If You Could Only Visit 1 Fountain Pen Shop In Tokyo, Where To Go?

[Tinjapan]

Itoya has the largest selection of Nakaya that I have seen. Maruzen Nihombashi has a smaller selection, some which are of their own design. Both have a large selection of Sailor pens.

 

I'm not sure, but I think Itoya takes orders for Nakaya only, that the pens on display may not be for sale. I was told earlier this year that if I wanted a Nakaya from Itoya that they would take my order and that there would be a wait of five months or so.

 

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Edited October 5, 2014 by Tinjapan

[gerigo]

vam272

 

There are really no stores in Tokyo that has even what I would call a decent selection of Nakayas. The last time I was there in July, here's what I saw.

 

Itoya had about 8-12 of which most all of them were Portable, a carbon piccolo and about 4 Chinkins. They all had very common nibs and not a great selection of colors. There were a few pinks and lavender pens. They had the largest selection but nothing interesting enough I would even want to get.

 

Maruzen Nihonbashi had about 4 pens. They were all Portables. I ended up getting a Portable Writer in Aka Tamenuri because it had an amazing modified soft broad nib.

 

Kingdom Note had a Piccolo in purple that had a find nib.

 

If you really want a Nakaya, best to order directly from Nibs.com. They have a lot of pens available for immediate delivery.

 

Sailors are available everywhere that has a stationary store, ie Tokyu hands, department store stationary departments, Tsutaya etc. If you want more expensive or unusual models, chances are that between Itoya and Maruzen would have them. I spent an entire afternoon at Maruzen testing out a few of their KOPs and also the Sustake.

[Oggie]

Hi, I'm *bumping* this thread to as if anyone has updated recommendations for shopping in Tokyo. I'm a bit more interested in buying stationery & paper than modern pens and ink, but find it all fun to look at. I'll be staying within walking distance of Itoya and Maruzen. I would have to take time away from other sight-seeing go to to Shosaikan or Sekaido. Thanks for any advice.

[rudyhou]

No not all especially if you only have time for one.

 

Being satisfied with visiting only one....well that is another matter.

 

 

lol. true. i will NEVER be satisfied with visiting only one shop.

[rudyhou]

if inks is what your after... your pretty much say... lost but pens wise Ito-ya should be fine...

 

yes. i do think ito-ya is a must for a variety of pens. i would certainly check it out for possible sailor and platinum to bring home. but i fear visiting only one shop may not be enough for me. i wonder if pilot/pilot museum is a must go for those who are into pilot and namiki pens.

[Algester]

Hi, I'm *bumping* this thread to as if anyone has updated recommendations for shopping in Tokyo. I'm a bit more interested in buying stationery & paper than modern pens and ink, but find it all fun to look at. I'll be staying within walking distance of Itoya and Maruzen. I would have to take time away from other sight-seeing go to to Shosaikan or Sekaido. Thanks for any advice.

Ohh there are lots it maybe not for pens but there's an ink place for brushes as well as paper near oodaiba I will have to dig through my posts though

I saw it Pigment Tokyo try to drop by if you want, Tsutaya in daikanyama may also be a good place to drop by besides the paper section in Ito-ua

Edited April 20, 2016 by Algester

[Tinjapan]

yes. i do think ito-ya is a must for a variety of pens. i would certainly check it out for possible sailor and platinum to bring home. but i fear visiting only one shop may not be enough for me. i wonder if pilot/pilot museum is a must go for those who are into pilot and namiki pens.

The Pilot Museum is gone. Closed Mar. 31st of this year.

[rudyhou]

The Pilot Museum is gone. Closed Mar. 31st of this year.

 

[Oggie]

Thank you for the replies. Pigment Tokyo looks interesting, I'll add it to my walking tour of stationers.

[katanankes]

As a visitor, I would pick either Itoya or Shosaikan pen boutique for a simple reason, they offer tax free shopping (now 8%), Maruzen does not. The main difference is that Itoya is big enough that you can go around without anyone noticing you... Shosaikan is a beautiful but relatively small shop, so you have to interact with the shop keepers...

 

If you are after common models, Sekaido near Shinjuku makes a lot of sense because is one of the few places selling Pilot and Platinum (do not remember Sailor) at 20% discount. Unfortunately they do not offer tax refund, so double dipping is not possible. But stock is very limited.

Edited April 20, 2016 by katanankes

[gerigo]

Having had the privilege to go to Tokyo a few times this past year, I would say these are the rankings based on my preference.

 

For your information, I am one of those collectors that HAVE TO purchase at least one expensive modern pen, preferably Japanese, or unique to the Japanese market pen. Other paraphernalia such as paper, ink and pen cases are secondary and would only be of interest to me once I make that purchasing decision on said pen. When I visit a place like Tokyo, it's just the whole experience of trying, experiencing the service and buying that's the most fun thing. Chasing for the best bargain is not as critical, but if I can get a pen at a lower price, I will not say no.

