Japanese organizers are popular souvenirs for foreigners. A wide variety of diaries are sold in Japan, ranging from diaries using traditional Japanese techniques to items used by Japanese people every day. If you are a foreigner who loves Japan, you may want to purchase a notebook with a design that symbolizes your favorite Japan, or you may want to give a popular Japanese notebook as a souvenir to friends and family. Therefore, this article introduces six notebooks recommended by foreigners as souvenirs from Japan. Please refer to them when you stop by a nearby department store or general store during your trip to Kyoto or Osaka.
Practical Notebook “English Address Book Kyoto Maiko
A notebook recommended as a Japanese souvenir for foreigners is the “English Address Book Kyo Maiko” (2,420 yen including tax).
This notebook is an address book featuring beautiful Japanese landscapes and a picture of a Kyoto maiko. It features a simple design that allows you to freely write your name, address, e-mail, telephone, fax, etc. The alphabetical design makes it easy to use for people from overseas, and the item would also look great as a Japanese-style interior decoration. The cover of the address book is made of Yamanaka-nuri, a traditional technique that has been used since the Azuchi-Momoyama period. Yamanaka lacquerware, in which Yamanaka-nuri is used, has developed since the middle of the Edo period, incorporating techniques from Aizu, Kyoto, and Kanazawa. The “English Address Book Kyo-Maiko” combines practicality and the charm of Japanese culture, and is a recommended Japanese souvenir for those who wish to keep track of their loved ones’ information on paper.
The “Household Account Book that Can Also Be Written in a Diary,” which allows you to manage both your diary and household finances in a single notebook.
The next most popular Japanese souvenir for foreigners is a notebook that can also be used to keep a diary (1,760 yen including tax).
The “Diary Book” is a notebook recommended for keeping track of daily events and managing household finances. This notebook features a B6 size and specifications that allow you to write a diary and a household account book together on each day’s page. There are also pages for yearly and monthly totals, allowing you to look back over the year and set goals. The slightly retro design of the cover is stylish, and you will enjoy using it every time you use it. Writing in a diary helps you organize your thoughts and analyze yourself objectively. By keeping a journal, you will be able to quickly summarize your thoughts and feelings and notice patterns in your behavior and thinking. Keeping a household account book is also useful for tracking your income and expenses and saving money. The “Household Account Book that Can Also Be Written in a Diary” is a convenient item that allows you to keep a diary and a household account book in one volume, making it ideal for those who are thinking about saving money and saving.
Koshu Inden Binder Notebook” featuring traditional leather goods and Japanese designs
The Koshu Inden Binder Notebook (17,050 yen including tax) is also a recommended Japanese souvenir for foreigners.
The Koshu Inden Binder Notebook is a binder notebook made of Koshu Inden, a traditional craft developed mainly in Yamanashi Prefecture. The outside is decorated with an “Inden” pattern made with lacquer on deerskin leather, and the inside is made of cowhide. The inside has a card holder and a pen holder, making it practical as well. The “Koshu Inden” technique used for the notebook was developed in the Edo period (1603-1867), and is characterized by the unique texture and elegance of the patterns applied to deer skin using lacquer. Inden patterns include traditional Japanese auspicious designs, such as Aomiha, Sayagata, Hyotan (gourd), Dragonfly, Tsume Karakusa, Nami Uroko (scaly wave), and Shippo Tsunagi-gatame. For example, gourds have long been believed to be the dwelling place of divine spirits, symbolizing protection from disaster, prosperity of the family, and prosperity of offspring. Also, the cloisonne pattern represents the continuous connection of “yen” and “karma” through the continuous connection of “yen,” and represents happy relationships and prosperity. At the turn of the year or when starting something new, a new notebook will help you feel renewed.
Almost-a-day planner” has been sold in Japan for more than 20 years
The next notebook recommended as a Japanese souvenir for foreigners is the “Almost a Day Notebook” (2,420 yen including tax).
The “Almost a Day Notebook” was created in 2001 and has been used by many people for more than 20 years. This notebook is A6 size and has a one-page-a-day format, making it ideal for schedule management, diary entries, and memo entries. It can be used in a variety of ways, such as organizing daily schedules and tasks, posting movie tickets and photos, and drawing pictures. The page layout of the Almost a Day organizer uses a 3.7 mm square grid, which is designed to allow you to write letters and diagrams neatly. The advantage is that it can be used for both vertical and horizontal writing. In addition, the “Words of the Day” section contains one carefully selected word from the website “Almost Daily Itoi Shimbun” each day, making it a “reading notebook” that can also be enjoyed.
Fuji Jiyu-cho (Mt. Fuji Free Book), a notebook that represents the spring, summer, fall, and winter seasons of Mt.
Fuji Jiyu-cho” (1,650 yen including tax) is another notebook recommended as a souvenir of Japan for foreigners.
Fuji Jiyu-cho” is a Japanese paper-bound notebook that depicts the four seasons of Japan’s highest mountain, Mt. This notebook is bound using the traditional Japanese binding technique called “dechi-yo zo” (binding with glue only, without using thread). This means that it can be used from either the left or right side, and can be opened 180 degrees flat. Fuji has also long been a mountain of good omen for Japanese people. One of the reasons for this is its shape, which spreads out from the top of the mountain to the bottom. This shape has been revered as a symbol of a bright future, such as the prosperity of descendants and business. Fuji” is also known as a lucky charm to wish for health, longevity, good health, and safety in the home, since the name ‘Fuji’ means ‘immortality’ and ‘safety’ in Japanese. For a piece that combines the traditions of Japanese culture with modern design. This item is not only used for daily memos and schedule management, but also as a gift.
Mino Washi Diary,” a notebook with an impressive Mino Washi cover
The last notebook recommended as a Japanese souvenir for foreigners is the “Mino Washi Diary” (2,750 yen including tax).
The “Mino Washi Diary” is a diary with a cover made of Mino Washi, which is produced in Mino City, Gifu Prefecture, which boasts a history of more than 1,300 years. The cover of the diary is decorated with yuzen washi, a type of Mino washi that is hand-dyed one color at a time at a dyeing factory in Kyoto, and is characterized by its vivid colors and delicate patterns. The traditional technique of hand-printing by a specialized craftsman is used to dye each color, and there are seven patterns for the seven colors of yuzen washi. Mino Washi is thin, even, and has a soft, delicate texture, yet is extremely durable. The Shosoin Repository in Nara houses family registry papers made of Mino washi, considered the oldest paper in Japan, and the technique was registered as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2014. Today, it is used to restore ancient documents and paintings, and has been adopted as a certificate of commendation for the Tokyo Olympics, earning it a high reputation both in Japan and abroad as a traditional craft that Japan is proud of. Why not give your loved one a notebook that allows them to feel the charm and craftsmanship of Japanese paper every time they hold it in their hands?
Conclusion
In this issue, we introduced six Japanese notebooks that we recommend to foreigners. In Japan, there are many notebooks that use traditional Japanese techniques such as Koshu Inden and Mino Washi. There are also various types of organizers, ranging from those with simple, plain white pages to those with a one-page-a-day format, and those that combine a diary and a household account book. If you want a Japanese notebook, why not visit a department store or general store in Kyoto or Osaka, see the products firsthand, and purchase a souvenir?
