I'll be in Tokyo (also Osaka, Nagoya, a few other places) in July and August. There are virtually no fountain pens to be found where I am (Grenada, West Indies) and I wanted to pick up (at least) one while in Japan.

Can someone give me an idea what prices and availability for pens on the list below will be like? I'm thinking in terms of full retail brick-and-mortar store prices; I won't buy a pen without trying it out myself.

edit: I've looked online for prices, so I know what to expect from US/UK e-tailers, but am curious about JPN retail prices. I don't read any Japanese, and auto-translators often don't make sites really legible, especially when tabs are .gif or .bmp format kanji.

Pilot: 78G, VP (not fancy finish/mat'ls, just a writer), Bamboo

Lamy: Safari, Al-Star, 2000

Platinum: 3776 (Ribbed Body)

Caran D'Ache: Dumas

Pelikan: M 200, Level 5, Level 1/65

Wality: Don't know much about these, but I'm thinking of piston-fill models

Hero 100

Parker: user-grade vintage "51" (probably a pipe dream until I return to the states full-time in a couple of years)

Also, please tell me if there are any other pens I should be looking for/at while in Tokyo.

This will be my first FP purchase in 15 years, so I'm basically NOS in terms of knowledge , but I have a few ideas about what I want (see my intro post). The priorities I listed there have shifted a bit: after thinking it over, capacity means more to me than I thought. I'm strongly leaning towards piston-fillers now, and any c/c system pen starts off with marks against it. Since writing that intro, I've read every single FPN review of the Lamy 2000, and I'm about 75% convinced it's what I want. Without actually holding and using one, I can't get any more sure than that, though. Durability is still key, tied for first with being a nice writer. See below for budget limitations.

Hooded or semi-hooded nibs just make a lot more sense to me than exposed-collector-vane pens. Yes, I know that I have some non-hooded pens on that list, but they either have the reputation of cheap and rugged (Safari), or are very sexy (3776).

My price range should be ~$100. I'll get noodles instead of Kobe beef for a few meals to stretch that to an absolute max of $200, and that max limit should include a bottle of ink or two.

Thanks for any help!

--Breck

Hi Breck,

There have been a few threads that might help you.

http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/in...showtopic=37288
http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/in...showtopic=59635
http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/in...showtopic=66843


I can't comment on individual pens you listed right now (I'm not at home)but Pilot 78G is not available in Japan. I think it has been discontinued, if it was ever sold in Japan. Also it may be difficult to get good price on European pens as they are popular in Japan and priced higher than the price in the U.S. I'd look for Japanese pens only available in Japan.

Thanks, those are very helpful actually. I had done a thread search, but it was at a very late hour several days ago. Shoulda reviewed before quasi-re-posting.

I can't wait to get there!

I think something is funky with the search function, and when I do search I can't limit results to one forum. So, don't worry about re-posting. We might need a pinned thread about Japan pen store guide here

I suggest you not buy anything other than Japanese pens, unless you find them on clearance or used. You might find better prices if you can visit one of the specialty pen stores listed in other threads, or if you can find a discount store (there are some chains that sell NOS pens, watches, knives and other collectibles. One is called "Mecha Yasu Saito" but I don't know if they are outside of Shizuoka.

At stationery stores...
Lamy is insanely overpriced (USD):
Safari = $45
2000 = $240

Pelikan is just slightly insane:
M200 = $120 - $150

I did see Caran D'Ache pens but I didn't pay close attention to the prices as they were WAY out of my league, and I don't know anything about them. I think they started at $300 or $400. No idea how that compares. For any kind of product, Made in France/Germany/Italy means it's going to be 2x or 3x more expensive than you can get it for elsewhere. I'm not exaggerating.

I'm positive that you won't find any of the Chinese pens in a normal retail store in Japan. In fact I would bet money on it.

You can get a lot of interesting inks for a good price, and the Japanese inks like Sailor, Pilot, can be had for a bargain. Plus the colour selection is likely better than you can find in the US. Italian inks are crazy expensive compared to what I saw in the US.

