My Impression Of Tokyo Pen Shops

[Tinjapan]

Mr. Fujii of Euro Box told me that the trade show was organised by 万年筆研究会 [Wagner]. Perhaps you can google the name and find some info of it.

Thanks for the info. Also, in another thread you mentioned Kakimori. I was completely unaware of this shop. It is now on the list of places to go. Thanks for that bit of info too.

[WOBentley]

What an incredibly timely thread as I got to Japan yesterday! I have already been to Maruzen and picked up a couple of Athena inks (one of my "to-do's". Where is Kingdom Note located? Sounds like I need to go there too! Ito-ya and Euro Box are on my list for later in the week.

[Tinjapan]

What an incredibly timely thread as I got to Japan yesterday! I have already been to Maruzen and picked up a couple of Athena inks (one of my "to-do's". Where is Kingdom Note located? Sounds like I need to go there too! Ito-ya and Euro Box are on my list for later in the week.

Kingdom Note is located near the Main Shinjuku Post Office and Yodabashi Camera near the West exit of Shinjuku station. Their website is www.kingdomnote,com . Near the top right of their home page you'll see "ENGLISH". Clicking here will give you directions in English.

 

If you can, tell them that their Tuesday afternoon gaijin customer sent you. They may recognize that it is I. I go there almost exclusively on Tuesdays as I work near there on that day of the week. I also usually stop by at least two Tuesdays a month. I bought a limited edition 100th anniversary Itoya Romeo and a 125th anniversary Maruzen Streamline Onoto model last Tuesday, if you really want to let them know who sent you.

 

Enjoy. However, the selection was far less than usual last Tuesday. Although I knew why I asked and my suspicions were confirmed. Sales tax goes up on April 1st and everyone has been rushing in the get their purchases in before the increase. They still had quite a bit however, just not their usual selection. They also have their own inks and pen cases.

[WOBentley]

Excellent! Thank you.

[Tinjapan]

What an incredibly timely thread as I got to Japan yesterday! I have already been to Maruzen and picked up a couple of Athena inks (one of my "to-do's". Where is Kingdom Note located? Sounds like I need to go there too! Ito-ya and Euro Box are on my list for later in the week.

Since you are here now, I'll give you the info I've been collecting as an answer to someone else. In addition to the places you have already mentioned you should try to visit these shops as well. Pen Boutique Shosaikan, Maruzen Oazo near Tokyo Station, Maruzen in the Odakyu Department Store in Shinjuku, Itoya in the Keio Department Store also in Shinjuku, Takashimaya Department Store in Shinjuku, in the same building as Takashima is Tokyu Hands and they also have a small fountain pen section, Seikaido Shinjuku (They have two stores in Shinjuku, the smaller of the 2 is very near Kingdom Note. This stores selection is relatively small but they offer 20% off. I just bought a Pilot Custom Art Craft Enjyu new for 20% off! They discount orders too, if your in town long enough.) Yodabashi Camera in Shinjuku has many buildings but their pens are in the same building as their watches, basically across the street from Kingdom Note (Service personel not so knowledgable but all their items are discounted.), Pilot Pen Station (museum, no sales), Pen Cluster, Daimaru Department Store in Tokyo Station, daikanyama's Tsutaya( I haven't been there yet. But many have posted that it worth the trip. Zerotester has posted about kakimori, I have yet to go here but they look really good on their website.

Also in Shinjuku is Isetan Department Store, which also advertised to have ten of the very limited edition pens I posted about under the title "Limited Edition Sailor (20 Pens)". If interested, they may have some left. The main Mitsukoshi Department Store at Mitsukoshi mae station had one left as of Friday. Ask about them, they weren't on dislpay. A bit pricey but not as anywhere near as high as one would expect for a pen limited to just 20.

 

You will notice that I included smaller Itoya and Maruzen shops in Department stores and even department stores in general. Even if the same store they may not have the same selection. If you are interested in wooden pens, as I am, then the wood grain is very important and no two are alike. So you may want to check out such pens at different locations. Department stores rarely offer discounts but their selection and service is such that I do buy pens from them.

