Tokyo Inklings

CY and Jacob kick off the year with an episode covering erasable ink, rice fermentation, influencer marketing, and how the AI data center boom is making your fountain pens more expensive. Show notes with links and feedback form. Jingle by Audionautix.com (CC Attribution).

CY and Jacob discuss the comeback of a legendary nib, Sailor’s strategy, big updates in the paper world, and the challenges of maintaining consistency across batches and seasons. Show notes with links and feedback form. Jingle by Audionautix.com (CC Attribution).

CY and Jacob discuss tariffs, affordable stacked nibs, and oolong tea cans from a galaxy far far away. Show notes with links and feedback form. Jingle by Audionautix.com (CC Attribution).

CY, Jacob, and returning guest Khuê reminisce about the past year and make some predictions for 2025. Show notes with links and feedback form. Jingle by Audionautix.com (CC Attribution).

CY, Jacob, and special guest Drew Brown report live from the 2024 Tokyo International Pen Show. Show notes with links and feedback form. Jingle by Audionautix.com (CC Attribution).

CY and Jacob delve into Hobonichi's paper troubles, analyze eye-opening fountain pen sales figures from Nikkei, and discuss how to address rumors. Show notes with links and feedback form. Jingle by Audionautix.com (CC Attribution).

CY and Jacob discuss Pilot's latest product announcements, Sailor's ongoing financial woes, upcoming stationery events in Tokyo, and recent US pen shows. Show notes with links and feedback form. Jingle by Audionautix.com (CC Attribution).

CY and Jacob discuss fountain pen marketing, the Q1 earnings of Pilot and Sailor, and share their first impressions of the Sailor Tuzu. Show notes with links and feedback form. Jingle by Audionautix.com (CC Attribution).

CY and Jacob discuss Sailor's new Tuzu pen, Korean stationery, glass pen snobbery, recent and upcoming events, and Mitsubishi Pencil's trademark headaches in early postwar Japan. Show notes with links and feedback form. Jingle by Audionautix.com (CC Attribution).

CY and Jacob, joined by returning guests Khuê and Alesa, discuss spring pen fairs, stationery M&A news, earthquakes, and a new steel nib. This episode was recorded on March 3rd. Show notes with links and feedback form. Jingle by Audionautix.com (CC Attribution).

CY, Jacob, along with returning guests Khuê and Alesa, reflect on the past year and make some predictions for 2024. Note: This episode was recorded early on January 1st, hours before the earthquake. All of us are OK, and we will talk about it in the next episode. Show notes with links and feedback form. Jingle by Audionautix.com (CC Attribution).

CY, Jacob, and returning guests Khuê and Alesa talk about recent acquisitions, pen shows, Sailor saturation, and mystery vac fillers. Show notes with links and feedback form. Jingle by Audionautix.com (CC Attribution).

CY, Jacob, and returning guests Khuê and Alesa talk about last month's pen shows, Pro Gear saturation, and distilled water. Show notes with links and feedback form. Jingle by Audionautix.com (CC Attribution).

CY and Jacob talk about large and small Sailor nibs, long flights, retractable fountain pens, clicky keyboards, vermilion urushi, and owls. Show notes with links and feedback form. Jingle by Audionautix.com (CC Attribution).

CY and Jacob talk about turned acrylics, faceted barrels, price increases, counterfeit pens, and middle names. Show notes with links and feedback form. Jingle by Audionautix.com (CC Attribution).

CY, Jacob, and returning guests Alesa and Khuê look back at 2022 and try to make a few predictions for 2023. Show notes with links and feedback form. Jingle by Audionautix.com (CC Attribution).

CY and Jacob discuss stationery gifts, Pilot's elusive annual Capless LE, filling systems, clicky knocks, and vintage camera lenses. Show notes with links and feedback form. Jingle by Audionautix.com (CC Attribution).

CY and Jacob discuss Maruzen's 2023 spring event lineup, Pilot's new 30th-anniversary Custom 74, flea markets, kimono fabric, and sticker printers. Show notes with links and feedback form. Jingle by Audionautix.com (CC Attribution).