Neill

Hmm...Prices for Lamy were better in Taiwan, more like in the US.

78G as Taki said is not sold in Japan, but there are many more pens that you may be interested in.

Look here http://www.pilot.co.jp/products/pen/fountain/index.html

Or here if you want the Platinum 3776 ギャザ－ド (3776 Ribbed):

http://www.platinum-pen.co.jp/products/fou.../fountain6.html

For Lamy:

http://www.lamy.jp/products/index.html

If the page does not display correctly, select encoding Shift-JIS. (It appears fine in my Mac, but just in case...)

If you want prices, look for a number with 円 after it.

Example: http://www.pilot.co.jp/products/pen/fountain/index.html (カスタム74--Custom 74)

Price in Japan is 10,500円 (10500 Yen)

Dillon

Bummer on the Euro-pen prices, but I guess I shouldn't be too surprised. I'll focus on Japanese pens, then. It's only fitting, after all...

@ Neill78: Did you happen to venture into Tokyo's Chinatown (Lonely Planet says there is one) to look for Chinese pens, by any chance?

@ Dillon: Thanks for the kanji lesson. I don't know a lick of Japanese, so every little bit helps.

Speaking of language barriers, how difficult is English-only pen shopping? I'll be staying with a friend who's pretty near fluent (been there nearly 5 years), but he won't be available as my translator all the time, and he's not a pen guy, so I don't want to spend an entire day dragging him around.

Thanks again for all the advice, y'all. Every little bit helps.

--Breck

This is a pen shop in Tokyo selling Hero and other Chinese pens.
It seems that the owner is from China.

http://www.shouryudou.com/e-commex/cgi-bin...ory.cgi?id=HR-2

You can also try Hero's inks. They are not too bad, good value for money.

http://www.shouryudou.com/e-commex/cgi-bin...cgi?id=INK00005

Address: Washin Building 2F, 1-46 Kanda Jimbocho, Chiyodaku, Tokyo
Tel:03-5283-0033
Closed: Sunday, Bank holidays

I think you'll probably do best with cheaper pens made only in Japan, like the Pilot and Sailor $2 pens (can't get them in the US and they're great writers). And of course, scouring the old stationery shops for vintage stock (although folks like Russ Stutler have likely cleaned out a majority of the more obvious ones). But yes, stay away from anything imported--you'll only be paying much more than at home.

I agree--inks are a good idea. You'll save on the outrageous shipping charges you'd be hit with buying on-line. Good luck and have a safe enjoyable trip!

@Tofu: Thanks for the links. Looks like getting a Hero there isn't really any cheaper...*shrug* I'd hoped to find a low price on a 100 just to kick around and see if I liked it, but I guess Japan puts a tarriff on Chinese goods. No surprise, really.

@ MYU: Inks sound like the way to go, I guess. I'm reading reviews of blue-blacks in another tab right now.

That said, what Japanese inks do folks recommend? Sounds like Pilot and Sailor are respected mfgrs, definitely. I just read this post:

http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/in...showtopic=52363

and the Sailor Tokyo Hands Hiroshima Forest Green is just beautiful.

Are any Japanese inks "bulletproof," in Noodler's parlance? Or even just waterproof/water-resistant? Clearly I have more thread searching to do....

ps @ MYU: I covet your MYU Towers. I just got a price quote from Russ Stutler. Let's just say I'm not in the market for MYUs any more. Or rather, I never really was...

Sailor's water resistant nano ink. 極黒 means something like Ultra black.

http://www.sailor.co.jp/BUNGU/consumable-goods/index.html

I wasn't in Tokyo this time, so no. In fact I think I've only been there once and it was mainly restaurants from what I remember.. This is just what my Chinese dorm mates told me, but in big cities there is an "official" Chinatown that's for tourists and Japanese people, and various "unofficial" Chinatowns where Chinese people actually shop. We've got great Chinatowns here in Canada so I didn't even bother to ask the locations.

