2015 March Tokyo Trip! Loot And Itoya Pictures

[Algester]

Probably a silly question, but for those of you that are familiar with Tokyo, what could be a good accommodation/location to maximize exposure to pen shops? Like Marunzen, Itoya...

the trains will take you there so anywhere as long your near the ginza area would be the safest bet even then your strewned with a lot of shops. nihonbashi would also be a good place but ginza tends to be expensive in terms of accommodation last time we stayed in odaiba still accessible to ginza 2 train rides only IF YOU CAN GET OUT OF GINZA STATION or Shibuya which is like a mall

if you have been to hong kong you know its a bit similar also I suggest you bring a subway map with you

Edited March 24, 2015 by Algester

[katanankes]

Thank you Algester, much appreciated. I see that Itoya is in Ginza, that will be my barycenter.

If anyone wants to meet up for a tea, I will be around between 27 April and 2 May, Cheers

[tinkerteacher]

All the shop assistants do! The presentation and customer service is amazing, probably hasn't changed at all from when you visited. Coming from a city implementing a charge-for-plastic-bag policy, all those plastic bags with my purchases was a surprise!

Good to hear some traditions are surviving our modern rush rush world.

 

I am only lived in Japan for a short while; found it much too straight laced for my tastes and decamped to Korea. Korea is anything but straight laced.

 

Korea had a nascent pen industry and some very unique designs (they had an amazing cloisonné/e maki hybrid). Sadly that was all destroyed in the Occupation and later the Korean War. Hopefully the very talented people who are reviving Korea's other traditional arts will get around to pens some day.

[tinkerteacher]

The owl pen is incredible. All those little pieces . . . Thanks for the beautiful pictures and the lovely show-n-tell!

 

Well if you've got a spare USD 6,720 or so, nibs.com is selling it State side with customisation options available.

 

http://www.nibs.com/namiki-emperor-owl.htm

 

Cool photos too on that there page. Very cool photos.

[Frank C]

Thanks for posting this. I need to make a pilgrimage to the Land of the Fountain Pen. You really got some nice items.

[jmccarty3]

It seems to me that some English-speaking Japanese (or Japanese-speaking Westerners) who are knowledgeable about pens and inks could earn a nice income on the side offering tours to visiting Westerners. I would seriously consider taking advantage of something like that. It would make the cost of such a trip much more worthwhile.

[Frank C]

It seems to me that some English-speaking Japanese (or Japanese-speaking Westerners) who are knowledgeable about pens and inks could earn a nice income on the side offering tours to visiting Westerners. I would seriously consider taking advantage of something like that. It would make the cost of such a trip much more worthwhile.

 

Or at least some of the above-mentioned people could make a post of how to shop for pens in Tokyo. List which stores to go to, how to get from one to the next, what to look for in a given store, links to pen show schedules and ink show schedules, etc.

 

Where do we go from here?

[Algester]

Or at least some of the above-mentioned people could make a post of how to shop for pens in Tokyo. List which stores to go to, how to get from one to the next, what to look for in a given store, links to pen show schedules and ink show schedules, etc.

 

Where do we go from here?

i can probably compile one.... Probably

[rudyhou]

damn. you just made me long to be in tokyo again. i personally have never attended any pen show in tokyo, thinking that one needs to be able to converse in japanese, which i don't. i really need to be back in that city again, even just for fp's sake.

Edited March 30, 2015 by rudyhou

[Frank C]

i can probably compile one.... Probably

 

Thank you in advance. You could start a new topic and the many knowledgeable people around here would contribute. I do plan a pen shopping trip to Tokyo sooner or later. I studied Japanese while at University, but I have not yet made it there. My kanji, and hiragana, and katakana, and everything else are pretty rusty. I can still say, "Ichibanshibori biru, kudasai", I get lots of practice at that!

[leamey]

I have had excellent service from Sailor recently, my sister is going to Tokyo next Week.

They communicate in English and ship whatever you want that they have to a Tokyo store to be picked up and paid for. No deposit needed, my King of Pen King Eagle is being sent tomorrow for pick up next Monday. Weekdays the email turn around is very quick.

 

They tell you the price. They confirmed that tourists get the 8% tax back minus a 1% fee and store points at 3% can be earnt and spent.

 

I highly recommend the excellent service, that way you can ensure the pen that you want is waiting for you for pick up. Communication is very clear. They also had the Cross Point nib, non ebonite in stock.

 

They informed me, Regarding the pen, we seldom have the pen with Nagahara special nib in our stock as it is made to order.

 

Its good to plan ahead.

Sailor Pen Overseas Division<kaigai@bungu.sailor.co.jp>

 

Dear Sir,

Thanks for your inquiry.

The goods inquired shall be delivered to the following shop on 31st. Until when are you going to stay in Tokyo?

The name of the shop: K. ITOYA

2-7-15, Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo

Tel: 03-3561-8311

Opening hours: AM10:00 to PM20:00

The item number of the goods: 11-1256-820 KOP Ebonite Gold trim with King Eagle Nib.

Hope this information will be useful for you.

Thanks and regards,

T.Inoue

 

 

 

[koofle]

I found the information on this site pretty helpful for planning my trip. Everything is pinned on google maps. Really helpful in deciding which stores to visit, and planning my itinerary around them. Very up-to-date as well!

 

I also used the nakaya events page to check on pen show dates.

[Algester]

there's also Tsutaya books in T-site Daikanyama Tokyo assuming it is really a store the pen case seems out of a museum than it is a retail store...

[PenJockey]

Thank you so much for this post. I love seeing these gorgeous pens up close like this, such beauty. It has been a life long goal to make it to Japan and now that I have started a fountain pen obsession the draw is even stronger.

[Frank C]

Russ Stutler has also compiled a list of pen stores in Tokyo. It is dated 2008, so things may have changed.

 

http://stutler.cc/pens/tokyo/index.html

[Algester]

there's also the Shuumi bungu no hako magazine which lists down every store in Japan... in a prefecture level, city level and then ward level, but the exception are tokyo and Osaka which falls automatically at the city level I'm currently compiling and translating that data now

Edited April 2, 2015 by Algester

[da vinci]

there's also the Shuumi bungu no hako magazine which lists down every store in Japan... in a prefecture level, city level and then ward level, but the exception are tokyo and Osaka which falls automatically at the city level I'm currently compiling and translating that data now

Algester, that would be a massive contribution, and so helpful to many judging by the number of queries around the availability of pens, inks etc in Japan.

 

Thank you in anticipation

[Frank C]

there's also the Shuumi bungu no hako magazine which lists down every store in Japan... in a prefecture level, city level and then ward level, but the exception are tokyo and Osaka which falls automatically at the city level I'm currently compiling and translating that data now

 

Thank you again for taking on this task. I look forward to seeing the results.

[fireant]

Wow that Nakaya and the hard rubber pens.

 

I am trying to convince my bf that we should go to Tokyo instead of Paris when we get married.

[Frank C]

Wow that Nakaya and the hard rubber pens.

 

I am trying to convince my bf that we should go to Tokyo instead of Paris when we get married.

 

I have never been to Tokyo, but Paris is for lovers. Tokyo seems to be for lovers of fountain pens.