Iroshizuko Inks Cheaper In Japan?

[Wheatflower]

Does anyone know if Iroshizuko inks are significantly cheaper when purchased in Japan, as opposed to purchased from ink merchants in the US? I have a friend who will be traveling there in the near future, and I'm wondering if it would be worth his time and mine to have him buy a few bottles for me and bring them back to the States.

[Immoteus]

Yes, it is much more affordable to purchase the ink in Japan. At the current conversion rate it sells for 16.62 USD in Japan. Almost a difference of 20 USD before taxes and shipping!

[Wheatflower]

Yes, it is much more affordable to purchase the ink in Japan. At the current conversion rate it sells for 16.62 USD in Japan. Almost a difference of 20 USD before taxes and shipping!

 

Wow, that is significant. Thank you for the information.

 

Now, what kind of stores carry Iroshizuku in Japan? Stationary/card shops? Office supply places? Pen stores? My friend is not himself a fountain pen user, and he'd like some clues about where to look. As I have never been to Japan I am ignorant on how they organize retail commerce.

[AltecGreen]

If you order online in Japan, you can get iroshizuku for ¥1260 which is around $13.21.

[AltecGreen]

Yes, it is much more affordable to purchase the ink in Japan. At the current conversion rate it sells for 16.62 USD in Japan. Almost a difference of 20 USD before taxes and shipping!

 

Wow, that is significant. Thank you for the information.

 

Now, what kind of stores carry Iroshizuku in Japan? Stationary/card shops? Office supply places? Pen stores? My friend is not himself a fountain pen user, and he'd like some clues about where to look. As I have never been to Japan I am ignorant on how they organize retail commerce.

 

 

You can find fountain pens and inks at most large department stores, medium and large stationery stores, mom and pop shops, dedicated fountain pen shops, etc.

 

Almost any large department store in Japan will have some pens and inks for sale.

 

If you know where your friend is going to in Japan, we can direct to a store.

[toomanypelikans]

I have bought most of mine out of Japan at US$16 a bottle - freight to Oz I think was $15 for 6 inks. Bargain!

[Wheatflower]

If you know where your friend is going to in Japan, we can direct to a store.

 

Mostly Tokyo; he's there for a mostly-business trip. He's been there before and is fluent in Japanese, so some general pointers are all I (think) he needs.

[pw1224]

There was one store in Haneda airport that had Iroshizuku inks for sale just over a year ago. I wouldn't exactly count on an airport store having the ink if you're flying out of the country but it's worth checking out if you didn't get quite enough shopping time before leaving town.

[Tinjapan]

There are many places in and around Tokyo where you can buy these inks. If you would like greater variety they have limited edition 20 ml bottles in three bottle sets. Last I checked they only had four sets with the following inks. Set A has Tsuki-yo, Fuyu-syogun and Fuyu-gaki. Set B includes Kon-peki, Shin-ryoku and Kiri-same. In set C we find Yama-budo, Syo-ro and Tsuyu-kusa. Lastly Yama-guri, Asa-gao and Ku-jaku are in set D. These are, however, pricey. 3000 yen/$30 plus dollars a set. I have not seen all four sets at any one store at the same time. They can be found at Itoya in Ginza (Itoya Ginza is rebuilding their main store and have moved to a temporary building not far away. K. Itoya is now their main fountain pen store, on the street behind the old main store.) and Itoya near Yuracho station. Pen Boutique Shosaikan in Aoyama, http://www.shosaikan.co.jp , also has some.

 

If they will be in Shinjuku, Takashimaya and Odakyu Department Stores, carry the full line of the full sized bottles. I am pretty certain that Keio Department Store also has them.

Kingdom Note, my personal favorite store has them along with many second hand pens. They also carry Hakase Real Sepia, both dark and light and now have their own inks made by Sailor if you are interested.

 

I know I've seen them in Department stores around Tokyo station but can't think of where exactly. I'll be in that area tomorrow and can snoop around a bit to find out where exactly.

 

Maruzen carry them I think. I've never been to Maruzen's Marunouchi but that is now their flagship store, so I bet they will carry them. Maruzen has their own line of inks too, however the Nihonbashi store has their own that is not sold in other Maruzen stores. Last year7s was Nihombashi Akane. This year they have Nihonbashi River Blue. Both are limited edition of 300 bottles each are were made by Sailor.

[Tinjapan]

Iroshizuku inks are 1,575 yen per bottle. In the Ginza area they can be found Maruzen Nihombashi B1 floor. That have the entire line. Across the street is Takashimaya. On the 5th floor is where you will find their pens. They had all but Murasaki Shikubu in stock. I could not find, even through asking any fountain pens nor ink at Matsuya in Ginza. Mitsukoshi Ginza does not carry Japanese brand pens.

K. Itoya in Ginza and Tokyu Hands in Yurakucho carry the full line.

 

In Akihabara, Yodabashi Camera has pens and ink on the 3rd floor but not Iroshizuku.

 

Near Tokyo Station, both Daimaru Department Store(7th floor) and Maruzen Marunouchi 4th floor have the full line.

 

As I mentioned before, Maruzen has their own inks, however the Nihombashi store has its own unique inks as well. Two at present.

 

Of possible further interest, the soon to be discontinued CDA inks are fully stocked at these and other stores around Tokyo.

 

Happy hunting.

 

T

[Wheatflower]

Happy hunting.

 

Thank you so much for the information! I'll be passing it on to my friend through the magic of the internet.

[Tinjapan]

Happy hunting.

 

Thank you so much for the information! I'll be passing it on to my friend through the magic of the internet.

 

No problem. It was nice to have an excuse, er Reason, yeah that's it, a reason to go around to all these shops.

 

T

[pyramus]

I was in Tokyo last October and ended up buying eleven bottles of Iroshizuku because they were so amazingly inexpensive, as well as a bottle of Sailor Jentle. Also about 30 Pilot Petit1 fountain pens (I just empty out the proprietary cartridges and fill them up with my own ink using a syringe, which you can buy at any 100-yen store) for less than $2.50 each, a handful of Platinum Preppy pens (ditto for the refilling and the price), and a Pilot Prera. They sell ink and pens EVERYWHERE: I bought most of mine at Tokyu Hands (locations everywhere), Ito-ya in Ginza, and a few department stores — pretty much every department store has a stationery department, and Keio near the Shinjuku subway station has a particularly good one, so that's where I bought most of my ink. You can also find J. Herbin inks for a good price, and of course pretty much every Japanese brand as well.

[Francis_Rex]

I have bought most of mine out of Japan at US$16 a bottle - freight to Oz I think was $15 for 6 inks. Bargain!

A good move. I just bought a bottle of Kon-Peki at Paradise Pen in Las Vegas where I was on holiday. It was $35 plus sales tax of 8.1%. To buy it in the UK I would have to pay £31.99:something like $46. It is definitely a premium ink as I bought some Private Reserve Copper Burst for a mere $9.

[AlejoPlay]

I got 3 bottles at Sekaido in Shinjuku for 20% off list price, so they were somewhere around $13 a pop. They didn't have Tsuki-Yo, so I got that at Ito-Ya for full price (~$16). Ito-Ya had all the colors, but a very small display. I was expecting them to have a wall of ink like Art Brown.

 

Maruzen in Nihombashi was more of what I was expecting from a Japanese stationery store. Totally awesome. Loft was another great store which had a great selection of notebooks.

 

I bought Fuyu-Syogun, Ku-Jaku, Tsuki-Yo and Ina Ho and very pleased with all four. Fuyu-Syogun was the biggest surprise. I had no idea I'd love a grey ink that much.

Edited March 26, 2013 by AlejoPlay