I was in several nationwide department stores and stationary shops, and all of them sell at MSRP, so there was absolutely no variation in price at any shop I went into. Definitely try shops that sell pens exclusively as I'm sure you'll have better luck. Unfortunately I can't help you as I never lived in Tokyo or Osaka.

Pen shopping shouldn't be too much of a problem, especially since pen-related gestures should be pretty simple. You might want to make note of some vocabulary/chinese characters for nib width. And words like urushi "lacquer" (though it might be out of your price range). All Japanese know basic English colour names so you shouldn't have much trouble there. If all else fails you can write something down.. chances are they will be able to read better than they hear.

Have fun!

Neill

I'm currently using this and loving it. I haven't tested its water resistance yet, but basically it's an ink made with "nano" carbon particles, so it's not supposed to dilute in water like water-based inks. It's not like Noodlers bullet-proof which actually bonds chemically to paper. Some other interesting properties that I've noticed (and that they claim) are no feathering (even on newsprint!) and very little show-through. It's pricey: 1500 yen compared to about 650 yen for Sailor's regular inks.

I am going to do a review as soon as I get a good load of free time. So maybe sometime next year after I graduate.

Neill

This is great info, since I'll be going to 会話の学校 in Jimbocho this summer!

No one has mentioned Ameyoko, under the tracks of JR, between Okachimachi and Ueno. Over the years I have purchased several European pens (Pelikans, a Delta, Montblanc) at prices that are about the same and sometimes lower than what you can find online on Japanese web-sellers. (See Russ Stutler's helpful guide.)

In Shinjuku, you might want to visit Sekaido--the discount super stationery store. You purchase their store card for 500 yen, and get a good discount on fountainpens (a small selection at a counter near the door), but here they have a great selection of notepads and other paper products, gel and other pens of all sorts, etc.

Happy hunting,
Chibimie

Edited after visiting Tobu Ikebukuro dept store where I found its pen section down-sized.

All excellent, thanks a lot folks! My list is growing and growing...

Definitely stock up on notebooks in Japan. I personally love Kokuyo for fountain pens... it's not quite as smooth but far less problematic than Apica. However their new high-grade line MIO paper is like writing on silk. They're about twice as expensive as the regular grade, but that's still cheaper than a decent notebook here in Canada.They have another high-grade paper called Cyo-bo but it comes in limited sizes so I passed on it.

By the way you can usually find a fountain pen or two at most dollar stores ("hyaku-en shoppu" or "hyakkin"). I bought two or three from Daiso but haven't tried them yet. One is a Sailor school pen of some kind, looks like a narrow italic nib as there is no visible tipping. Another is an obviously poor quality Chinese pen that looks like it will fall apart if I open the package. I also picked up a handful of Platinum Preppys of various colours and a bunch of bright inks. Daiso is the biggest dollar store chain, but there are a lot of others such as Seria (didn't have any luck finding fountain pens there, though).

Big department stores like Aeon/Jusco carry some interesting and cheap fountain pens for inking "manga" comics, but they can be hard to find. Look in the art aisle rather than the pen aisle. You'll find them beside an incredible range of dip pens and nibs. I really wanted to try some of them out but I am hesitant to become that hardcore a pen user. I also saw some Pilot Prera's there, and it's likely that other locations will have a wider selection, but the prices were straight MSRP. Jusco also carries a wide variety of notebooks and journals from major and minor manufacturers and in every size imaginable, and Kokuyo Campus Notes can be had for a steal in multicolour packs of five.

I shipped myself a big box full last month but it hasn't arrived yet. *boohoo*

Neill

It might be worth trying to find Iroshizuku ink by Pilot. There are a variety of colors (possibly 8 or so), with about 4 in various shades of blue. I bought 3 of them and they're fantastic. The shipping was quite high, $30 for 3 bottles (it would be $15 for one bottle!). So, you might be able to pick up some boxes of this ink for the going retail and save on the rather high shipping. It's too bad the airlines are starting to charge so much for extra bags as well as overweight, or I'd suggest buying as many that will fit in your bag (you would have about a decade supply as well as opportunity to sell some here).

