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Japan Exclusives


essayfaire

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My daughter will be in Japan, outside of Tokyo, for some time and I would like to give her specific instructions on bringing me back pens. The yen is strengthening so I am more interested in pens that are exclusive to the Japanese market than in ones that might be cheaper over there.

 

Is my best bet to give her a budget and tell her to get pens that are exclusive to the store she is in? She'll be there long enough to search out bungbox. I wouldn't mind a Decimo in a color we can't get stateside, either.

 

Thanks everyone!

 

 

Festina lente

Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence

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outside of Tokyo? Bungbox?? where in Japan exactly then Bungbox is far from Tokyo but it does have a branch in Tokyo with no stable schedule

 

 

Yup - turned up three times to Bungu Box in Tokyo (hidden down a residential courtyard in Aoyama) only to find it closed. Massively frustrating.

Too many pens; too little writing.

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If pink is your thing, the Oeste Prera for the year is out -- it's pink this time, but a regional exclusive, and I think about $40.

That sounds promising - it depends on if it is a deep pink or baby pink. I've been happy with the inexpensive Pilots so I imagine I would find this model acceptable.

 

outside of Tokyo? Bungbox?? where in Japan exactly then Bungbox is far from Tokyo but it does have a branch in Tokyo with no stable schedule

Greater Tokyo, and I was thinking of that branch, but based on what everyone is saying about the branch's lack of reliable opening hours I don't think I'll send her there.

Festina lente

Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence

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soo GTA...

Shousaikan and Lamy in Aomori not exactly in Tokyo proper at this point but near the outskirts (even then its near omote-sando harajuku)

since Yokohama is included as part of the GTA I'll see what I can find

Daikanyama Tsutaya would also be near the GTA (its station is passed when going to Yokohama)

these are from top of my head near Tokyo to have exclusives

Edited by Algester
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Hi all,

 

Is there an easy way to work out what Japan exclusive models are being offered by any given company at any given time?

 

e.g. certain pages on their companies websites, various social media accounts

 

Thanks.

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> Is there an easy way to work out what Japan exclusive models are being offered by any given company at any given time?

 

Forget it. There is NO way to have this.

1) Because it is a lot of work to screen hundreds of web pages and to make an overview - who will want to do this? It doesn't pay.

2) Because it changes all the time.

3) Because there are so many.

4) Because Japanese companies are very poor in PR; Sailor has at least a page of their recent LE commissioned by stationary shops and so on. But I doubt that this is the full Monthy. So many times, suddenly a new LE turns up on a webpage of a stationary shop or other shop. The other companies are even worse.

5) If she can speak Japanese, she should just visit the main sellers of pens and ask them if there is something special.

Edited by mke
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Thanks for the honesty.

 

Do companies like Sailor or Pilot/Namiki have webpages dedicated to listing some of the exclusives? Or is there not even anything like that?

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Hi all,

 

Is there an easy way to work out what Japan exclusive models are being offered by any given company at any given time?

 

e.g. certain pages on their companies websites, various social media accounts

 

Thanks.

I don't think I can put it any better than Mke did.

There are way too many special and limited editions coming out with remarkable consistency that it's almost impossible to keep a track of all the models.

You can look for the websites, check magazines regularly, go to the stores, and you may be able to compile a list that will have 80-90% of the SE pens launched. But who and why would anyone do this? Don't think anyone. Requires too much time and effort for absolutely zero returns makes it a pointless endeavour.

Edited by Mew
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The Sailor commissioned limited pens

http://www.sailor.co.jp/limited

 

The Sailor anniversary models

http://www.sailor.co.jp/anniversary-model

 

and this exclusive for outside Japan

http://www.sailorpen.co.uk/news.html

(Think 5000 Euro for the two Maki-e and 3000 for the KoP at the bottom of the page)

Edited by mke
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Namiki is exclusive - just by their prices.

Today, I saw a man buying three Namiki Emperor and paying 26000 USD. THAT is exclusive.

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Namiki is exclusive - just by their prices.

Today, I saw a man buying three Namiki Emperor and paying 26000 USD. THAT is exclusive.

Not many are made either. I heard that for standard maki-e models, there are 4 production runs each year with 3 pens of each model. So 12 pens of any particular standard model are made each year.

 

The Goldfish in particular is stunning. Personal favourite is 95th Anniversary ascending dragon. All gone now, but I saw one on yahoo for 1.2 million yen.

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Yup - turned up three times to Bungu Box in Tokyo (hidden down a residential courtyard in Aoyama) only to find it closed. Massively frustrating.

 

 

Hi Mongrelnomand.. try to message them on their facebook account. The owner does answer! Best way to be sure they are open. Besides, it is a tiny shop, in a nice area of Tokyo full of cafes and designers stores (Omotesando). They have testers with all of their inks. I think the main attraction is now the Tokyo ink series dedicated to the Metro system (with 9 inks matching the metro line colors)

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Hi Mongrelnomand.. try to message them on their facebook account. The owner does answer! Best way to be sure they are open. Besides, it is a tiny shop, in a nice area of Tokyo full of cafes and designers stores (Omotesando). They have testers with all of their inks. I think the main attraction is now the Tokyo ink series dedicated to the Metro system (with 9 inks matching the metro line colors)

 

Ooooh. I'll have to pick up a bottle of 'Hibya Line" ink...

Too many pens; too little writing.

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5) If she can speak Japanese, she should just visit the main sellers of pens and ask them if there is something special.

She can! Do the main sellers tend to know which things are exclusive to the Japanese market and/or their stores?

 

Bah, 26000USD is such a pittance. :-)

 

Maki-e doesn’t come cheap. :-(

 

Thanks for the links.

 

I would love Maki-e, but they are way out of my price range. :(

 

   

 

Hi Mongrelnomand.. try to message them on their facebook account. The owner does answer! Best way to be sure they are open. Besides, it is a tiny shop, in a nice area of Tokyo full of cafes and designers stores (Omotesando). They have testers with all of their inks. I think the main attraction is now the Tokyo ink series dedicated to the Metro system (with 9 inks matching the metro line colors)

And I will pass on this information and leave it up to her if the trip makes sense given her location.

 

Thanks everyone.

Festina lente

Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence

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for pens not quite but most of they are with in Tokyo proper well not quite close as well but yeah...

for inks there is a certain tag in twitter #インク沼 but there is some noise in this tag so you have to look a bit carefully

only Mitsukoshi and Takashimaya will be the harder times to say when they get their exclusive inks from Sailor because its an "every now and then" shipping time

Edited by Algester
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