Itoya Ginza

Itoya is an institution. Taking a walk through this twelve-floor-spanning stationery haven in Ginza is an experience that stationery lovers won’t likely forget. Their aesthetic is modern, their shelves are packed full of interesting goods, and their reputation is well-earned. Even in Japan, even in Tokyo, stationery stores that span several floors are rare – and ones with the same breadth of selection that Itoya boasts are nonexistent.

From Store-exclusive fountain pens and inks to a dizzying array of planners and notebooks, to untold thousands of washi tapes and stickers to purses and bags and trays to carry them all in, Itoya will likely have whatever one could be looking for on one of its many shelves. If you’re looking to spend some time and relax a little, you can visit the café on the twelfth floor, or the indoor hydroponics farm on the tenth. Itoya has everything you would hope and expect from a stationery store – and much more that you wouldn’t even think to.

If you were only able to visit a single shop while in Japan and wanted to maximize your breadth of selection, then Itoya would be a safe bet. A must-visit for pen lovers.

Shosaikan

Tucked into a quiet corner near the busy shopping areas of Omotesando and Harajuku is Shosaikan - arguably the most well-curated stationery shop in all of Tokyo.

The store welcomes its customers with a display wall of rare, limited-edition pens that many may never have a chance to see in-person outside of this store. The foyer boasts a curated display of pens - often western brands such as Aurora, Delta Visconti, and Pelikan, but is occasionally adorned by Japanese brands as well for special events. Each wall of the shop is further curated with a variety of popular pen types and you can comfortably spend a long time here simply taking in the exhibits.

The product selection in this store is very strong in the mid-range to high-end categories from almost all major brands. Most pens on display may be tried on multiple types of paper upon customer request to any of the staff members.

They also have several store-exclusive inks produced by Sailor, including Seiran, a deep blue, and Shinzan, a musky green. Shosaikan is a must-visit for fountain pen lovers. For more detailed information, see our virtual tour.

Maruzen Nihonbashi

Located in Nihonbashi, in central Tokyo, is the original location of the Maruzen chain of book/stationery stores.

While not every Maruzen nationwide stocks a selection of fountain pens and inks, the Nihonbashi location’s selection is a love letter to their history in bringing fountain pens into Japan. Though the main assortment is focused on mid-range to high-end pens, they do have a strong collection of entry level pens and should be on the radar of any fountain pen lover.

The ink selection is where Maruzen shines. The Maruzen Athena line of inks include classics such as Eternal Blue, Renga, and the famous Lemon bottled in their historical pill bottle. Separately, the chain commissions Sailor to create a set of limited edition inks in their Nihonbashi line which includes the legendary Nihonbashi Kirin, sold only once a year during their Spring pen fair.

Bungubox

Heralding its presence outside with a sign of cheerful red in the shape of a fountain pen’s nib is Bungubox - a small space with a big personality. Serving as the main base of the Bungubox brand, the shop carries a broad selection of pens but one of their biggest draws are their store-exclusive pens, including models created with Wajima Make-e. Wajima is a place famous for Urushi and Maki-e artists and studios , and the pens that they have created for Bungubox are achingly beautiful pieces of functional art.

They also stock a store-exclusive line of inks, called ‘Ink Tells More,’ which come in unique high-heel shaped bottles (the bottles are also available for sale). They carry pens from all major japanese makers, as well as Pelikan, Kaweco, TWSBI, and Schon DSGN - in fact, they are known to carry store-exclusives for the latter three!

Bungubox could be accurately described as ‘small, but mighty,’ and their passion for pens, ink and writing oozes through every inch of this shop.