From making my school notes pretty to now transitioning into journalling, finding good, reliable and (of course) gorgeous stationery is important! We all know that Japan has some of the most extensive and varied collections of stationery that you can find. There's even an award given out to the best notebooks, pens, etc. We listed down some places that we think you should visit if you want to take your journaling to the next level!
Ginza Itoya
One of the oldest stationery shops in Tokyo, this 100-year-old store is an icon with its giant red paper clip. A smaller one stands opposite, with a black fountain pen to differentiate it from its older relative. With up to 12 storey of stationery items, you'll spend hours browsing and picking out items that you will want to bring back home. They have some unique goodies such as stone paper, decorative crayons, dot markers, ceramic penknives, and more.
The interior of the shop is also unique and creative, such as the iconic woodpecker clock situated on the ground floor. Some floors are dedicated to other items such as furniture for homes, travel, and more. The seventh floor has a beautiful array of every single piece of paper that they carry and its colours. You can come up to the wall and touch them to determine what kind of paper you would want to get. Come down, marvel and shop till you drop at this amazing store!
Opening hours: Mon-Sat (10AM - 8PM) | Sun (10AM - 7PM)
Address: 2-7-15 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
Tobichi
Hobonichi. If you're a fan of planners, you would have seen or heard about this brand! Their flagship store is located in Tokyo (and there's one in Kyoto, too!), which offers all the products under the brand. Hobonichi planners are loved for their paper quality and the variety of covers that they have, from minimalistic to exclusive collaborations. The famous Tomoe River paper is strong, smooth and lightweight, meaning little to no bleed-through is seen, and you can fill in all 365 days into a compact book.
The shop doesn't only specialise in planners but offers other brands that you should peruse through.
Every item from the Hobonichi line can be found here! And there are even exclusive cover designs for your notebooks if you want to stand out from the crowd.
Opening hours: Mon-Sun (11AM - 7PM)
Address: 1F Hobonichi Kanda Building, 3-18 Kanda Nishikicho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
Sekaido Shinjuku
From a ton of washi tape designs to a whole rainbow of Sarasa and Pilot pens, this store has a lot to offer for you stationery lovers. There are unique stickers and post-it notes that you often see online by those influencers who make planner/bullet journal (bujo) content! Get your cat-shaped post-it notes or those translucent ones that cover your notes to force you to remember what you've written behind them.
The prices are also reasonable and the items that they feature are also of high quality. It's not hard to see why this is a haven for stationery lovers.
Opening hours: Mon-Sun (9.30AM - 8PM)
Address: Japan, 〒160-0022 Tokyo, Shinjuku City, Shinjuku, 3 Chome−1−1 1F～5F 世界堂ビル
Kokuyodoors
Just before you leave Tokyo, you should head down to Kokuyodoors to grab any last-minute stationery goodies that you would like before heading back home. PASTA is their popular drawing marker that you can get while you're there! It's a marker that feels like a crayon, and even mimics the texture too! It's smooth and doesn't bleed, and the square-ish shape makes it a great tool to draw out tiny boxes. There are other Kokuyo stationery that you can check out that could elevate your journalling game.
Opening hours: Mon-Sun (10AM - 8PM)
Address: Haneda Airport Garden 2F, Hanedakuko, Ota City, Tokyo