I second this! I brought back a bottle of Asa-gao and it's gorgeous (both the bottle and the ink). If you want an interesting black ink, check out Sailor Kiwaguro "nano" carbon ink, too.

Neill

I don't know where Ujuku's shop is, but they have a good reputation (I was also happy dealing with them) and are nice and have enough English to be able to sell over the Internet.
http://ujuku.jpn.ph/KAIMONO/penframe.htm

On every pen, I got the finest point available.

There are some inexpensive Sailor pens that write quite nicely. My wife grabbed the Recruit and said "mine" because it was so nice.
http://ujuku.ath.cx/ujuku-shop/kaimono/fou...fit/12-0111.htm
for a picture. I quite like it and if I order from them again I'll likely get enough for 'stocking stuffers' for the American holidays. It comes with a converter, which is normally $6 for the Sailors, and the whole pen costs less than $10 from Ujuku. The outside _is_ metal, like it looks. If it fits your hand, this would be my top "budget" recommendation and you could spend less than $100 total easily (stay within a budget when buying fountain pens? Heresy! :).

This:
http://ujuku.ath.cx/ujuku-shop/kaimono/fou...fit/11-0072.htm
writes nicely but has to lay on your desk (no clip, no stand). Again, inexpensive, just over 11 USD.
This one is similar, but nowhere near as nice, even in the clear :-)
http://ujuku.jpn.ph/Kaimono/pen/FP-50R_flam.htm
It doesn't come with a converter either.

If you will be expected to come back with gifts, get some Pilot Petit1's (get some for yourself!). For me, the blue-black in the Petit1 is the best I've seen, otherwise don't bother with standard colors, get the fun colors (and a lot of refills).
http://ujuku.jpn.ph/Kaimono/pen/SP-30F-B/SP-30F.htm
and
http://www.jetpens.com/index.php/cPath/214_70

Get a Prera if it fits your hands and you like it. I've discovered the only noticable difference between the 78G's nib and the Prera's is the color. I've even swapped the undersides between my Prera and my 78G, improving the former and not impacting the later. Soooo, if you try a Prera, the body size is very different, but the nib will write very similarly. I don't like the screw tops as much (78G) but the size is a bit better for me. The Prera I got has inexplicably become my favorite pen, so if you like it initially it may grow on you.
http://ujuku.ath.cx/ujuku-shop/kaimono/fou...rera/purera.htm
and
http://www.jetpens.com/index.php/cPath/214_410
NOTE: No converter so get one if you buy this pen. I've had better luck with the squeeze, but also get a pack of cartridges as you can refill them (they hold more ink, and are nice for Just In Case you run out of ink (I keep a couple at work)).
http://ujuku.jpn.ph/Kaimono/pen/pilot_converter_frame.htm
I haven't tried to turn my lovely Prera into an eyedropper :-) but search on this site for what it takes to turn something into an eyedropper, it may qualify. Then you could have your large ink supply in a fairly small and nice (IMHO) package.

As far as the Vanishing Point (AKA Capless) I was fortunate to try it and like it in a pen shop that ONLY had medium points (ugh), so there was no question of buying from them. I got some ink at that shop, but bought the pen from Pam Braun
http://www.oscarbraunpens.com/
who has the best prices and great service and can get any Pilot they sell in the US. However if you decide you want a Decimo, that is not on the Pilot price list (Who knows why? My wife loves hers) so that you may want to try (thinner, lighter, the pearlescent white is pretty). She also carries the Lamy's so if you can find a friend who has one to try, you could then order from her (she also has Noodler's inks) and get the nib size you wanted, too (but warning, the Lamy idea of extra fine is driving me to Pendemonium for a nib reduction).

OK, ink.
I got the Pilot Blue-Black in the large bottle. 350ml. It is a good, solid, blue. Not what *I* would call blue-black, but perhaps a traditional blue-black. If you like it, the price is the same as what everyone else sells 30-90ml for and you'll have ink til the next 10-15 years go by.