Jacob, CY, and guests April from Penguins Creative and Alesa recap TIPS 2022 and discuss planners, new pen releases, engraved gold nibs, and shrinking profit margins. Show notes with links and feedback form. Jingle by Audionautix.com (CC Attribution).

Jacob and CY come together to give you the live update from the Tokyo International Pen Show! Wait... but it's almost two weeks late?! You can blame CY for that. He failed to upload the audio on time, but better late than never? Jingle by Audionautix.com (CC Attribution).

CY, Jacob, and returning guests Alesa and Khuê discuss nib grind names, paper testing, shady business practices, Montblanc's Naruto pen, price increases, and TIPS expectations. Show notes with links and feedback form. Jingle by Audionautix.com (CC Attribution).

CY and Jacob talk about bankruptcies, biomass, nib-shaped factory buildings, and new releases from Sailor, PenBBS, and Majohn. Show notes with links and feedback form. Jingle by Audionautix.com (CC Attribution).

CY and Jacob talk about Shishikura pens, Toyooka trays, Hobonichi paper testing results, nib padawans, and anime inks. Show notes with links and feedback form. Jingle by Audionautix.com (CC Attribution).

CY and Jacob talk about Bungujoshi's annual ink show in Tokyo, paper theories, new pen releases, lemons, factory calligraphy nibs, and the business of nib grinding. Show notes with links and feedback form. Jingle by Audionautix.com (CC Attribution).

CY and Jacob talk about CY's pen adventures in the US, pocket pens, Sailor's new dip pen, upcoming retail events in Tokyo, maki-e stickers, and Japan's commercial transactions law. Show notes with links and feedback form. Jingle by Audionautix.com (CC Attribution).

CY and Jacob talk about differences between pen shows in US and Japan, Shishikura and Wagner pen news, how Sanzen intentionally tweaked Tomoegawa's paper formula, Icelandic volcanoes, and more. Show notes with links and feedback form. Jingle by Audionautix.com (CC Attribution).

CY, Jacob, and guest Alesa talk about Itoya’s ink show, prison-made glass pens, unpopular opinions, and how to buy pens from Japan. Show notes with links and feedback form. Jingle by Audionautix.com (CC Attribution).

CY and Jacob talk about glass pens made in prison, ink trends, Hachimonjiya's sparkly new Pro Gear, and Platinum's surprisingly popular new pen. Show notes with links and feedback form. Jingle by Audionautix.com (CC Attribution).

CY, Jacob, and guests Khuê and Alesa discuss TWSBI's and Narwhal's joint statement, Plus's acquisition of Sailor, upcoming events, dip pens, and CY's spicy article about Wancher. Show notes with links and feedback form. Jingle by Audionautix.com (CC Attribution).

CY and Jacob talk about Platinum's all-new nib, Sailor's upcoming price increases, a new store-exclusive Capless, Naniwa pen show, dip pens, and more. Show notes with links and feedback form. Jingle by Audionautix.com (CC Attribution).

Frank from Narwhal Pens joins Jacob and CY to talk about in-house nibs, piston designs, upcoming products, and much more. Show notes with links and feedback form. Jingle by Audionautix.com (CC Attribution).

CY and Jacob talk about stationery store visits during Golden Week, Pilot and Sailor news, and the Noodler’s Ink controversy that’s rocking the fountain pen world. (Trigger warning: there is discussion of antisemitic imagery from Noodler’s Ink) Show notes with links and feedback form. Jingle by Audionautix.com (CC Attribution).

CY and Jacob talk about Sanzen Tomoe River, Tono & Lims's spring event, Kurashiki, financial statements, new products from Pilot, and Tohma pens. Show notes with links and feedback form. Jingle by Audionautix.com (CC Attribution).