 

Itoya and Maruzen. Both are my HAVE TO go pen stores and my first recommendation. Their stock is the most wide ranging, diverse and complete. If you're looking for a contemporary Japanese in production pen, chances are between the 2 locations, either would have it. Their service is second to none and they would be happy to entertain you for hours on end to try any pen you like. I usually would spend about 1/2 a day at each location because there are just so many fantastic pens to try. If you ever want to try any special Sailor, or Pilot nib, this is the time to do it. I have tried the king eagle, the cross music, the naginata concorde and the fude. They are all so fun. The other advantage is that they both have quite a wide range of paper, inks and also paraphernalia such as pen cases, note book covers etc. It's just a pen and stationary lovers paradise. The other side benefit is that these 2 locations are quite close to each other. If you're super pressed for time, jump into the cab a have them drive you from one location to the next. It's worth the 5-7 USD just so you're not wasting time navigating the subway if you're not familiar with directions and location.

Disadvantage - Full price, and at Maruzen no tax rebate.

 

My next location is Kingdom Note because of their ever changing stock of used pens and also special inks. But if you're looking for in production Japanese pens, they are not the location. Service is excellent, and the store is real cute. But their stock is unpredictable. I think also lately their stocks have been low so success rates of scoring items are less these days.

 

Not a vintage pen fan. If I had the time and wherewithal after the visit to Itoya and Maruzen. I would check Eurobox. It's a really nice store, but I don't know enough of the vintage stuff to go spending the serious money that they are asking for.

 

Shosaikan and T-site. Nice ambience and amazing places to visit. But I don't do my serious pen buying there because their stock simply cannot match Itoya or Maruzen. So OK to skip if you're pressed for time.

 

Sekaido. Unless you're a bargain hunter and really are looking to try and get pens and ink at the lowest price, I would suggest skipping. Their stock is woeful and they only carry the low end stuff, and not the full range. Eg, maybe the pilot 74 and the vanishing point, and perhaps the Platinum 3776 in fine and medium. Very disappointing, unless you're a HUGE art supply fan, of which I am not.

 

The one place I heard so much about but have not visited is the Kakimori. They help you make custom notebooks and also have fountain pens. I hope to go when I am there in May or June.

 

Let me know if you're looking for something specific. Happy to answer any questions people have.

Edited April 20, 2016 by gerigo

[Tinjapan]

As gerigo says, Seikaido's selection is not great, however, I did get my Pilot Art Craft Enjyu there and, if you have time, their discount is good on anything they can order from the makers' catalogs. If there is a standard production pen you want, you may be able to order it early in your visit and pick it up before you leave.

 

If you are not happy with it, you do not have to buy it. If you are really pressed for time and trust the big three enough, you may be able to buy it and have it sent to your hotel.

 

Right across the street from Kingdom Note is Yodabashi's watch store. On the third floor I think, they have a pen section. Not great but not bad either. They also sell at a discount. I bought my Pilot Kaede there.

 

Both Kingdom Note and Yodabashi's watch and pen store are located very near the smaller Seikaido store in Shinjuku, which has the better pen selection of the two Shinjuku Seikaido stores.

 

Akihabara's Yodabashi' has a pen selection. Until recently they carried only non domestic makers. Now they have Platinum and I think a few Sailor models. I do not recall seeing and Pilot pens there. I wouldn't go out of my way to go there, but if you are in Akihabara anyway, it is worth a look.

 

I offere this as additional information and not as an "instead of" the great suggestions offered by others.

[rutherfordr]

What about Asahiya Kami Bunguten Co. Ltd.?

 

They're the brick-and-mortar home of "Tokyo Pen Shop Quill": http://www.japanshop-quill.com/index.htm

 

The web site is impressive (they have the red Pilot Custom 845), and I'd love to visit them in person some day.

[Tinjapan]

What about Asahiya Kami Bunguten Co. Ltd.?[/size]

 

They're the brick-and-mortar home of "Tokyo Pen Shop Quill": http://www.japanshop-quill.com/index.htm[/size]

 

The web site is impressive (they have the red Pilot Custom 845), and I'd love to visit them in person some day.[/size]

They are a lovely shop, but as the name implies, mainly a paper shop. They do have Pilot pens but of only a few models. If you are looking for their shop exclusive pens, then you should go. But they may not have the nib you want in stock but you could order it and they will mail it to you.

 

If you have your heart set on carrying a new pen home with you, you may be disappointed with your trip to Japan if you go here as the shop is far away from all other pen related shops and the selection is very small.

 

If, however, you have the time and enough Japanese language skill, it is worth the trip just to talk with the owners see what they do have.

[Oggie]

I thought I would post some follow-up to my Tokyo visit. Thanks to the excellent recommendations in this thead, we shopped at Itoya and Tokyu Hands. We spent nearly 3 hours in the two locations of Itoya (including lunch in the cafe and browsing on all floors). They had 7 Nakayas available for purchase on the spot in a range from basic to top-of-the-line. Otherwise they take orders and ship. We had a problem in the beginning of getting someone to help us try the Nakayas, but otherwise a good experience at Itoya.

We had fun looking at the big selection of paper products, greeting cards, pens, paper, erasers, etc. at Tokyu Hands and heard an announcement (in English) that foreigners could show their passports and get a 5% discount coupon. We came away with a good haul of products and would definitely go again.

I regret that we didn't make it to Maruzen and hope to have a chance in the future.