient. One paper will last you years and years and a pack comes with like 10. I've cut some up and glued them to the Hobonichi pencil boards as a two-in-one. Can't go without it!!