CY, Jacob, and Khuê talk about exciting paper news, the return of Kamihaku, a popular Traveler's notebook release, and elusive Sailor inks from Tochigi. Show notes with links and feedback form. Jingle by Audionautix.com (CC Attribution).

Khuê, Alesa, and CY get together to talk about Mythical Emperors, Kurashiki, and give their best entry, mid range, and high end pen suggestions. Show notes with links and feedback form. Jingle by Audionautix.com (CC Attribution).

CY and Jacob talk about TWSBI’s outburst, new Sailor and Pilot releases, earthquakes, and shipping difficulties. Show notes with links and feedback form. Jingle by Audionautix.com (CC Attribution).

Jacob and CY talk about expected and unexpected pen fairs, a new ink trend, nibs with pacifiers, and a new retailer-exclusive Decimo. Show notes with links and feedback form. Jingle by Audionautix.com (CC Attribution).

Jacob contacted Kaweco, CY went to Nagasaki, and Shishikura ran out of chunky glitter. Show notes with links and feedback form. Jingle by Audionautix.com (CC Attribution).

CY, Jacob, and guests Alesa and Khuê talk about Pilot’s new pastel-colored pens, Bungubox’s latest releases, glass pens, inks for pen and paper testing, and answer a few listener questions. Show notes with links and feedback form. Jingle by Audionautix.com (CC Attribution).

CY and Jacob talk about investigative journalism, PenBBS's carved nibs, Kakimori's announcement, and the latest releases by Platinum and Sailor. Show notes with links and feedback form. Jingle by Audionautix.com (CC Attribution).

CY, Jacob, Khuê, and Alesa look back at 2021 and try to make a few predictions for 2022. Show notes with links and feedback form. Jingle by Audionautix.com (CC Attribution).

CY and Jacob talk about Tono & Lims’s chaotic winter event, highly coveted glass pens, Wagner’s past Sailor LEs, extra-stiff Pilot nibs, Japan’s largest stationery show, and how Nagahara explained the King Cobra. Show notes with links and feedback form. Jingle by Audionautix.com (CC Attribution).

CY and Jacob talk about Maruzen's 2022 pen fair lineup, Sailor's Pro Gear configurator, Kakimori's metal dip nibs, and CY's visit to Tohma. Show notes with links and feedback form. Jingle by Audionautix.com (CC Attribution).

Jacob and CY talk about Kubo's monster nibs, Ohashido's unusual deal with Sailor, Mori's Wagner pen plans, Tohma, Capless news, and a bunch of new releases from Sailor. Show notes with links and feedback form. Jingle by Audionautix.com (CC Attribution).

CY and Jacob bring you once again live coverage from the Tokyo International Pen Show 2021! Watching the video version in the show notes is highly recommended to see the products as the hosts talk about them. Show notes with links and feedback form. Jingle by Audionautix.com (CC Attribution).

In this third "emergency" episode, Jacob and CY talk about a major announcement regarding Tomoe River. Show notes with links. Jingle by Audionautix.com (CC Attribution).

Jacob, CY, and guests Alesa and Khuê talk about Pilot's unexpected Iroshizuku announcement, 2022 planner choices, the big pen show next month, Ancora's Sailor event, and Shosaikan's new pen. Show notes with links and feedback form. Jingle by Audionautix.com (CC Attribution).

Jacob and CY talk about custom acrylics, CY's trip to HK, vintage celluloid Montblanc pens, Itoya's system techo event, and Sailor's latest urushi pens. Show notes with links and feedback form. Jingle by Audionautix.com (CC Attribution).

CY and Jacob discuss exciting paper news from Sakae TP, the annual Inku-numa show, Maruzen's autumn event, Moonman's revenge pen, and new product announcements from Sailor. Show notes with links and feedback form. Jingle by Audionautix.com (CC Attribution).

CY and Jacob talk about Plotter and other system techo planners, Maruzen's upcoming events and pens, calligraphy nibs, Wagner news, and the history of Nakaya. Show notes with links and feedback form. Jingle by Audionautix.com (CC Attribution).