 

I do not recommend making the trip out to Oimachi for Fulhalter unless you want a pen nib worked on. He no longer, if ever he did?, sell pens, just fixes the nibs. The shops in Ameyoko are usually bizarrely way over priced and I believe only non Japanese pens. That said, I did pick up a couple of Caran D'ache Dumas pens for 40% off what other shops were selling them for. Still, you will probably be disappointed going there if pen hunting was your only reason for going. There many other reasons to check this place out and have fun, but if you only go for pens you will probably wish you went somewhere else instead.

 

I have given quite a list. If you tell me what you are wanting to see, do or buy I can help narrow this list down to a more manageable size.

[Tinjapan]

Excellent! Thank you.

 

I just checked Eurobox's website as he is usuall opened only a couple of times a week. He is open tomorrow but has nothing yet listed for April. This month, as with most months but NOT all, he was open on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays only. Hit them tomorrow if you really want to go there. The shop is small but is stuffed with pens and pen stuff. If you don't see what you are interested in, ask. He just may have it tucked away some place. Be prepared to spend a lot of time there. He is very popular and yet opened only 3 days a week.

Pen Cluster is not far away but looking at their website, closed tomorrow. They also do not have April's schedule up yet. Pen cluster has really nice pen rests. If you check out the post on the limited edition Sailor Imentioned earlier, you can get a glimpse of one. They are handmade fron shell and laquered. Very nice. A good place to go, if we can figure out when theywill be open.

[mchenart]

 

Oh indeed, he's got a lot of foreign customers. Yes, we talked quite a bit (but he'd too many customers around so I didn't want to 'occupy' him for too long). One thing I didn't ask if he ships overseas. Do you know if he does? Thanks.

 

 

Clemente

 

Yes, Eurobox does ship overseas. He even accepts PayPal.

[Tinjapan]

Excellent! Thank you.

 

Both Euro Box and Pen Cluster have their schedules for April up now. Euro Box is only open on the following dates in April. 7, 12, 16, 17, 19, 21, 24, 26 and 28,

 

Pen Cluster is open on the following dates. 10, 11, 16, 17, 18, 19, 23, 24, 26, 30

[WOBentley]

Since I am in Nagano I may miss EuroBox as I leave on the 7th

I will do what I can with that exhaustive list, that is a great resource which should be made a pinned note as this question is often asked!

Arigatou gozaimasu

[Tinjapan]

That is a bummer!

 

いえ。

[WOBentley]

Actually, I am off by a day, leaving on the 8th so I am going to try to make it. We changed our return flight a week or so before we left and I had the details wrong. YAY!!!

[daoud62]

Actually, I am off by a day, leaving on the 8th so I am going to try to make it. We changed our return flight a week or so before we left and I had the details wrong. YAY!!!

You will enjoy your visit to Euro-Box, and you will no doubt find something that you can't live without...

[Tinjapan]

You'er in luck! Don't be afraid to ask him if you don't see what you are looking for. Just stay away fro the Conklins!

[WOBentley]

Both Euro Box and Pen Cluster have their schedules for April up now. Euro Box is only open on the following dates in April. 7, 12, 16, 17, 19, 21, 24, 26 and 28,

 

Pen Cluster is open on the following dates. 10, 11, 16, 17, 18, 19, 23, 24, 26, 30

What time is he open? I will be there on Monday!

Also made it to Kingdom note tonight. Picked up three of the 5th anniversary inks (Toki, Oomuras and Rurikak). A small but very nice shop with a large display of pens all along the walls and a very good selection of inks. Quite nice but only one sales person working and she had been tied up with a customer for a bit. She interrupted that customer who was trying inks (and possibly pens) to sell me the inks. If it was one of you, I apologize I would have waited, but my Japanese is non-existent and my Son-in-Law is fluent but not Pen savvy...

