Sailor (Tsukuyo-No-Minamo) Yodaki

[lgsoltek]

Last year Sailor revamped their four season ink line, changed them into a smaller bottle thus raising steeply the per unit price, and added four more colours. (More details see here. On a side note, they seem to have changed the name of Fuji-musume into Fuji-sugata.)

These four new colours make up a series called “Tsukuyo-no-minamo” meaning moonlight water. Sailor claims to capture the different colours of a moonlit water surface during the four seasons. If Google Translate is to be trusted, along with my understanding of the Chinese characters used in Japanese, these four colours are (my imprecise interpretations should be taken with a grain of salt):

Spring: Yozakura (night cherry blossom), capturing the colours of cherry blossoms on defrosting snow.

Summer: Yodaki (night fire), capturing the colours of reflections of camp fire on the river.

Autumn: Yonaga (long night), birds on the river in a full moon night.

Winter: Shimoyo (frosted night), frosted river in moonlight.

Here is Yodaki, the summer one. It’s a gorgeously rich and intense red with lots of golden sheen. Just the kind of red I love. This ink writes wet and smooth. It’s wonderful.

Splash

Sample

(on copy paper)

(on Tomoe River)

Sheen

(on Tomoe River)

(It shows even on copy paper)

Comparison

Now the question is, can you tell the difference between Yodaki and Sailor Nihombashi Akane, the latter being my grail ink (in the sense that I absolutely adore it and desire it but it’s impossible to find)? I can’t. To my eyes they are exactly the same colour. Even if there is a difference, it’s infinitesimally minimal. Factoring in pen and paper difference, I’d say these two are exact copies. I for one am glad, because this means my grail ink is no longer just a dream but is now easily within reach as a doppelgänger.

(Both on Rhodia. Top: Akane. Bottom: Yodaki. The pen used for Yodaki is wetter, hence a slightly darker shade. But trust me, they look the same.)

[Newjelan]

Wow! Just wow! If I could make it look like that Lgsoltek, I would buy it.

[dezorz]

kobe number 4 is pretty close too, isnt it?

[Jan2016]

Nice review! So this is like my favorite Red (Kobe 4) with sheen?!?!?!

Want it!!!!

[white_lotus]

Thank you for the very lovely review.

 

I'm very happy that I have a bottle of Akane, and thus will never need to buy this ink. I'm very happy for Lgsoltek that he is able to get a bottle of an ink he loves. And Akane/Yodaki is an ink worth loving because it's an awesome ink. So it's even better that so many will be able to enjoy this ink as well.

 

The price though is a bit steep, $15 US for 20 ml of ink; roughly equivalent to $37.50 for 50 ml of ink. So not for me.

 

Lgsoltek, how do you find filling your pen(s) from the smaller bottle?

[Aelie]

This is the first ink in a long while that has me thinking "I need to order a bottle of this."

[Intensity]

That first splash photograph is amazing <3 The circular drop at the top looks like molten metal.

[Barkingpig]

What a lovely review!

 

I just ordered this ink & look forward to opening the bottle & letting a bit spill onto my Col-O-Ring card to see if I can duplicate that beautiful splash you shared with us.

 

(A long awaited Hippo Noto notebook is scheduled for delivery tomorrow & it will be fun to use with this ink.)

[lgsoltek]

kobe number 4 is pretty close too, isnt it?

 

 

Nice review! So this is like my favorite Red (Kobe 4) with sheen?!?!?!

Want it!!!!

 

 

It's similar but visibly different. Kobe #4 seems to be brighter, less sheen-ful, maybe not as saturated.

[lgsoltek]

This is the first ink in a long while that has me thinking "I need to order a bottle of this."

Me too. That's the first ink purchase I'm really happy about in a long while.

[lgsoltek]

Thank you for the very lovely review.

 

I'm very happy that I have a bottle of Akane, and thus will never need to buy this ink. I'm very happy for Lgsoltek that he is able to get a bottle of an ink he loves. And Akane/Yodaki is an ink worth loving because it's an awesome ink. So it's even better that so many will be able to enjoy this ink as well.

 

The price though is a bit steep, $15 US for 20 ml of ink; roughly equivalent to $37.50 for 50 ml of ink. So not for me.

 

Lgsoltek, how do you find filling your pen(s) from the smaller bottle?

Thank you! I thought hard about how I filled my pen, then I remembered I used a pipette this time. But the opening is large enough, and for the first few fills it should be easy enough. Can't say about how it's gonna be once the ink level goes low.

[lgsoltek]

Indistinguishable:

 

 

(Left: Yodaki. Right: Akane.)

[chenlozi]

I have this ink and absolutely love it. Thank you for a great review

[DrDebG]

Great review! Thank you!

[TheDutchGuy]

Wow, that ink looks stunning. Thanks!

[namrehsnoom]

Great presentation of a very lovely looking red. I’m putting this one on my wish list.

[KaB]

Thx for the review

[HalloweenHJB]

Hello Jinhui,

 

Because of the sample of Yozakura you sent, I decided to order some. As I was ordering that, I just happened to notice Yodaki —and ordered it without having seen your review first!—. Both arrived today.

 

Like you, I am DELIGHTED by Yodaki, AND by the fact that it is an almost perfect identical twin to the extremely rare Athena Nihonbashi Akane. It's a great ink day for me today!

[lgsoltek]

Hello Jinhui,

 

Because of the sample of Yozakura you sent, I decided to order some. As I was ordering that, I just happened to notice Yodaki —and ordered it without having seen your review first!—. Both arrived today.

 

Like you, I am DELIGHTED by Yodaki, AND by the fact that it is an almost perfect identical twin to the extremely rare Athena Nihonbashi Akane. It's a great ink day for me today!

 

You didn't see my review? How could you not? LOL

 

Jokes aside, Yodaki is just stunningly gorgeous, so much that I bought two bottles.

 

How are you finding the Yozakura?

Edited July 11, 2018 by Lgsoltek

[HalloweenHJB]

It's nice. It is one of those inks that don't inspire passion, but it's a gentle mauve ink. I have it in a vintage Waterman with a very juicy nib, and it looks much richer in that pen. I'll have to play with it a bit more...

 

Thanks again for the sample!