The Iroshizuku ink bottles are very nice. The ink is OK (see reviews to see if you like them, at least 1 review has a water soak test), regardless the bottle is worth getting instead of kobe beef at 1 meal and you could always refill it from another bottle when you run out :-)

As others have said, try finding stationary (paper, other items) you may like.

Sorry I haven't done any reviews to point at, but I'm booked up and can't do anything like that until August at the earliest. If you have specific questions, PM me (faster, more reliable) or reply here (I'll see it eventually).

Holy Jeez, I had no idea what kind of trouble I was getting myself into by starting this topic! Seriously, thanks to everyone for their input. A few things have changed since I started this thread (namely, I purchased two pens and 4 -- so far -- bottles of ink), so my Tokyo budget is more curtailed than when I started out. In fact, I think between the last 2 weeks of purchases and the upcoming trip my whole pen budget is blown at least until this time next year.

What I will definitely be looking to purchase:

Iroshizuku inks. Even if I hated the colors (and I love them), the bottles alone are worth the price of admission. I'll try to limit myself to 3. Definitely the shin-ryoku (dark green) and syo-ro (truffle) of the new line are at the top of my list. OK, maybe 4 bottles isn't too many... or 5... definitely no more than 6! I really want to find a waterproof blue-black, too.

Notebooks. I was primarily thinking about Apica, but I guess I'll have to read back in the reviews to see why Neill called them "problematic". All I'd heard before was that they were quite good, took FP inks well, especially for being thinner sheets. If anyone wants to elaborate on this, I'm all ears. In the meantime I'll plan to try out whatever comes my way, I just have to weigh the benefits of purchasing a variety vs. stocking up on a single brand I decide is best for me.

Other than that, I'm dying to try out a Capless/VP. Like I say, I'm not about to buy another pen for quite some time, but I am intrigued by this one, and it definitely seems like the clip position demands a try-before-you-buy method. So it can't hurt to take it for a test run, and put it on a wish list if I decide I like it.

A lighter budget makes for more focused shopping, and takes less time away from other Japan trip activities, which is a good thing (Sumo! Scuba!)

Maybe I'll just buy a student pen to try out, though.... Or get my wife one and see if she gets an inkling about why I'm excited about pens all the sudden. (Pun intended).

Only two weeks till I go! Squeee!

Unfortunately Ujuku is online-only store. Yamada-san live in Uwajima on the island of Shikoku. It's a beautiful city facing an inland sea, but a bit far from Tokyo for a day trip

The combination of Lamy2000 and J. Herbin inks simply didn't work on Apica. The combination of ultra-smooth nib and ultra-smooth nib caused skipping, and when it did put a line down it was too wet, causing feathering and bleed-through. Kokuyo paper is just a bit rougher but it seems to take anything you throw at it. And the MIO paper is amazing... it's worth picking up a notebook (about $3) just to try. The Campus Notes are only about $1 each so you should at least buy one.



Instead of buying an expensive pen, this might be a good way to go. You can buy a lot of Platinum Preppys and ink at about $1 each. You can find some interesting specialty pens for writing Japanese characters (for example, the Sailor "Fude de Mannen") for $10. These are available at nearly any stationery story chain. It all depends if you want something to use every day or something that's interesting as a souvenir.

I went thinking I would get a Pilot VP (at my high end) or at least a Prera but I was discouraged by the prices, the lack of knowledgeable sales staff, and the selection (I was in the boondocks most of the time). I ended up finding a new-old-stock Pelikan amber demonstrator at a junk store and loaded up on cheap but unusual pens, a bunch of notebooks, and ink. Not what I expected, but it's stuff that I can't get here, it works with the pens that I have (and I am very happy with these pens already), and some of it is very neat.

Don't plan too much, or you'll ruin your trip! You could spend a whole day searching for a pen shop or a whole day experiencing Tokyo.

Neill