Very nice store, another desire settled!

[daoud62]

What time is he open? I will be there on Monday!

Also made it to Kingdom note tonight. Picked up three of the 5th anniversary inks (Toki, Oomuras and Rurikak). A small but very nice shop with a large display of pens all along the walls and a very good selection of inks. Quite nice but only one sales person working and she had been tied up with a customer for a bit. She interrupted that customer who was trying inks (and possibly pens) to sell me the inks. If it was one of you, I apologize I would have waited, but my Japanese is non-existent and my Son-in-Law is fluent but not Pen savvy...

Very nice store, another desire settled!

I know that Eizo-san gets to the shop late in the morning...after 11 o'clock or so.

 

I missed getting to Kingdom Note on this last trip, and I regret it every day.

[Tinjapan]

What time is he open? I will be there on Monday!

Also made it to Kingdom note tonight. Picked up three of the 5th anniversary inks (Toki, Oomuras and Rurikak). A small but very nice shop with a large display of pens all along the walls and a very good selection of inks. Quite nice but only one sales person working and she had been tied up with a customer for a bit. She interrupted that customer who was trying inks (and possibly pens) to sell me the inks. If it was one of you, I apologize I would have waited, but my Japanese is non-existent and my Son-in-Law is fluent but not Pen savvy...

Very nice store, another desire settled!

You made it! Great!! Enjoy the inks. They usually have more than one clerk there, though they are often busy. You escaped without purchasing a pen?!?! How did you manage that?

 

You think they are small, wait till you go to Eurobox! He has more, if you can believe that. You'll see. Have fun there.

[Tinjapan]

I know that Eizo-san gets to the shop late in the morning...after 11 o'clock or so.

 

I missed getting to Kingdom Note on this last trip, and I regret it every day.

 

They'll still be here next time you are in town. And they just put up on their website that they will soon be unveiling their sixth anniversary inks, so you'll have those to choose from too! Edited April 5, 2014 by Tinjapan

[Tinjapan]

What time is he open? I will be there on Monday!

Also made it to Kingdom note tonight. Picked up three of the 5th anniversary inks (Toki, Oomuras and Rurikak). A small but very nice shop with a large display of pens all along the walls and a very good selection of inks. Quite nice but only one sales person working and she had been tied up with a customer for a bit. She interrupted that customer who was trying inks (and possibly pens) to sell me the inks. If it was one of you, I apologize I would have waited, but my Japanese is non-existent and my Son-in-Law is fluent but not Pen savvy...

Very nice store, another desire settled!

Just sent a PM with his phone number. I did not see any mention of operating hours on his website other than days he is open.

[Tinjapan]

What time is he open? I will be there on Monday!

Also made it to Kingdom note tonight. Picked up three of the 5th anniversary inks (Toki, Oomuras and Rurikak). A small but very nice shop with a large display of pens all along the walls and a very good selection of inks. Quite nice but only one sales person working and she had been tied up with a customer for a bit. She interrupted that customer who was trying inks (and possibly pens) to sell me the inks. If it was one of you, I apologize I would have waited, but my Japanese is non-existent and my Son-in-Law is fluent but not Pen savvy...

Very nice store, another desire settled!

Just found Euro Box's operating hours in last month's pen magazine. He is open between 11:30am to 7 pm.

[WOBentley]

Thanks, I made it! Small store with an amazing selection. Several Limited Edition MBs, pens of all varieties including a NOS MYU 701 with a fine nib (If it was a Medium it would have come home with me but I already have a F nib!). They also have a great collection of (not for sale) old inks which is really interesting to see!

A younger man was in the store, so I did not get to meet the owner, which was a shame, but at least I made it there. It is very close to Itoya and not too hard to find in an older building.

On the subject of Itoya, they are rebuilding the main store so they have moved the contents of that store to within 100 meters of the annex. The "nicer" pens and inks are at the annex, but you can see one from the other currently. The old building appears to be gone and there is an active construction site there with directions to the temporary location.