Touch & Flow SHONAN

Touch & Flow is a chain of high end stationery stores in Japan. There is one in Ginza Tokyo and one in Shonan Kanagawa. I paid a visit to the store in Shonan recently. Its not a large store [very small to be honest] but its probably a good thing because I wanted just about everything they stocked. They carried their own line of merchandise such as notebooks and tape (with store exclusives too) as well as brands such as MD and Travelers Notebooks. 

Here is what i purchased;

Reviews of everything i bought will follow shortly enough. For now, what do you think? Would you be visiting the shop next time you are in Japan?

 

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Traveler's Factory Station [Tokyo Station]

Travelers Factory is the holy grail for TN fans. They have a main store in Meguro, a store in Narita Airport and just last year, opened up a store in Tokyo Station, which I visited in December (2017). 

If you didn't know, Tokyo Station is a veritable maze of shops and train lines so it was not the easiest place to find but you'll definitely know it when you see it.

The store is roughly the same size as the Narita Airport store; carrying not only Travelers Notebooks but some of their travel accessories as well. Be sure to budget time for this as you might be here awhile. 

The biggest reason to visit this store, besides the fact that it's in a major Japanese train station, is the Station limited items. The brown TN cover only comes in standard size and is foil embossed with the train station design. There are also inserts, pencil boards, brass tags, washi tape, stickers and drawstring bags in this range. 

Unsurprisingly, since everything was so gorgeous, I picked up some goodies. The gold foil embossing on the TN cover and pencil board are my favorite touches. 

If you ever get the chance, I highly recommend a visit.

More info: link. 

If you aren't going anytime soon, we have a Traveler's Factory Tokyo Station pack specially curated just for you. There are just two sets and only available on our Etsy store: link. 

P.s this month's box theme is all about travel and our preorders are closing soon so do check it out here : link !

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Bunbougu Cafe (Stationery Cafe) Tokyo, Japan

Japan has heaps of themed cafes, cats, birds, hello kitty. There's so many I'm sure there's something for everything. On a recent trip to Tokyo, The Coffee Drinker and I decided to go to the Stationery Cafe in Shibuya, it's in a little street behind the main shopping street, not the easiest to find. 

First up, Bunbougu Cafe is next to a 7 Eleven in a basement and you arrive at the store part of the cafe at the bottom of the stairs. We didn't realise it before, but they were doing a collab on the day we went, I am unfortunately not familiar with the anime/manga they were doing the collab, but the entire cafe was kit out in the posters and merchandise, even the menu was themed. 

What is the draw of the stationery cafe you may ask. It's that they have tables of pens, markers, pencils, various stationery and paper for you to play around with. The highlight is definitely the large collection of copic that you can pick up and try and the cafe provides coasters that you can draw on which I thought was pretty neat. Do remember to return the stationery back to it's original spot after use, if you can't remember, a staff member will be able to help you out. 

We only had drinks but they were pretty good and we had fun testing out various pens and copic markers. There was also wall of non themed stationery if you want to browse but because of the collab, the majority of the store only had the collab goods. I'd like to go again when it is 'back to normal'. 

Have you been to this cafe? and if not, will you add this to your next Tokyo trip? Let use know in the comments. 

 

 

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Kakimori DIY notebook review

Read about our visit to Kakimori here. 

At Kakimori, we put together our own notebooks, see that blogpost for more information. 

I put together a B5 size notebook with rose gold ring, a leather button and a decorative cover. 
For the paper options, I chose a few packs of travel journal and dotgrid layouts and an envelope, a cardboard dashboard was also provided! 

It was really fun putting this notebook together. I had the idea of a trip journal with the travel journal pages, the extra dot grid pages and the envelope to hold travel ephemera or receipts. 

The paper feels nice and of good quality (by the way, you can find out at the store which of papers are fountain pen friendly). I really like the leather button too and the whole thing put together is really sturdy, perfect for everyday or travel. 

I can't bear to use the notebook yet, I'm waiting for a special trip to use it. 

Did you go to Kakimori and made your own notebook? Tag us on instagram, we'd love to see your notebook creation. 

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Top 5 places for stationery shopping in Tokyo

Japan has always been known as a mecca for stationery shopping [our beloved TN is from here after all] but sometimes its difficult to know where to start. We have been posting blog posts of places we recommend such as kakimori, inkstand and the traveler's factory but where should one go if they only have a limited amount of time?

Today I will share some of my favorite spots to go in Tokyo. 

