Japanese fountain pen inks occupy a special place in the hobby. Where European brands like Diamine and J. Herbin built reputations on broad colour ranges and reliable everyday performance, Japanese inks — particularly Pilot Iroshizuku and Sailor Shikiori — are known for something more specific: colours drawn from Japanese nature, seasons, and landscape, with a depth and expressiveness that rewards slow, attentive writing on good paper.
This guide covers the major Japanese ink ranges stocked at The Journal Shop, explains what makes them distinctive, and helps you choose where to start.
Pilot Iroshizuku
Iroshizuku — meaning "droplets of colour" — is Pilot's premium ink range, launched in 2008 and now comprising 50 colours. Each ink is named after a Japanese natural phenomenon: a mountain plant, a seasonal weather event, a body of water, a bird. The names are half the pleasure: Tsuki-yo (moonlit night), Kon-peki (deep azure), Fuyu-gaki (winter persimmon), Yama-budo (wild grapes).
The inks are uniformly excellent — smooth, reliable in virtually any pen, easy to clean, and resistant to clogging. None are waterproof, which is the intended trade-off: that same gentle chemistry is what makes them so forgiving in pens and so beautiful on paper. The glass bottles are wide and low, making them easy to fill from even as they approach empty.
Many Iroshizuku inks exhibit spectacular sheen — a second colour visible where ink pools thickest, most dramatic on Tomoe River paper with a wet pen. Yama-budo (deep magenta) sheens gold; Shin-kai (blue-black) sheens red-black; Ku-jaku (turquoise) sheens red-black in wetter pens.
Where to start with Iroshizuku
The range can be overwhelming at 50 colours. Here are the most consistently beloved across the community, and why:
Kon-peki (Deep Azure) — A vivid, clean blue with a slight turquoise lean. One of the most popular inks in the entire range, and for good reason: it shades beautifully from pale sky blue to deep sapphire, looks good in every nib size, and photographs exceptionally. An excellent first Iroshizuku.
Tsuki-yo (Moonlit Night) — A dark, moody teal-blue that reads almost black in fine nibs and reveals its teal depth in broader ones. Subtle red-black sheen in wetter pens. A sophisticated everyday colour for those who find standard blue too predictable.
Yama-budo (Wild Grapes) — A deep, vivid magenta with a magnificent gold sheen that stops people mid-sentence when they see it on good paper. Not an everyday colour, but one of the most dramatic inks in the hobby.
Take-sumi (Bamboo Charcoal) — The range's black. Rich, with depth and slight shading. More interesting than a flat black; water resistant enough for most everyday purposes. One of the better-behaved blacks in the hobby.
Momiji (Autumn Leaves) — A soft, slightly cool red with a dramatic gold sheen. One of the most characterful reds available; looks best with a medium or broader nib on smooth paper.
Ku-jaku (Peacock) — A vibrant teal-leaning turquoise with red-black sheen. One of the most show-stopping inks in the range. Looks blue or green depending on the light and angle.
Sailor Shikiori
Shikiori means "the weaving of the four seasons." Sailor's Shikiori inks are released in seasonal collections — groups of four inks, each representing a different experience of that season. The inks are available as 20ml bottles and in 2-sided brush pens that use the same ink formulation.
Where Iroshizuku inks are polished and even-tempered, Shikiori inks are more expressive and variable. Many shade dramatically; some exhibit dual-shading (shifting between two distinct colours). They reward good paper and a wet pen.
The Shikiori collections
Izayoi-no-Yume (Dream of Sixteen Nights) — The original collection. Four inks representing seasonal moments: Yozakura (night cherry blossom — a pale, dreamy pink), Nioi-Sumire (fragrant violet — a warm blue-violet), Yama-dori (copper pheasant — a rich teal-green that sheens copper), and Souten (blue sky — a vivid azure). All four are beautiful; Yama-dori and Yozakura are among the most admired inks in the Sailor range.
Tsukuyo-no-Minamo — A collection capturing light on water. Subtler, more complex inks than the Izayoi series; particularly interesting for shading effects.
Kusa Asobi — Nature and plant-inspired. Greens and earthy tones with interesting character.
Shikiori brush pens
The same Shikiori inks are available in double-sided brush pens — a flexible brush tip on one end and a fine marker tip on the other. This gives you access to the inks in a convenient, maintenance-free format for lettering, journaling decoration, and sketching, without needing a fountain pen.
Other Japanese inks worth knowing
Pilot Iroshizuku vs standard Pilot inks — Pilot also makes a standard range of inks (sold under the Namiki brand in some markets) that are more affordable and similarly reliable. If Iroshizuku is outside budget, standard Pilot inks are an excellent alternative.
Kyoto Inks — A range of Japanese inks with colours drawn from the colours and history of Kyoto — temples, textiles, seasons. Less widely distributed than Iroshizuku but increasingly available at specialist retailers. The bottles are beautifully designed and the inks tend toward complex, muted, sophisticated colours rather than vivid ones.
Using Japanese inks at their best
Japanese inks — particularly Iroshizuku — perform at their best on smooth, slow-drying paper. On Tomoe River (the paper used in Hobonichi planners and Traveler's Notebook Lightweight refills), the shading and sheen effects are most visible. On ordinary copy paper, most of the character is lost and the ink performs like any other dye-based ink.
A medium or broad nib will show shading more clearly than a fine or extra fine nib — simply because more ink hits the paper with each stroke, creating greater variation between pooled and thin sections.
Neither Iroshizuku nor Shikiori inks are waterproof. They are, however, extremely easy to clean and are some of the most forgiving inks for pen maintenance. If you're new to bottled inks and want to start with something that will never give you trouble, Iroshizuku is the right choice.
Browse the full Japanese ink range at The Journal Shop, including Pilot Iroshizuku and Sailor Shikiori, and see our companion guide to all fountain pen inks for beginner recommendations.
Where to start: browse our fountain pen inks and fountain pens at The Journal Shop.