1. LOFT

Tip: They offer a 5% discount if you are visiting from overseas and show your passport at the checkout counter.

http://www.loft.co.jp/

 

2. Tokyu Hands

Tip: The one in Shinjuku is the nearest one to a train station.

https://www.tokyu-hands.co.jp/

3. Itoya

Tip: More upmarket and designers items can be found here.

http://www.ito-ya.co.jp/ginza/

 

4. TOOLS

Tip: They sell the whole range of copics and there is a copic clinic at the Ochanomizu branch.

https://www.tools-shop.jp/shop/

 

5. Olympia

Tip: If you are looking for cute, cartoony like stationery, this is a must visit as it is a chain store targeted at young school children.

http://www.olympiashop.co.jp/

To locate the nearest branch of any of the places above, please visit their website for more details.

Have you visited these places? Are there any you think should be added to the list? 

Let us know!

 

 

 

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Ink Stand, Tokyo, Japan

So you got your custom notebook from Kakimori. What next?

How about some custom ink? No I'm not talking about getting tattoos. Rather, a custom shade of ink for use in fountain pens or glass dip pens. 

First of all, you will need an appointment. To do so, visit their website and look here. For those of you who do not read/understand japanese, here is a basic sort of guide.

If there is an orange square next to the slot, it is not available. So in the example above, you can see that 8/25 has an available slot at 12:00. They are only able to take on 4 participants in each time slot but two have already been taken so there are only 2 slots remaining. [Versus 8/22 where there are 4 slots remaining.]

You click on the slot and you will be taken to the next page where you can enter number of participants before entering your contact details on the next page.

Each session is 2500yen and will take around 1.5hrs. Do not worry as the mixing time is just 45mins [u might be done even quicker!] and then you return later to retrieve your custom ink.

On the day of your appointment, arrive around 5mins ahead of time so as to get ready. Some basic english instructions will be available for those who do not speak Japanese. You will be told to choose a base ink and add droplets of ink color you like from the array in front of you to create a custom ink that you like. Take note how many drops of each color you use. If you are unhappy with the result, simply wash out your cup and start again. A glass dip pen is also present for you to test your ink out. 

When you are satisfied, present the ink you have made alongside its "recipe" to the staff member. They will attempt to recreate it and if its correct, you will be told to return in 45mins or so to get your bottle of ink!

For those who do not wish to create a custom ink but are interested to buy a bottle ready made, simply pop into Kakimori next door! 

 

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Kakimori, Tokyo, Japan

Kakimori is in the quiet neighbourhood of Kuramae in Tokyo, where hipster cafes and residential are mixed in with old established businesses, the store's purpose is to 're-evaluate the importance of writing'.

The store consists of a wide selection of writing instruments such as dip pens, markers, pencils and there's even a wall of fountain pens for you to try before you buy, which is especially useful if you were looking at a few hundred dollar pen. There's also a selection of pen ink, some of which is exclusive to the store. 

The pièce de résistance however, is their create your own notebook display. This service is extremely popular, so we recommend you go on a weekday.

To create your notebook, pick up a tray at the entrance. There are instructions in Japanese but the basics are: 

From the display/shelves:
1. Pick from 2 sizes: B5 or B6 (both available in landscape or portrait) 
2. Cover/Backing sheet: you can choose either, both or none. You can also choose semi-opaque plastic sheets to protect the notebook. 
3. Notebook paper: Options include but are not limited to calendar, grid, travel log, envelope etc. The paper comes in packs, it's recommended you choose between 2-4 packs and more popular options tend to sell out faster. You can also select from different paper types (sample sheets are available for perusal).  Order of the notebook paper is chosen at the counter. You should also consider the orientation of your notebook when picking notebook paper. 

When that's done, bring your tray to the counter, where you have to make a few more choices (note these items are available at the display so you can have a think about it before heading to the counter.)

At the counter: 
1. Binding Ring: 5 colours, 2 options of binding, choose your orientation.
2. Fastening accessory (optional) : Elastic, Leather button or String & Button. 
3. Other (optional): Corner metal frame

All these options do add up, the prices are all displayed and Kakimori reckons if you follow the guide, a notebook would typically cost around between 1000 - 3500 yen (10 - 35USD) 

After you've made all your choices and paid, it will take around 30 minutes (weekday) to create your notebook, feel free to browse some more, go for a walk, or may we suggest a cup of hot chocolate around the corner? Then come back and pick up your notebook, can I just say it feels incredibly satisfying to hold a notebook that you've assembled yourself. It's such a great experience! 

Stay tuned for our review of the Kakimori notebook and Inkstand.

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